Blockchain Technologies in E-commerce: Social Shopping and Loyalty Program Applications

摘要

With the rapid advancement of cryptography and distributed computing systems, blockchain technologies are highly anticipated to transform many industries with better transparency, high security, and low transaction costs. However, the scalability and performance of blockchains are limiting their utility and suitability in online services, especially e-commerce. This paper provides a survey of blockchain technologies to highlight their benefits and challenges in online shopping. We, therefore, propose two blockchain-based e-commerce applications with detailed design guidelines: social shopping and loyalty program. The study contributes to the cumulative theoretical development of social computing and blockchains. It also provides a number of implications for academic bodies, platform operators, and developers of blockchain technologies.