ISO/TR 3242:2022 - Blockchain and distributed ledger technologies — Use cases

ISO/TR 3242:2022 is a comprehensive technical report documenting a wide range of use cases for blockchain and distributed ledger technology. Rather than focusing on a single industry, this document provides a detailed catalog of scenarios where DLT can provide value, including identity management, supply chain transparency, financial services, healthcare records, and energy trading. Each use case is analyzed based on its business requirements, the technological role of the DLT (e.g., as a record of truth or an execution environment), and the challenges involved in implementation. The report serves as a foundational resource for organizations exploring DLT applications, helping them identify patterns of success and common pitfalls. It promotes a systematic approach to evaluating business problems, urging stakeholders to consider whether decentralization, immutability, and shared state are actually required for their specific use case. By mapping diverse applications to a shared taxonomy, ISO/TR 3242 helps bridge the gap between abstract DLT capabilities and concrete, real-world utility, making it an essential reference for business analysts, enterprise architects, and government planners aiming to build realistic, value-driven DLT projects.