Non-Fungible Tokens for Tracking Fungible Assets

Abstract

The present disclosure describes creating and managing one or more tokens (e.g., non-fungible tokens) to represent one or more chemical properties, elemental properties, elemental components, parametric components, and/or molecular components of a resource (e.g. a commodity). The tokens may create an immutable record of a property right of the chemical properties, elemental properties, elemental components, parametric components, and/or molecular components of a resource. As the resource traverses its lifecycle, the tokens may be decremented—or otherwise updated, changed, modified, or altered—as the resource is parsed and/or refined. Based on one or more changes to the chemical composition of the resource, one or more additional tokens may be generated to indicate the one or more changes. When the resource is consumed (e.g., burned as fuel) or sequestered (e.g., used to make plastic), the tokens may be destroyed.

1 . A method comprising:
 receiving, by a computing device and from a distributed ledger, a first record for a fungible asset;   generating, by the computing device, one or more non-fungible tokens for the first record, wherein the one or more non-fungible tokens comprise values representing a chemical composition of the fungible asset;   receiving, by the computing device and from the distributed ledger, a second record of the chemical composition of the fungible asset; and   invoking, by the computing device, a smart contract to generate one or more additional non-fungible tokens based on a comparison of the first record and the second record, wherein the one or more additional non-fungible tokens indicate that one or more changes have occurred to the chemical composition of the fungible asset.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more non-fungible tokens comprise a value representing an amount of a chemical element of the fungible asset, and the one or more additional non-fungible tokens comprise a value indicating that the amount of the chemical element of the fungible asset is decremented. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 determining, based on the one or more changes, that the fungible asset has been consumed; and   destroying, based on a determination that the fungible asset has been consumed, the one or more non-fungible tokens and the one or more additional non-fungible tokens.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the first record comprises information indicating individual chemical elements or individual molecular components of the fungible asset, and   each of the one or more tokens comprises a value corresponding to each of the individual chemical elements or each of the individual molecular components of the fungible asset.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the chemical composition of the fungible asset comprises at least one of:
 one or more chemical properties, elemental properties, elemental components, parametric components, or molecular components of the fungible asset.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the fungible asset is petroleum,   a first token of the one or more tokens comprises information indicating an amount of carbon contained in the petroleum, and   a second token of the one or more tokens comprises information indicating an amount of hydrogen contained in the petroleum.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the invoking comprises:
 invoking, by the computing device, the smart contract to generate a plurality of additional non-fungible tokens, wherein:   each of the one or more non-fungible tokens comprises information indicating an amount of a chemical element of the fungible asset at a first time, and   each of the plurality of additional non-fungible tokens comprises information indicating a remaining amount of the chemical element of the fungible asset at a second time.   
     
     
         8 . An apparatus comprising:
 one or more processors; and   memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to:
 receive, from a distributed ledger, a first record for a fungible asset; 
 generate one or more non-fungible tokens for the first record, wherein the one or more non-fungible tokens comprise values representing a chemical composition of the fungible asset; 
 receive, from the distributed ledger, a second record of the chemical composition of the fungible asset; and 
 invoke a smart contract to generate one or more additional non-fungible tokens based on a comparison of the first record and the second record, wherein the one or more additional non-fungible tokens indicate that one or more changes have occurred to the chemical composition of the fungible asset. 
   
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the one or more non-fungible tokens comprise a value representing an amount of a chemical element of the fungible asset, and the one or more additional non-fungible tokens comprise a value indicating that the amount of the chemical element of the fungible asset is decremented. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to:
 determine, based on the one or more changes, that the fungible asset has been consumed; and   destroy, based on a determination that the fungible asset has been consumed, the one or more non-fungible tokens and the one or more additional non-fungible tokens.   
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein:
 the first record comprises information indicating individual chemical elements or individual molecular components of the fungible asset, and   each of the one or more tokens comprises a value corresponding to each of the individual chemical elements or each of the individual molecular components of the fungible asset.   
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the chemical composition of the fungible asset comprises at least one of:
 one or more chemical properties, elemental properties, elemental components, parametric components, or molecular components of the fungible asset.   
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein:
 the fungible asset is petroleum,   a first token of the one or more tokens comprises information indicating an amount of carbon contained in the petroleum, and   a second token of the one or more tokens comprises information indicating an amount of hydrogen contained in the petroleum.   
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to invoke by invoking the smart contract to generate a plurality of additional non-fungible tokens, wherein:
 each of the one or more non-fungible tokens comprises information indicating an amount of a chemical element of the fungible asset at a first time, and   each of the plurality of additional non-fungible tokens comprises information indicating a remaining amount of the chemical element of the fungible asset at a second time.   
     
     
         15 . A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions that, when executed, cause:
 receiving, from a distributed ledger, a first record for a fungible asset;   generating one or more non-fungible tokens for the first record, wherein the one or more non-fungible tokens comprise values representing a chemical composition of the fungible asset;   receiving, from the distributed ledger, a second record of the chemical composition of the fungible asset; and   invoking a smart contract to generate one or more additional non-fungible tokens based on a comparison of the first record and the second record, wherein the one or more additional non-fungible tokens indicate that one or more changes have occurred to the chemical composition of the fungible asset.   
     
     
         16 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein the one or more non-fungible tokens comprise a value representing an amount of a chemical element of the fungible asset, and the one or more additional non-fungible tokens comprise the value indicating that the amount of a chemical element of the fungible asset is decremented. 
     
     
         17 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause:
 determining, based on the one or more changes, that the fungible asset has been consumed; and   destroying, based on a determination that the fungible asset has been consumed, the one or more non-fungible tokens and the one or more additional non-fungible tokens.   
     
     
         18 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein:
 the first record comprises information indicating individual chemical elements or individual molecular components of the fungible asset, and   each of the one or more tokens comprises a value corresponding to each of the individual chemical elements or each of the individual molecular components of the fungible asset.   
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein the chemical composition of the fungible asset comprises at least one of:
 one or more chemical properties, elemental properties, elemental components, parametric components, or molecular components of the fungible asset.   
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein:
 the fungible asset is petroleum,   a first token of the one or more tokens comprises information indicating an amount of carbon contained in the petroleum, and   a second token of the one or more tokens comprises information indicating an amount of hydrogen contained in the petroleum.