In 2008, the pseudonymous Satoshi Nakamoto published a white paper outlining a new technology called the blockchain, the underlying system for the cryptocurrency Bitcoin. While initially developed for financial transactions, blockchain technology was soon proposed for use in food supply chains to provide an immutable record of a product's journey from farm to table. This innovation promised to revolutionize food traceability, allowing consumers to verify the origin, authenticity, and safety of products like wine and olive oil, and to combat fraud and counterfeiting in the food industry.

Blockchain technology is a symbol of the increasingly digital and data-driven world that contemporary poets are seeking to understand and critique. The idea of an unalterable record for a bottle of wine or a jar of olive oil speaks to a desire for authenticity and transparency in a globalized world, a theme that resonates with poets concerned with the environment and social justice. The blockchain, as a concept, has appeared in the works of poets exploring the intersection of technology, trust, and the global food system, making it a subject for the poetry of the 21st century.