The Hashgraph Group and Truesense File European Patent Application for Groundbreaking Continuous Identity Trust Infrastructure (CITI)

CITI is a novel patent-pending cryptographic framework that binds physical presence from ultra-wideband to decentralised digital identity credentials on distributed ledger technology, addressing Europe's surging regulatory requirements for trusted, auditable physical-digital events.

SCHWYZ, Switzerland and MONZA, Italy, June 16, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The Hashgraph Group AG (THG), a leading Web3 and AI technology engineering company, and Truesense SRL, an innovator in ultra-wideband sensing, today announced the joint filing of a patent application for their proprietary Continuous Identity Trust Infrastructure (CITI) invention — a novel patent-pending solution that cryptographically binds a physical presence event to a Decentralised Identifier (DID), creating privacy-preserving, auditable and immutable verifiable credentials for regulated environments. CITI aligns with the European Blockchain Services Infrastructure (EBSI), adhering to EU's decentralized trust, interoperability standards, and security, for verifiable credentials based on W3C standards for Decentralized Identifiers (DIDs) and Verifiable Credentials (VCs), as cryptographic framework for decentralized, privacy-preserving digital identity.

The CITI patent application, which is designed to provide high-assurance evidence that an individual was physically present at a specific location, and at a certain point in time, while ensuring privacy of their personal data, was filed by Truesense and The Hashgraph Group to the European Patent Office (EPO) on 4th April 2026, under the European Patent Application Nr. EP26425032 (BE-627223), designating 44+ countries across Europe. The CITI invention is also going through the patent application procedure for submission to the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

The invention of CITI is a novel fusion of three deep technological advancements, the Ultra-Wideband (UWB) spatial-sensing technology – a short-range, pulse-based radio protocol that delivers centimetre-level accuracy and spatial awareness, decentralised digital identity (DID), and zero-knowledge proof (ZKP) cryptography. Together, they produce a Verifiable Credential (VC) that can be independently verified by third parties without exposing any personal or location data.

First, the UWB detects that a user is physically present within a defined zone and confirms this presence through radar-mode vital-sign sensing, helping ensure that the movement is attributed to human motion using an on-device machine learning algorithm. Secondly, the UWB presence event is cryptographically bound to the user's decentralized identifier, which is stored in a digital identity wallet (IDTrust). This combination generates a presence binding token (PBT) and zone presence indicator. A verifiable credential is then issued, which embeds the PBT, zone identifier, timestamp, and cryptographic hash anchored immutably on a distributed ledger technology (DLT) network. This ensures that it is a tamper-proof auditable record. Finally, it utilizes a zero-knowledge proof (ZKP) module that enables selective disclosure, so third-party verifiers can confirm the credential's validity without accessing any sensitive personal or location data. The invention is designed to provide a presence attestation that is cryptographically secure, auditable, and privacy-preserving.

The CITI invention, jointly developed by The Hashgraph Group and Truesense, reflects the outcome of their positive strategic collaboration over the past years, where both teams converged their deep knowledge and expertise in distributed ledger technology (DLT) and Ultra-Wideband (UWB) sensing technology to develop decentralized identity systems for humans, devices, and autonomous agents.

Stefan Deiss, Co-Founder & CEO of The Hashgraph Group stated, "This patent filing represents an important and critical milestone in our roadmap to redefine identity trust infrastructure. CITI is the first solution that cryptographically links a real-world UWB spatial-presence event to a decentralised digital identity credential. This unique invention with Truesense strongly aligns with the progressive direction of EU regulation and meets the digital sovereignty agenda under the IPCEI-CIC program."

The CITI application can be used in multiple sectors including financial, healthcare, entertainment, sports, and many more, where digital identity and in-person verification is of paramount importance for institutions. For example, due to physical access control, people entering UWB-equipped doors with a digital identity wallet will get verified instantly by CITI and immediately issue a presence credential and unlock the door – all this with the event anchored on the DLT ledger of Hedera. There is no need for access badges since access is granted based on digital identity and verification of real people, significantly reducing casual and fraudulent credential sharing, while enhancing privacy.

Armando Caltabiano, Founder & CEO of Truesense explained, "CITI is designed with a compliance first mindset, while offering spatial presence and decentralized ID across different ticketing and gate systems, smart city components, industry/manufacturing, healthcare infrastructure, and regulated environments. This joint invention with The Hashgraph Group is a distinctive privacy-preserving identity trust infrastructure that converges physical credentials with digital verification systems."

For sports and entertainment events of the future, concert venues, stadiums and large-scale venues could issue DID-bound presence credentials at entry gates. This can reduce fraud and improve entry validation by linking access to verified physical presence rather than transferable digital proof alone. Even in hospitals and healthcare facilities, where it is important that access is only provided to those who hold valid zone credentials, the CITI innovation and application can play a meaningful role.

The CITI application also comes at a time when Europe is enforcing several regulatory and legislative requirements that will require secure, digitally identifiable solutions for both people and products. CITI is aligned with Europe's NIS2 Directive which makes cybersecurity and auditability obligations an immediate board-level priority across the European Union. It is also aligned with eIDAS2 and the EU Digital Identity Wallet framework, which has been in force since 20 May 2024, with Member States required to provide EU Digital Identity Wallets by end of 2026 — directly aligned with CITI's DID-wallet integration.

Finally, the CITI invention is aligned with Europe's Digital Product Passport / ESPR: The framework entered force on 18 July 2024, with the first strong product obligations for batteries starting in 2027 and progressively expanding to other product categories. In short, CITI is not only innovative technology, but also a trust and compliance infrastructure. It enables organisations to create verifiable, trusted, and auditable physical-digital events precisely as regulators now require.

THG and Truesense believe CITI positions them among the leading innovators in Continuous Identity Trust Infrastructure (CITI). This invention positions Europe as a global leader in trusted, privacy-preserving and physical-digital identity infrastructure, underpinning the continent's digital sovereignty agenda for the Important Projects of Common European Interest – Compute Infrastructure Continuum (IPCEI-CIC) program. Truesense and THG recently submitted a joint funding application for consideration under the IPCEI-CIC framework to accelerate the deployment of CITI across national transportation systems, smart economic cities, and manufacturing industries in regulated European environments.

About The Hashgraph Group

The Hashgraph Group AG (THG) is a leading Web3 and AI technology engineering company operating within the Hedera ecosystem and specialized in design, development, and deployment of enterprise-grade solutions and decentralized trust infrastructure. For more information about THG, visit www.hashgraph-group.com.

About Truesense

Truesense SRL is a technology company specialising in ultra-wideband sensing, digital identity, and privacy-preserving security solutions. Truesense develops hardware and software platforms that bridge the physical and digital worlds for regulated industries. For more information about Truesense, visit www.truesense.it.