The Hashgraph Group (THG) and Merck announced a technical collaboration on June 9, 2026. Together, they are building an EU Digital Product Passport solution on Hedera. The integration combines THG’s TrackTrace supply chain platform with Merck’s M-Trust physical authentication technology. The goal is to help enterprises prove that their products are genuine, their sourcing is verified, and their documentation can withstand regulatory scrutiny. This combination addresses a gap that digital records alone cannot close.
Stefan Deiss, CEO and Co-Founder of The Hashgraph Group, framed it directly: “Digital records alone are not sufficient for high-stakes supply chains. Enterprises need to prove the physical product is genuine, not just the paperwork.”
The Hashgraph Group and @merckgroup are extending TrackTrace, our Hedera-based Digital Product Passport platform, with Merck's M-Trust™ authentication technology.
— The Hashgraph Group (@hashgraphgroup) June 9, 2026
As the EU introduces Digital Product Passports from 2026, companies must prove where a product comes from, and that… pic.twitter.com/hOqgsfpeLo
TrackTrace: Hedera as the Compliance Backbone
THG launched TrackTrace in February 2026 as a managed enterprise platform for supply chain transparency. The platform records product data on Hedera, capturing origin, ethical sourcing, carbon emissions, quality assurance, and durability information. Each tracked process receives its own decentralized identifier, known as a DID, which creates an immutable audit trail. Authorized third parties can verify those records without relying on a central authority. THG built the system to meet compliance requirements under the EU Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation, or ESPR.
TrackTrace is part of a broader product suite that THG has deployed over the past year. The company launched IDTrust, a self-sovereign identity platform, in August 2025. It followed that with EcoGuard, a carbon credit platform, in December 2025. Most recently, THG launched BrandBoost, a gamification product, in May 2026. Each platform contributes to a layered enterprise infrastructure that THG continues to build on Hedera.
🌍 Hedera x PwC | Digital Product Passport, Trade Finance, and Global Tokenization
— Generation Infinity (@Genfinity) March 18, 2026
"Invisible ubiquity."
Husen Kapasi @PwC joins @IOV_OWL on the infrastructure shift across global supply chains, including TrackTrace built by @hashgraphgroup.
Brought to you by @The_Hashgraph pic.twitter.com/M66LbsfJH4
M-Trust: Anchoring Passports to Real Products
Merck’s M-Trust technology addresses a problem that digital records cannot solve on their own. Anyone can construct a convincing data trail on a distributed ledger. However, that trail only proves the authenticity of the record, not the authenticity of the physical product. M-Trust embeds invisible security markers directly into a product or its packaging using Merck’s patented pigment technology. A handheld M-Trust scanning device confirms physical authenticity in real time and then cryptographically signs that confirmation. THG’s TrackTrace platform records the signed result directly onto Hedera, linking the physical object to its digital passport.
Dr. Thomas Endress, Executive Director and Head of M-Trust at Merck, described the value of the combined approach: “Integrating M-Trust’s verification with TrackTrace’s digital traceability creates end-to-end trust infrastructure that enterprises and regulators are asking for.” Merck joined the collaboration through The Hashgraph Association’s Enterprise Accelerator Program, which connects enterprises to Hedera-based solutions and technical partners.
The Regulations Driving Demand
The EU Digital Product Passport requirement sits inside the ESPR, a regulatory framework that mandates detailed disclosure of product origin, composition, sustainability data, and lifecycle information. Large companies face a compliance deadline of December 30, 2026. The EU Central DPP Registry is scheduled to go live in July 2026, and product-category requirements will continue phasing in through 2030. Importantly, the rules apply to all goods placed on the EU market, including products manufactured outside the bloc. Any company exporting into Europe will need compliant digital product records, not just European manufacturers.
A second regulation adds further urgency for specific sectors. The EU Deforestation Regulation, known as the EUDR, requires importers of commodities including cocoa, coffee, and timber to provide verified, farm-level traceability data. In 2026, food fraud in high-value commodities has increased, driven by record prices and tighter documentation requirements. The EUDR closes the gap between claimed sourcing and actual sourcing by requiring traceable proof at the farm level. TrackTrace and M-Trust address both requirements by combining verifiable origin data with physical authentication of the goods themselves.
Industries in Scope and What Comes Next
THG and Merck designed the combined system for several regulated industries. Pharmaceuticals and luxury goods are primary targets, where the cost of counterfeit products includes both financial and safety consequences. Food and agriculture, electronics, and industrial components round out the initial focus areas. In each sector, regulators and consumers demand verifiable proof that a product is authentic, responsibly sourced, and compliant with applicable standards. An immutable ledger record linked to a physical authentication scan addresses both the compliance and the anti-counterfeiting dimensions at once.
A first working supply chain pilot is in development and will be announced soon. THG has previously deployed related platforms with government institutions in India and the Philippines. The Merck collaboration extends that infrastructure into European regulated markets, where the compliance deadline is now less than seven months away. For enterprises facing the December 30, 2026 cutoff, the combination of Hedera-based digital traceability and physical authentication covers both the digital and physical dimensions of product verification.
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