The Hashgraph Group (THG) has announced a strategic collaboration with Merck to extend its TrackTrace Digital Product Passport (DPP) platform. Built on Hedera and designed to support compliance requirements for global supply chains, the collaboration aims to address incoming European Union product transparency regulations related to product trust, quality and sustainability.
The initiative integrates THG’s digital traceability infrastructure with Merck’s M-Trust physical authentication technology. According to the companies, the collaboration has been enabled through Merck’s participation in the Enterprise Accelerator Programme of The Hashgraph Association, a Switzerland-based non-profit organisation focused on digital enablement, innovation and education within the Hedera ecosystem.
The technical integration combines THG’s Hedera-based traceability platform with Merck’s M-Trust authentication technology to provide proof of quality, traceability, authenticity and value transfer within a Digital Product Passport framework. The companies stated that Hedera will serve as the single source of truth for the system.
THG said that while TrackTrace creates tamper-proof digital records documenting a product’s origin and lifecycle, Merck’s M-Trust technology provides verification of the physical product itself. The integrated solution, which has already been demonstrated through a supply chain pilot scheduled to be announced, is designed to help businesses prepare for the European Union’s Digital Product Passport and deforestation traceability requirements.
The collaboration comes as new EU regulations increase product transparency obligations. The Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) will require Digital Product Passports containing information on product origin, composition, sustainability credentials and lifecycle through QR codes from 2026 onwards. The EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) requires importers of commodities such as cocoa, coffee and timber to provide verified farm-level traceability data.
According to THG and Merck, the combined solution is intended to support organisations across the supply value chain in meeting applicable regulatory compliance requirements through integrated traceability and authentication systems.
The companies noted that product traceability is also linked to sustainability commitments, ethical sourcing, carbon reporting and consumer trust. They added that organisations making public claims regarding product origins increasingly require infrastructure capable of providing verifiable evidence.
The companies cited examples of traceability challenges in 2026, including rising cocoa and food fraud risks linked to high prices and regulatory requirements. Reported issues include blending lower-quality cocoa with fillers and falsification of deforestation-free certificates to comply with EUDR requirements.
Under the integrated system, Merck embeds invisible security markers into products and packaging using its pigment technology. When scanned with an M-Trust handheld device, product authenticity is verified, cryptographically signed and recorded within TrackTrace on the Hedera network. The resulting record becomes part of the product’s Digital Product Passport.
TrackTrace provides real-time tracking of origin, sourcing and carbon emissions data. It also supports the capture and integration of quality assurance data into the Digital Product Passport. Each tracked process receives a decentralised identifier that functions as a record containing data, credentials and validations. According to THG, authorised third parties can independently audit products, business processes and claims without relying on a central authority. The platform also supports automated reporting through integrated Agentic AI.
The companies stated that the combined architecture is intended for sectors where authenticity, provenance and regulatory compliance are required, including food, pharmaceuticals, luxury goods, electronics and industrial components.
“Digital records alone are not sufficient for high-stakes supply chains,” said Stefan Deiss, CEO and Co-Founder of The Hashgraph Group. “Enterprises need to prove the physical product is genuine, not just the paperwork. This unique integration with M-Trust covers all layers from the first mile to the last mile – physical authentication through Merck’s technology and digital verification through TrackTrace – creating the foundation for trusted Digital Product Passports across any industry.”
“Product authentication has always required bridging the physical and digital worlds,” said Dr Thomas Endress, Executive Director and Head of M-Trust in the Group Science & Technology Office of Merck. “Integrating M-Trust’s verification with TrackTrace’s digital traceability creates exactly the kind of end-to-end trust infrastructure that enterprises and regulators are asking for. This is what product authentication looks like when it is built for the scale and complexity of modern supply chains.”
THG stated that the collaboration follows a series of developments, including the launch of its IDTrust self-sovereign identity platform in August 2025, EcoGuard carbon credit platform in December 2025, and BrandBoost product in May 2026. The company said EcoGuard is currently deployed with government institutions in India and the Philippines.
According to THG, the company is positioning its Hedera-based infrastructure and enterprise Web3 product suite for further integrations and sector-specific deployments as demand for supply chain traceability, sustainability reporting and Digital Product Passport compliance continues to increase.