ObjectID is built on a foundation of distributed technologies and cryptographic principles that make it secure, decentralized, and tamper-resistant by design. Let’s break down the core components that enable this.

🔗 Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT)

ObjectID uses IOTA a DLT—such as a blockchain or Directed Acyclic Graph (DAG)—as its backbone. This ensures:

• Decentralization: no single authority controls the data
• Immutability: once data is recorded, it cannot be changed
• Transparency: all events and identifiers are publicly auditable

Thanks to this infrastructure, any actor (manufacturer, regulator, consumer) can independently verify that:

• The ObjectID exists
• It has not been altered
• Its history of events is consistent and complete

Depending on the implementation, ObjectID may use public or permissioned networks, and in some cases, hybrid models to optimize performance and compliance.

Cryptographic Hashing

Every ObjectID and lifecycle event is secured using cryptographic hash functions. These hashes:

• Provide a unique digital fingerprint of each object or event
• Ensure that even the slightest change in data results in a completely different hash
• Enable efficient integrity checks

Hashing also allows ObjectID to reference off-chain data (e.g., documents or IoT readings) without storing the data directly on the ledger, preserving privacy and scalability.

Digital Signatures

To prevent unauthorized actions, each event is digitally signed by the actor that creates it. This ensures:

• Authenticity: only trusted actors can append data
• Accountability: actions are traceable to specific identities
• Non-repudiation: actors cannot deny having generated an event

Digital signatures are validated by anyone reading the ObjectID data, creating a trust layer without intermediaries.

Decentralized Identity (DID)

ObjectID also uses the W3C Decentralized Identifiers (DID) standard to identify the entities (users, companies, systems) interacting with objects. This provides:

• Strong identity verification without centralized authorities
• Privacy by design, as each user can control their identity credentials
• Interoperability with identity frameworks and verifiable credentials

Each event linked to an ObjectID is signed using a key associated with a DID, making it easy to verify the actor’s legitimacy without revealing sensitive information.

For more details, see the dedicated section of the Knowledge Base: “ W3C DID and VC”

Standards and Interoperability

ObjectID is not a closed system. It is designed to integrate easily with existing identifiers and standards, such as:

• GS1 Digital Link and EPCIS
• QR codes, RFID tags, and NFC chips
• W3C Verifiable Credentials
• Industry-specific ontologies or schemas

This makes ObjectID ideal as an extension layer—you can keep your existing infrastructure and simply add ObjectID to guarantee trust and traceability.