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Merck and The Hashgraph Group have launched a Hedera-based digital product passport system for regulated supply chains. The system combines Merck’s M-Trust authentication technology with Hashgraph’s TrackTrace platform.
It is aimed at companies preparing for European Union product transparency rules, including digital product passport requirements under the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation and traceability duties linked to deforestation rules.
M-Trust Links Products to Hedera Records
The system connects Merck’s physical authentication markers with TrackTrace’s digital supply chain records. Merck’s M-Trust technology embeds invisible security markers into products and packaging.
When a product is scanned with an M-Trust handheld device, its authenticity is checked, signed cryptographically and recorded in TrackTrace on Hedera. The companies said that verified record then becomes part of the product’s digital passport.
TrackTrace Records Origin and Emissions Data
TrackTrace adds records on origin, ethical sourcing, carbon emissions and quality assurance data. Each tracked process can be assigned a decentralized identifier, creating an auditable record of product data, credentials and validations.
The physical verification layer is relevant for sectors such as food, pharmaceuticals, luxury goods, electronics and industrial components, where digital records need to be tied back to real products.
EU Product Passport Rules Drive Demand
The EU’s digital product passport regime is part of the 2024 Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation. The passport is meant to store and share information on sustainability, durability and other product data with consumers, businesses and public authorities.
Hashgraph launched TrackTrace in February as an enterprise product for supply chain transparency and product passport compliance. The platform records product origin, sustainability credentials, durability, reparability and other data, with audit trails anchored on Hedera.
First Pilot Lacks Customer and Rollout Details
The companies said the combined system has already been demonstrated in a first working supply chain pilot. They did not name the pilot customer, sector or rollout date in the announcement.
More details are expected later. The next step for Merck and Hashgraph is turning the pilot into sector-specific deployments as EU product transparency rules move closer.
