System and computer method for trading a commodity with carry costs

Abstract

A distributed ledger-based commodity trading method and graphical user interface (GUI) includes creating and using a smart contract that specifies variable or unknown carry costs, and covering actual carry costs with a reserve account of a cryptographic currency or cryptographic token.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A computer method and graphical user interface (GUI) for executing a smart commodity contract, comprising:
 displaying, on an electronic display of a user device, a GUI including an indication of a commodity contract for future delivery of a commodity at a nominal price, the nominal price including estimated carry costs, according to a smart contract carried by at least one non-transitory computer readable memory and accessed via a distributed ledger;   displaying, on the electronic display via the GUI, a payment field for receiving electronic payment for the future delivery of the commodity at the nominal price;   receiving, via the GUI, an entry corresponding to a link to a buyer account or wallet to operate as a source of the electronic payment;   transferring, from the buyer account or wallet into a server computer, the at least partial electronic payment for the future delivery of the commodity;   displaying, via the GUI, a reserve account balance in an amount specified by the smart contract, the reserve account balance including an apportionment for the estimated carry costs;   receiving, into the buyer account from the server computer, an electronic token representing the smart contract for future delivery of the commodity at a specified location for an actual but unknown price;   displaying, in the GUI, information corresponding to receiving the electronic token;   receiving and displaying, in the GUI, cost data corresponding to an actual carry cost of handling the commodity;   displaying, in the GUI, a modified reserve account balance requirement; and   receiving an input, via the GUI from the buyer, of an agreement to transfer funds from or to the link to the source of the electronic payment corresponding to the modified reserve account balance requirement.   
     
     
         2 . The computer method and GUI for executing a smart commodity contract of  claim 1 , wherein the commodity comprises a physical commodity. 
     
     
         3 . The computer method and GUI for executing a smart commodity contract of  claim 2 , wherein the carry costs include a physical commodity transportation cost. 
     
     
         4 . The computer method and GUI for executing a smart commodity contract of  claim 2 , wherein the carry costs include a physical commodity storage cost. 
     
     
         5 . The computer method and GUI for executing a smart commodity contract of  claim 2 , wherein the carry costs include a physical commodity quantity reduction related to loss to evaporation, sublimation, leakage, spillage, compression, temperature change, or chemical reaction. 
     
     
         6 . The computer method and GUI for executing a smart commodity contract of  claim 1 , further comprising receiving and displaying, in the GUI from the server computer, a new estimate of carry costs corresponding to handling the commodity. 
     
     
         7 . The computer method and GUI for executing a smart commodity contract of  claim 6 , further comprising displaying, in the GUI, information regarding updating the smart contract to include the new estimate of the carry costs. 
     
     
         8 . The computer method and GUI for executing a smart commodity contract of  claim 6 , wherein receiving the new estimate of carry costs includes receiving an update of the prior estimate to include actual carry costs. 
     
     
         9 . The computer method and GUI for executing a smart commodity contract of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 establishing, and displaying via the GUI, information corresponding to the reserve account balance in an amount specified by the smart contract including an apportionment for the new estimated carry costs.   
     
     
         10 . The computer method and GUI for executing a smart commodity contract of  claim 9 , wherein establishing and displaying, via the GUI, information corresponding to the reserve account balance comprises:
 displaying a notice of automatic transferring of electronic funds to or from the reserve account; and   wherein receiving the input, via the GUI from the buyer, of the agreement to transfer the funds from or to the link to the source of the at least partial electronic payment includes receiving a pre-authorization agreement or acknowledgement at a time prior to the transfer.   
     
     
         11 . The computer method and GUI for executing a smart commodity contract of  claim 9 , wherein establishing and displaying, via the GUI, information corresponding to the reserve account balance comprises:
 receiving a transfer of electronic funds from the buyer wallet into the server computer.   
     
     
         12 . The computer method and GUI for executing a smart commodity contract of  claim 9 , wherein establishing and displaying, via the GUI, information corresponding to the reserve account balance comprises:
 receiving an electronic withdrawal of funds from the buyer wallet; and   transferring the withdrawn funds to a buyer trust account as a blockchain currency transaction.   
     
     
         13 . The computer method and GUI for executing a smart commodity contract of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 performing, with the server computer, an initial estimate of carry costs corresponding to carrying the commodity.   
     
     
         14 . The computer method and GUI for executing a smart commodity contract of  claim 13 , wherein performing the initial estimate of carry costs corresponding to carrying the commodity comprises:
 performing an initial estimate of carry costs corresponding to at least one of handling, storing, analyzing, certifying, exchanging, swapping, capitalizing, franchising, optioning, delivering, sublimating, melting, freezing, cooling, heating, hardening, boiling, transporting, pumping, producing, injecting, evacuating, spewing, and showing a physical commodity.   
     
     
         15 . The computer method and GUI for executing a smart commodity contract of  claim 1 , wherein the smart contract is carried by a distributed ledger carried by a plurality of non-transitory computer readable media. 
     
     
         16 . The computer method and GUI for executing a smart commodity contract of  claim 15 , wherein the distributed ledger comprises a blockchain. 
     
     
         17 . The computer method and GUI for executing a smart commodity contract of  claim 16 , wherein the blockchain comprises a public blockchain. 
     
     
         18 . The computer method and GUI for executing a smart commodity contract of  claim 16 , wherein the blockchain comprises a private blockchain. 
     
     
         19 . The computer method and GUI for executing a smart commodity contract of  claim 16 , wherein the blockchain comprises a permissioned blockchain. 
     
     
         20 . The computer method and GUI for executing a smart commodity contract of  claim 15 , wherein the smart contract is added to the distributed ledger as a transaction. 
     
     
         21 . The computer method and GUI for executing a smart commodity contract of  claim 20 , wherein adding the smart contract to the distributed ledger comprises encrypting the smart contract. 
     
     
         22 . The computer method and GUI for executing a smart commodity contract of  claim 20 , wherein adding the smart contract to the distributed ledger comprises:
 storing the smart contract at one or more cloud locations;   encrypting the one or more cloud locations; and   entering the encrypted one or more cloud locations onto the distributed ledger as a transaction.   
     
     
         23 . A computer method for executing a smart commodity contract, comprising:
 receiving, from a buyer account into a server computer, at least partial electronic payment for future delivery of a commodity at a nominal price, according to a smart contract carried by at least one non-transitory computer readable memory;   wherein the smart contract specifies the nominal price including estimated carry costs corresponding to delivering the commodity;   establishing a reserve account balance in an amount specified by the smart contract, the reserve account balance including an apportionment for the estimated carry costs;   transferring, to the buyer account from the server computer, an electronic token representing the smart contract for future delivery of the commodity at a specified location for an actual but unknown price;   receiving cost data corresponding to an actual cost of handling the commodity;   performing a new estimate of carry costs corresponding to handling the commodity;   updating the smart contract to include the new estimate of the carry costs;   modifying the reserve account balance requirement; and   outputting data from the server computer to the buyer to inform the buyer of the modified reserve account balance requirement.   
     
     
         24 . The computer method for executing a smart commodity contract of  claim 23 , wherein the commodity comprises a physical commodity. 
     
     
         25 . The computer method for executing a smart commodity contract of  claim 23 , wherein performing a new estimate of carry costs includes updating the prior estimate to include actual carry costs. 
     
     
         26 . The computer method for executing a smart commodity contract of  claim 23 , further comprising:
 establishing the reserve account balance in an amount specified by the smart contract including an apportionment for the new estimated carry costs.   
     
     
         27 . The computer method for executing a smart commodity contract of  claim 26 , wherein establishing the reserve account balance comprises:
 automatically transferring electronic funds to or from the reserve account.   
     
     
         28 . The computer method for executing a smart commodity contract of  claim 26 , wherein establishing the reserve account balance comprises:
 receiving a transfer of electronic funds from the buyer into the server computer.   
     
     
         29 . The computer method for executing a smart commodity contract of  claim 26 , wherein establishing the reserve account balance comprises:
 receiving an electronic withdrawal of funds from the buyer; and   transferring the withdrawn funds to a buyer account as a blockchain currency transaction.   
     
     
         30 . The computer method for executing a smart commodity contract of  claim 26 , wherein establishing the reserve account balance comprises:
 issuing or receiving a transaction including a transfer of a distributed ledger hold value as a contractual encumbrance on a balance held at a specified exchange address.   
     
     
         31 . The computer method for executing a smart commodity contract of  claim 26 , wherein establishing the reserve account balance comprises:
 establishing a reserve account balance including an apportionment for the estimated carry costs.   
     
     
         32 . The computer method for executing a smart commodity contract of  claim 23 , further comprising:
 performing an initial estimate of carry costs corresponding to carrying the commodity.   
     
     
         33 . The computer method for executing a smart commodity contract of  claim 32 , wherein performing the initial estimate of carry costs corresponding to carrying the commodity includes estimating carry costs corresponding to carry costs of a physical commodity. 
     
     
         34 . The computer method for executing a smart commodity contract of  claim 32 , wherein performing an initial estimate of carry costs corresponding to carrying the commodity comprises:
 performing an initial estimate of carry costs corresponding to processing a physical commodity.   
     
     
         35 . The computer method for executing a smart commodity contract of  claim 32 , wherein performing an initial estimate of carry costs corresponding to carrying the commodity comprises:
 performing an initial estimate of carry costs corresponding to at least one of handling, storing, analyzing, certifying, exchanging, swapping, capitalizing, franchising, optioning, delivering, sublimating, melting, freezing, cooling, heating, hardening, boiling, transporting, pumping, producing, injecting, evacuating, spewing, and showing a physical commodity.   
     
     
         36 . The computer method for executing a smart commodity contract of  claim 23 , wherein receiving, from the buyer account into the server computer, at least partial electronic payment for future delivery of the commodity at the nominal price according to the smart contract comprises:
 receiving a distributed ledger source address, an amount transferred, and a distributed ledger transfer history or transfer histories of the amount transferred.   
     
     
         37 . The computer method for executing a smart commodity contract of  claim 36 , further comprising:
 receiving a public key and a defined but anonymous identity associated with the distributed ledger transfer history.   
     
     
         38 . The computer method for executing a smart commodity contract of  claim 37 , wherein:
 receiving the public key and the anonymous identity includes reporting aggregate transactions to/for each anonymous identity in a plurality of anonymous identities.   
     
     
         39 . The computer method for executing a smart commodity contract of  claim 23 , wherein receiving, from the buyer account into the server computer, at least partial electronic payment for future delivery of the commodity at the nominal price according to the smart contract comprises:
 receiving at least partial electronic payment for future delivery of a physical commodity at the nominal price according to a smart contract carried by a distributed ledger.   
     
     
         40 . The computer method for executing a smart commodity contract of  claim 23 , wherein the nominal price includes estimated carry costs corresponding to carry costs of a physical commodity. 
     
     
         41 . The computer method for executing a smart commodity contract of  claim 23 , wherein transferring, to the buyer account from the server computer, an electronic token representing a smart contract for future delivery of the commodity at a specified location for an actual but unknown price comprises:
 transferring, to the buyer account from the server computer, an electronic bearer token representing a smart contract for future delivery of a physical commodity at a specified location for an actual but unknown price;   
     
     
         42 . The computer method for executing a smart commodity contract of  claim 23 , wherein performing a new estimate of carry costs corresponding to handling the commodity comprises:
 revising the estimated total carry costs to include changes in market pricing of the carry costs.   
     
     
         43 . The computer method for executing a smart commodity contract of  claim 23 , wherein the smart contract is carried by a distributed ledger carried by a plurality of non-transitory computer readable media. 
     
     
         44 . The computer method for executing a smart commodity contract of  claim 43 , wherein the distributed ledger comprises a blockchain. 
     
     
         45 . The computer method for executing a smart commodity contract of  claim 44 , wherein the blockchain comprises a public blockchain. 
     
     
         46 . The computer method for executing a smart commodity contract of  claim 44 , wherein the blockchain comprises a private blockchain. 
     
     
         47 . The computer method for executing a smart commodity contract of  claim 44 , wherein the blockchain comprises a permissioned blockchain. 
     
     
         48 . The computer method for executing a smart commodity contract of  claim 43 , wherein the smart contract is added to the distributed ledger as a transaction. 
     
     
         49 . The computer method for executing a smart commodity contract of  claim 48 , wherein adding the smart contract to the distributed ledger comprises encrypting the smart contract. 
     
     
         50 . The computer method for executing a smart commodity contract of  claim 48 , wherein adding the smart contract to the distributed ledger comprises:
 storing the smart contract at one or more cloud locations;   encrypting the one or more cloud locations; and   entering the encrypted one or more cloud locations onto the distributed ledger as a transaction.