Why was the $16 Trillion Platform Called TradeLens shut down by Maersk and IBM?

300+ organizations. 600+ ports and terminals. 42 million shipments tracked. And it was still shut down. 🚢 In 2018, Maersk and IBM launched TradeLens, a blockchain-powered platform built to end the email-and-PDF chaos of global shipping, where one container can involve 20–30 parties and 200+ document exchanges. By November 2022, the plug was pulled. So how does a platform that works… fail? In this video: ⚓ The problem TradeLens set out to solve 🔗 How a permissioned blockchain became its trust layer 📈 The numbers that hid a deeper problem ⚔️ Why rivals hesitated, and the rise of GSBN 💥 The final decision and its lessons The big takeaway: technology doesn't automatically create a business. Governance, incentives, and trust decide who wins. TradeLens solved the technology. It just couldn't solve the industry. Research & Presentation: Md Rizvee Hasan (  / rizveeh  ) Edit & Post-Production: Papiya Sultana (  / papiyas  ) 💬 Which failed platform should we cover next? Comment below. 🔔 Subscribe for more business case studies every week. 0:00 - The Big Bet 01:37 - Intro 01:58 - The Problem With Global Shipping Information 03:05 - How Maersk and IBM Launched TradeLens 04:04 - Blockchain: How TradeLens Used It 05:42 - The Impact: 300+ Organizations and 42M Shipments 06:22 - The Trust Problem and the Rise of GSBN 08:08 - Why TradeLens Went Down 10:13 - The Lesson #TradeLens #Maersk #IBM #Blockchain #BusinessCaseStudy