Paris, Milan, Geneva – April 20^th, 2021 - International leaders of luxury jointly announce today the creation of the Aura Blockchain Consortium which will promote the use of a single global blockchain solution open to all luxury brands worldwide to provide consumers with additional transparency and traceability. LVMH, Prada Group and Cartier, part of Richemont, have created together a single solution to address the shared challenges of communicating authenticity, responsible sourcing and sustainability in a secure digital format.

Luxury brands have a unique story to tell on the quality of their materials, craftsmanship and creativity. The technology offered by the Aura Blockchain Consortium enables direct-to-consumer access to product history and proof of authenticity. Consumers can easily and transparently follow a product’s lifecycle, from conception through distribution, with trusted data throughout, and thus strengthen their relationship with their favorite luxury brands.

Through unprecedented collaboration and the development of a uniquely advanced and innovative technology, LVMH, Prada Group and Cartier continue to raise the industry standards to drive change and increase customer trust in the brands’ sustainable practices and product sourcing.

The technological system, a multi-nodal private blockchain, is secured by ConsenSys technology and Microsoft. It will record information in a secure and non-reproducible manner and generate a unique certificate for its owner, enhancing the desire for beautiful objects made with valuable savoir-faire and high-quality sustainable materials.

Aura Blockchain Consortium Toni Belloni, Managing Director of LVMH: “The Aura Blockchain Consortium is a great opportunity for our sector to strengthen our connection with customers by offering them simple solutions to get to know our products better. By joining forces with other luxury brands on this project, we are leading the way on transparency and traceability. I hope other prestigious players will join our alliance.”

Lorenzo Bertelli, Prada Group Head of Marketing & Head of Corporate Social Responsibility: “In an incredible journey together with our luxury partners and in a trustful collaboration never seen before in our sector, we have created an exceptional and innovative project aiming to put our customers at the very center creating major values to them through a sustainable authentication system which will unlock future possibilities.”

Cyrille Vigneron, President and CEO of Cartier International and Member of Richemont’s Board and Senior Executive Committee: “The Aura Consortium represents an unprecedented cooperation in the luxury industry. Blockchain is a key technology to enhance customer service, relationship with partners and traceability. The luxury industry creates timeless pieces and must ensure that these rigorous standards will endure and remain in trustworthy hands. We therefore invite the entire profession to join this consortium to design a new luxury era enabled by blockchain technology.”

Bulgari, Cartier, Hublot, Louis Vuitton and Prada are already active on the platform. Several advanced conversations are also being held with brands both within founder groups and independent brands to join the Consortium soon. Each brand has developed its own experience according to its specificities and customer expectations and will also continue to fully own and be responsible for its data while adhering to the strictest measures on customer privacy, thus preventing the exchange of competitively sensitive information. Information on the blockchain will be stored in a way that it cannot be changed, tampered with or hacked.

The Consortium is open to all luxury brands, no matter the sub-sector or geography they operate in. It also offers flexibility to support companies of varying sizes and to adapt to individual needs. It is a nonprofit organization aimed at enhancing customer relationships as well as brand protection. Future financial gains will be reinvested to ensure the technological capability of the platform.

For more information on the Aura Blockchain Consortium, visit auraluxuryblockchain.com.