Integrating Blockchain and Deep Reinforcement Learning for Secure and Efficient Supply Chain Management in Tertiary Institutions

The rapid adoption of blockchain technology has led to its increasing use in various domains, including supply chain management. However, the integration of blockchain into supply chain systems poses challenges related to security, efficiency, and regulatory compliance. This paper presents an analysis of a blockchain architecture for file sharing and management in tertiary institutions. The proposed framework combines the Soft Actor-Critic (SAC) deep reinforcement learning algorithm with prioritized experience replay for inventory optimization and a blockchain-based zero-trust mechanism for secure supply chain management. The SAC algorithm learns adaptive policies under demand uncertainty, while the blockchain architecture ensures secure, transparent, and traceable record-keeping and automated execution of supply chain transactions. An experiment using real-world supply chain data demonstrated the superior performance of the proposed framework in terms of reward maximization, inventory stability, and security metrics. The paper also discusses the evidentiary significance of blockchain records and the procedural implications of integrating this technology into the U.S. judicial system. The framework offers a promising solution for addressing the challenges of modern supply chains by leveraging blockchain, deep reinforcement learning, and zero-trust security principles.