Europe Prepares a New Model for Digital Identity

Hashgraph Group and Truesense have filed a European patent application for a system designed to verify that a specific individual was present at a particular place and time—without exposing their private information.

The solution, called Continuous Identity Trust Infrastructure (CITI), has been submitted to the European Patent Office and covers more than 44 European jurisdictions. A separate patent application process is also underway in the United States.

The technology aims to address a growing challenge faced by businesses and public institutions. While it is relatively easy to verify a user’s identity online or track who enters a building, securely connecting those two pieces of information remains difficult. Proving that a specific person was physically present at a certain location has traditionally required access to sensitive personal data.

CITI combines Ultra-Wideband (UWB) positioning technology, decentralized digital identity systems, and privacy-preserving mechanisms. Together, these technologies make it possible to create a trusted digital proof of presence without revealing detailed personal or location data.

The timing of the patent application is significant. The European Union is currently advancing its digital identity framework under the eIDAS 2.0 regulation. Member states are expected to introduce European Digital Identity Wallets by the end of 2026, creating a foundation for broader adoption of secure digital identity solutions across the continent.

The proposed technology could be used in a wide range of environments, including stadiums, hospitals, industrial facilities, and financial institutions. It would allow organizations to verify that an authorized individual was physically present at a specific location while maintaining strong privacy protections.

According to the companies behind the project, the patent is the result of several years of research and development focused on identity systems for people, connected devices, and autonomous technologies. In the future, similar solutions could also be deployed in transportation networks, healthcare services, and smart city infrastructure.

It remains unclear whether CITI will become a widely adopted standard. However, the patent highlights the direction in which digital identity is evolving. Future identity systems may not only verify who we are online but also provide trusted proof of where we have been.

Not everyone is convinced that such technologies are beneficial. Critics of digital identity systems have long warned that tools capable of verifying a person’s presence at a specific location could eventually expand government or corporate surveillance capabilities. They argue that the key questions will be who has access to the data and how effectively it can be protected against misuse.

Supporters of the project counter that the privacy-preserving architecture at the core of CITI is specifically designed to prevent user-tracking systems from emerging. Ultimately, the technology’s impact will depend on how it is implemented, regulated, and governed in practice.