Identiv and MintID Launch the World’s First NFC-Protected, IoT-Connected Gold and Silver Bullion

Identiv announced its partnership with MintID to launch the world’s first near field communication (NFC)-protected, Internet of Things (IoT)-connected gold and silver bullion.

Until now, consumers have struggled with the uncertainty of whether or not the precious metal products they own are actually genuine. Together, Identiv and MintID developed an AES-128 bit encrypted, tamper-proof NFC label that, when embedded directly at the source, MintID customers can use to authenticate their investments in real time with MintID’s iOS and Android mobile apps.

MintID’s mission is to prevent counterfeiting in the precious metals space. The company has developed an end-to-end solution for authenticating precious metal products, such as silver coins or solid gold bars, and all types of luxury goods. MintID embeds NFC tags onto products directly at minting agencies. Upon tapping with a mobile device, the chip uses NFC to display a product's specifications, via MintID’s Android or iOS mobile app, allowing manufacturers, suppliers, and consumers to track the supply chain of the physical product.

Standard NFC and radio frequency identification (RFID) tags are not designed for metal. The technology behind Identiv’s RFID Tag on Metal (TOM®) Labels is unique. These high-frequency (HF) labels (ISO/IEC 14443 or 15693) are equipped with a shielding technology that provides an optimum read range when applied to metallic surfaces. Featuring government-grade AES-128 bit encryption, MintID chose to work with Identiv to embed the company’s tamper-proof TOM Labels onto its gold and silver bullion, making this partnership the first to focus on securely authenticating precious metals in the IoT.