THG and Merck Link Digital Product Passports to Physical Authentication
The Swiss-based Hashgraph Group (THG) and German science and technology company Merck are combining Hedera-based traceability with physical authentication. The integration connects THG’s TrackTrace platform with Merck’s M-Trust technology to support verifiable Digital Product Passports for regulated supply chains.
Linking Digital Records to Physical Products
The Hashgraph Group, or THG, is extending its TrackTrace Digital Product Passport platform through a technical collaboration with Merck. The architecture combines distributed product records with invisible security markers embedded in products or packaging.
TrackTrace records origin, lifecycle, ethical sourcing, carbon emissions and quality assurance data on Hedera. Merck’s M-Trust technology verifies whether the corresponding physical item is authentic.
The aim is a continuous chain of evidence between a product and the claims in its Digital Product Passport.
Merck M-Trust Provides Physical Authentication
Merck uses patented pigment technology to integrate invisible security markers into products and packaging. An M-Trust handheld device reads the marker, confirms authenticity and cryptographically signs the result.
TrackTrace records this verification on Hedera as part of the product’s digital identity. This addresses a limitation of digital traceability: a valid record alone cannot prove that the physical object is genuine.
M-Trust combines software, crypto anchors and reading devices. It is designed for machine-to-machine quality processes and verifiable digital identities.
THG TrackTrace Creates the Audit Trail
TrackTrace provides the digital traceability layer. Each tracked process receives a decentralized identifier that combines related data, credentials and validations into a persistent record.
Authorized third parties can verify a product, process or claim without relying on a central authority. Quality assurance data can also be integrated into the passport.
Hedera provides the network for recording and verifying transactions and credentials. THG also positions TrackTrace as a basis for automated reporting.
Supporting ESPR and EUDR Requirements
The collaboration targets companies preparing for stricter European rules on product transparency, sustainability and sourcing.
Under the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation, Digital Product Passports are expected to provide structured information about origin, composition, environmental characteristics and lifecycle. The EU Deforestation Regulation separately requires traceability evidence for commodities such as cocoa, coffee and timber.
The architecture combines provenance records with an authentication event linked to the physical product. This is relevant where false documentation, substituted goods or counterfeits could undermine traceability data.
Relevance for Supply Chain Projects
For system integrators, the solution connects security markers, handheld authentication, cryptographic signatures, decentralized identifiers and passport data.
Solution providers can build sector-specific verification and reporting workflows. End users can check origin information and whether the inspected item matches the digital record. Potential applications include food, pharmaceuticals, luxury goods, electronics and industrial components.