Blockchain For Critical Minerals

Blockchain in Supply Chain: Article 12

Critical minerals, which include rare earth minerals, are generally defined as minerals that are important to supply chains, but difficult to mine and ship due to scarcity, geopolitical issues, trade policy, or a combination of the three. The U.S. Department of the Interior identified 35 critical minerals that (1) are "essential to the economic and national security of the United States," (2) have supply chains that are "vulnerable to disruption," and (3) serve "an essential function in the manufacturing of a product, the absence of which would have significant consequences for our economy or our national security."¹ The list of critical minerals includes familiar minerals like aluminum, tungsten, and tin;² minerals critical to electrification like lithium and cobalt; minerals critical to manufacturing like magnesium, manganese, niobium, and vanadium; and minerals used for nuclear fuel like uranium. Companies use