Conducting a payment transaction via a blockchain registered container at point of sale

1 . A method, comprising:

by a point of sale (POS) device having a sensing device operable to sense an identifier specific to and disposed with a reusable container configured to transport one or more items associated with checkout of those items by the POS device, the POS device being communicatively coupled to a blockchain network that includes network nodes that are collectively configured to operate a blockchain having blocks, with each block having a header and a body with one or more transaction entries, with the header having a reference to a previous block in the blockchain and a reference to the transaction entries of the current block in the blockchain, the reference to the previous block includes a hash value of the previous block and the reference to the transaction entries includes a hash tree representation corresponding to the transaction entries, the container identifier being specific to a cryptographic digital asset stored on the blockchain as a code that represents the container identifier, the cryptographic digital asset also including a code that represents an identifier that is specific to an electronic payment instrument configured to enable an electronic payment transaction based on the container identifier sensed from the container, wherein the code that represents the identifier that is specific to the electronic payment instrument corresponds to a second code that represents the electronic payment instrument identifier, with at least one of the container identifier code and the electronic payment instrument identifier code being stored in encrypted form in a transaction entry of a block in the blockchain that is associated with the cryptographic digital asset,

sensing, by the sensing device, the container identifier specific to and disposed with the container;

determining the blockchain reference to the cryptographic digital asset based on the sensed container identifier, wherein the cryptographic digital asset includes a first code that represents the container identifier and the second code that represents the electronic payment instrument identifier;

sending, by the POS device, to a network node of the blockchain network, a first indication that includes a request for a block data associated with the cryptographic digital asset, wherein the request includes the blockchain reference;

receiving, by the POS device, from the network node over the network, a second indication that includes the block data associated with the cryptographic digital asset;

verifying, by the POS device, cryptographic integrity of the received block data by determining a first hash value corresponding to the reference to the previous block and determining a hash tree representation corresponding to the transaction entries, and confirming the first hash value and the hash tree representation match the reference to the previous block and the reference to the transaction entries in the header included in the received block data;

obtaining the first code that represents the container identifier and the second code that represents the electronic payment instrument identifier based on the received block data;

verifying ownership of the container based on the first code that represents the container identifier and the sensed container identifier;

obtaining a payment instrument information based on the second code that represents the electronic payment instrument identifier and a corresponding public key or private key;

sending, by the POS device, to a payment processing network node, the payment instrument information and a transaction amount and receiving, from the payment processing network node, an indication that the electronic payment transaction was processed; and

enabling completion of the electronic payment transaction for the one or more items based on the payment instrument information and the indication that the electronic payment transaction was processed.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

obtaining a transaction amount of an electronic payment transaction associated with the checkout of the one or more items by the POS device.

3 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising:

outputting, for display, a visual representation associated with a request to position the container on or about the surface of a weight scale so that the container identifier can be sensed from the container.

4 . The method of claim 3 , further comprising:

receiving, by the POS device, from the sensing device, the container identifier disposed with the container.

5 . The method of claim 4 , further comprising:

obtaining a blockchain reference to the cryptographic digital asset stored in the blockchain based on the container identifier; and

wherein the first indication includes the blockchain reference.

6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving, by the POS device, from the network node of the blockchain network, the block data associated with the cryptographic digital asset responsive to the sending of the first indication.

7 . The method of claim 6 , further comprising:

obtaining, based on the received block data, the electronic payment instrument identifier code.

8 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

obtaining the electronic payment instrument identifier based on the electronic payment instrument identifier code and a public key or a private key associated with the electronic payment instrument identifier code.

9 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

obtaining electronic payment instrument information based on the electronic payment instrument identifier.

10 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising:

sending, by the POS device, to a payment processing network node, the payment instrument information and the transaction amount so that the payment processing network node is operable to process the electronic payment transaction based on the payment instrument information and the transaction amount.

11 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

receiving, by the POS device, from the payment processing network node, an indication that includes a notification that the electronic payment transaction was processed.

12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the container identifier code includes a cryptographic token and a public key, with a private key associated with the container identifier code being issued to a cryptocurrency wallet account associated with the cryptographic digital asset.

13 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the electronic payment instrument identifier code includes a cryptographic token and a public key, with a private key associated with the electronic payment instrument identifier code being issued to a cryptocurrency wallet account associated with the electronic payment instrument.

14 . The method of claim 1 , wherein a digital wallet of another network node includes a representation of the cryptographic digital asset.

15 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the electronic payment instrument identifier is associated with a cryptocurrency wallet account.

16 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the container is a reusable shopping bag composed of a non-plastic material.

17 . The method of claim 1 , wherein a quick response (QR) code disposed on the outside surface of the container represents the container identifier.

18 . A point of sale (POS) device, comprising:

with the POS device having a sensing device operable to sense an identifier specific to and disposed with a reusable container configured to transport one or more items associated with checkout of those items by the POS device, the POS device being communicatively coupled to a blockchain network that includes network nodes that are collectively configured to operate a blockchain having blocks, with each block having a header and a body with one or more transaction entries, with the header having a reference to a previous block in the blockchain and a reference to the transaction entries of the current block in the blockchain, the reference to the previous block includes a hash value of the previous block and the reference to the transaction entries includes a hash tree representation corresponding to the transaction entries, the container identifier being specific to a cryptographic digital asset stored on the blockchain as a code that represents the container identifier, the cryptographic digital asset also including a code that represents an identifier that is specific to an electronic payment instrument configured to enable an electronic payment transaction based on the container identifier sensed from the container, wherein the code that represents the identifier that is specific to the electronic payment instrument corresponds to a second code that represents the electronic payment instrument identifier, with at least one of the container identifier code and the electronic payment instrument identifier code being stored in encrypted form in a transaction entry of a block in the blockchain that is associated with the cryptographic digital asset,

wherein the POS device further comprises processing circuitry and a memory, the memory containing instructions executable by the processing circuitry whereby the processing circuitry is configured to:

sense, by the sensing device, the container identifier specific to and disposed with the container;

determine the blockchain reference to the cryptographic digital asset based on the sensed container identifier, wherein the cryptographic digital asset includes a first code that represents the container identifier and the second code that represents the electronic payment instrument identifier;

send, to a network node of the blockchain network, a first indication that includes a request for a block data associated with the cryptographic digital asset, wherein the request includes the blockchain reference;

receive, from the network node over the network, a second indication that includes the block data associated with the cryptographic digital asset;

verify cryptographic integrity of the received block data by determining a first hash value corresponding to the reference to the previous block and determining a hash tree representation corresponding to the transaction entries, and confirming the first hash value and the hash tree representation match the reference to the previous block and the reference to the transaction entries in the header included in the received block data;

obtain the first code that represents the container identifier and the second code that represents the electronic payment instrument identifier based on the received block data;

verify ownership of the container based on the first code that represents the container identifier and the sensed container identifier;

obtain a payment instrument information based on the second code that represents the electronic payment instrument identifier and a corresponding public key or private key;

send, to a payment processing network node, the payment instrument information and a transaction amount and receive, from the payment processing network node, an indication that the electronic payment transaction was processed; and

enable completion of the electronic payment transaction for the one or more items based on the payment instrument information and the indication that the electronic payment transaction was processed.

19 . The POS device of claim 18 , wherein the memory includes further instructions executable by the processing circuitry whereby the processing circuitry is configured to:

output, for display, a visual representation associated with a request to position the container on or about the surface of a weight scale so that the container identifier can be sensed from the container and in response, receive, from the sensing device, an indication of the container identifier disposed with the container; and

obtain a blockchain reference to the cryptographic digital asset stored in the blockchain based on the container identifier, with the first indication including the blockchain reference.

20 . The POS device of claim 18 , wherein the memory includes further instructions executable by the processing circuitry whereby the processing circuitry is configured to:

obtain the electronic payment instrument identifier based on the second code and a public key or a private key associated with the electronic payment instrument identifier code;

obtain the electronic payment instrument information based on the electronic payment instrument identifier; and

send, to a payment processing network node, the payment instrument information and the transaction amount so that the payment processing network node is operable to process the electronic payment transaction based on the payment instrument information and the transaction amount.

21 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the POS device is configured to complete the electronic payment transaction without requiring user input of payment credentials and without requiring presentation of a physical payment card or mobile payment device.