Block Array Whitepaper

What is Block Array

Friends, imagine when we buy something, like a carton of milk—we know which farm it came from, which processing plants it went through, and finally how it arrived at the supermarket. But usually, this information is provided by the seller, and it's hard for us to verify it ourselves. What if there was a “super ledger” that recorded every step from the farm to your home, and no one could tamper with these records? Wouldn't that be great?

Block Array (ARY) is such a project. Its goal is to bring this “super ledger” capability to businesses, especially those that need to track products throughout the entire process from production to sale. It is a startup focused on building a vertically integrated protocol layer, aiming to help enterprises apply blockchain technology to specific business scenarios, particularly supply chain management, to improve product traceability.

Simply put, Block Array’s target users are businesses, and its core scenario is supply chain traceability. It hopes to use blockchain technology to make information about every stage of a product’s production, transportation, storage, and sale transparent, trustworthy, and tamper-proof. For example, a consumer could scan a barcode on a product and instantly know all its historical information—like giving the product an “ID card,” with information certified by the blockchain, making it highly reliable.

A typical usage flow might include:

• Enterprise side: Manufacturers record product information (such as production date, batch, source of raw materials) into Block Array’s system during production, and this information is “anchored” to the blockchain. Logistics companies also record the product’s location, transport time, and other details during shipping.
• Consumer side: Consumers can use Block Array’s mobile app (such as the “Badger Mobile App”) to scan product barcodes and instantly access reliable information about the product’s origin and supply chain journey.

It also envisions an application for the trucking industry, aggregating unused truck space to create a virtual marketplace where truck drivers can sell this space peer-to-peer.

Project Vision and Value Proposition

Block Array’s vision is to use blockchain technology to fundamentally change how enterprise supply chains operate. The core problems it aims to solve are the lack of transparency, susceptibility to data tampering, and difficulty in traceability in traditional supply chains. Imagine, many products’ traceability information is stored in a company’s database—if the company wants to modify it, or if the database fails, the information may become inaccurate or lost. Block Array hopes to solve this by leveraging blockchain’s immutability (once information is recorded on the blockchain, it is very difficult to modify or delete).

Its value proposition includes:

• Enhanced trust: Allowing both consumers and businesses to have greater confidence in product information.
• Improved efficiency: Digitizing and automating processes to reduce paperwork and manual operations in the supply chain, increasing efficiency and lowering costs.
• Combating counterfeits: Providing reliable traceability information to help identify and fight counterfeit products.
• Optimizing logistics: Even planning to use blockchain technology to optimize logistics, such as helping truck drivers utilize transport space more efficiently.

Compared to similar projects, when Block Array was proposed around 2018, its focus on combining GS1 barcode information with the Ethereum blockchain and providing both enterprise and consumer applications was a cutting-edge exploration. It emphasizes building a “vertically integrated” protocol layer, meaning it not only provides the technical foundation but also aims to cover the entire chain from data entry to application display.

Technical Features

The technical core of Block Array lies in how to securely and transparently record real-world product information on the blockchain, and make this information easily accessible and verifiable.

• Blockchain Foundation

  Block Array chooses to use the Ethereum Blockchain (an open-source, global decentralized platform that allows developers to build and deploy decentralized applications) as the basis for data “anchoring.” This means that while it may not store all detailed data directly on Ethereum, it leverages Ethereum’s security to verify data timestamps and integrity—like stamping data with an unforgeable timestamp.

• Data Interface Protocol (BDI)

  To enable the blockchain system to “talk” to existing enterprise software systems (such as ERP systems (Enterprise Resource Planning): integrated software for managing various business processes), Block Array developed a protocol called the Blockchain Data Interface (BDI). This protocol acts as a translator, allowing blockchain data to be understood and used by traditional enterprise systems, and vice versa.

• XONS Protocol and GS1 Barcodes

  The project also mentions an eXtensible ONS (XONS) protocol, which is combined with GS1 barcodes (Global Standard 1 Barcodes) (the global standard for product barcodes) to create and access barcode records. In this way, ordinary barcodes on products can carry more blockchain-linked, verifiable information.

• Smart Contracts

  Block Array also utilizes Smart Contracts (code stored on the blockchain that automatically executes contract terms when preset conditions are met) to automate certain business processes, such as handover and payment in the supply chain.

Tokenomics

The token for the Block Array project is ARY.

• Token Basic Information

  • Token Symbol: ARY
  • Issuance Chain: Ethereum (ERC-20 token)
  • Total Supply: 88,409,933 ARY
  • Current and Future Circulation: According to CoinMarketCap, the reported circulating supply is currently 0 ARY, with a market cap of $0. This may mean the token currently has no active trading market, or the project is inactive.

• Token Utility

  The ARY token plays several key roles in the Block Array ecosystem, functioning as “fuel” or “license” within the system:

  • Data anchoring: ARY tokens are used to “anchor” new GS1 barcode information to the Ethereum blockchain, a process that may involve token burning, providing an immutable timestamp for data records.
  • Software licensing: ARY tokens also serve as license verification for commercial software use.
  • Platform access “toll”: Accessing specific protocol outputs on the platform may require payment of ARY tokens as a “toll.”
  • Logistics applications: In its envisioned trucking “gray pool” virtual marketplace, ARY tokens may also be used for related services.

• Token Distribution and Unlocking Information

  Block Array conducted its initial coin offering (ICO) from January 4 to January 9, 2018, raising a total of $14.4 million. The ICO price was about $0.20442/ARY. Specific details on token allocation ratios and unlocking plans are not provided in the available public information.

Team, Governance, and Funding

• Core Members

  According to information from the ICO period, Block Array’s key team members include Sam Bacha, Micah Osborne, and Yuri Senyut.

• Team Characteristics

  The project is headquartered in Chattanooga, TN, USA.

• Governance Mechanism

  The whitepaper mentions that token holders will have the opportunity to run full or partial nodes of the blockchain network. This suggests the project may have envisioned a decentralized governance model, allowing token holders to participate in network maintenance and decision-making, though specific details are not described.

• Treasury and Funding Runway

  The project raised $14.4 million in its ICO. However, there is no detailed public information on how these funds are managed, the state of the treasury, or the current financial operations of the project.

Roadmap

As Block Array is an early-stage project (ICO in 2018), its publicly available roadmap information may be outdated. According to data from early 2018, the project was developing:

• Enterprise application dashboard: Providing companies with an overview of their entire supply chain.
• Badger mobile app: Allowing consumers to directly scan barcodes from participating companies to obtain product information.
• Virtual marketplace: Aggregating unused truck transport space to establish a peer-to-peer trading network.

Currently, there is no publicly available information on the project’s recent (post-2020) or future detailed plans. Given the current token circulation and market cap status, the project may have ceased active development or pivoted.

Common Risk Reminders

Investing in any blockchain project carries risks, and Block Array is no exception. For projects like Block Array, which are older and currently inactive, pay special attention to the following risks:

• Project Activity and Development Risk

  According to platforms like CoinMarketCap, Block Array’s token (ARY) currently reports a circulating supply of 0 and a market cap of $0. Additionally, there is information indicating its price updates are over a year old, with no known active trading platforms. This strongly suggests the project may be inactive or has not met development expectations, meaning it may lack ongoing development, maintenance, and community support.

• Technical and Security Risk

  Although the project is based on Ethereum, its own protocol layers (such as BDI, XONS) require ongoing audits and updates for security, stability, and compatibility. If the project is no longer active, these technologies may be outdated or have unpatched vulnerabilities.

• Economic Risk

  A circulating supply of 0 and missing market cap means ARY tokens may lack liquidity and be difficult to trade. Investors may face the risk of the token’s value dropping to zero. The use of funds raised during the ICO is also opaque, increasing economic risk.

• Market and Competition Risk

  The blockchain and supply chain sectors are rapidly evolving, with new solutions emerging constantly. If Block Array remains stagnant, it will struggle to compete with newer, more active competitors.

• Compliance and Operational Risk

  The regulatory environment for blockchain projects is still evolving. Whether the project can continue to comply with regulations in various countries and whether its operational model is sustainable are both potential risks.

Please note: The above information is for project analysis only and does not constitute investment advice. Be sure to conduct thorough independent research and risk assessment before making any investment decisions.

Verification Checklist

For the Block Array project, here are some links and information points you can try to verify:

• Block Explorer Contract Address: The ARY token contract address is
  0xa5f8...42b1a1
  (Ethereum). You can check the contract’s activity, such as token holder count and transaction records, via Etherscan or other Ethereum block explorers.
• GitHub Activity: Search for project-related GitHub repositories (e.g.,
  Block Array
  or
  FreightTrust
  ). Check code commit history, issue resolution, etc., to assess development activity. Currently, there is a repository called
  jon-deng/block-array
  on GitHub, but its description is more about the general “block array” data structure, not specifically this blockchain project.
• Official Website/Social Media: The official websites were BlockArray.com and FreightTrust.net. Check if these sites are still active and if there are any recent announcements or updates. Also, review their Telegram group (such as
  blockarray_ito
  ) or other social media (Twitter, Medium) for activity.
• Audit Reports: Look for any third-party security audit reports on the project’s smart contracts.

Project Summary

Block Array (ARY) is a blockchain project born in 2018, with the core goal of leveraging Ethereum blockchain technology to provide supply chain traceability and management solutions for enterprises, aiming to improve transparency, efficiency, and trust in supply chains. By anchoring GS1 barcode information to the blockchain and developing the BDI and XONS protocols, it attempts to connect traditional enterprise systems with the blockchain world.

The project successfully raised $14.4 million during its ICO and planned to develop enterprise dashboards and consumer mobile apps, even venturing into logistics optimization. The ARY token serves multiple functions in the ecosystem, including data anchoring, software licensing, and platform access.

However, according to the latest public information, Block Array currently appears to be inactive, with its ARY token showing zero circulating supply and market cap on major crypto data platforms, and lacking an active trading market. This suggests the project may not have sustained development or has ceased operations. For anyone interested in this project, it is strongly recommended to conduct in-depth independent research and fully recognize the significant risks that may exist, including but not limited to project stagnation, outdated technology, and lack of token liquidity. Remember, this is not investment advice.

For more details, please conduct your own research.