Conceptualizing the Role of Blockchain Technology in Digital Platform Business

Digital platforms have firmly changed the way we interact within the last decade and, thereby, created an entire platform economy. Services and offerings on such platforms are typically facilitated by intermediaries. While blockchain technology can serve as means for creating a digital platform, it makes these intermediaries obsolete by creating trust through the system itself. Yet, blockchain is often referred to as “innovative technology in search of use cases” – a statement which indicates that a real-world impact of blockchain is still missing. This research, therefore, intends to address this gap with a taxonomy of blockchain platforms. It thereby aims to provide researchers and practitioners alike with a structured and holistic approach for studying practical use cases to allow for a better understanding of blockchain-based platforms.