Maybe quantum technology and blockchain can co-exist after all.
Earlier this week, U.S.-based nanomaterials company Quantum Materials Corp (QMC) announced an anti-counterfeiting solution that integrates nanotechnology with blockchain to address what the company says is a $1.8 trillion global counterfeit goods market.
QMC said their solution embeds quantum dots, semiconductor particles just 10 to 100 atoms in size, into auto parts, apparel, bank notes, and just about any other physical product, even liquids. (Don’t drink the dots!)
The tiny dots are lab designed and finely tunable to emit specific, fingerprint-like color signatures. These color signatures can be read with cheap hand-held devices, and that’s where QMC says blockchain comes in.
The company’s proprietary blockchain, called QDX Ledger, will immutably store the scanned data, according to the company, allowing tracking and visibility along the supply chain as well as product identity verification.
While certainly not the first implementation of blockchain for anti-counterfeiting or tracking products along the supply chain, unlike other solutions that use QR code stickers or RFID tags, QMC says, once applied, their quantum dots are tamper-proof.
The idea is to "enhance trust for global brands, manufacturers, suppliers and customers," Quantum Materials Corp said in its announcement.
“We believe that our patent-pending approach to bonding the physical and digital worlds will be a game changer for all those that require product trust in their businesses," CEO Stephen B. Squires said in a statement.