Hello everyone,

For those of you who have been reading my Field Notes for a while, you might recall that alongside my consultancy work at NEON NAVY, I also hold the role of Chief Marketing Officer at Viperium.

As a soon-to-be-launched cryptocurrency, $VPR forms part of the wider Viperium ecosystem and towards the end of last year, this took us to Singapore to attend TOKEN2049, the largest cryptocurrency conference in the world. It was fascinating to see the range of projects already live, or under development, using Web3 and blockchain technology.

A few months into the role, and now far more immersed in the technology behind it, I have started to notice how luxury houses are also beginning to experiment with blockchain in their businesses.

Luxury has never been fast-moving when it comes to technology, but that does not mean experimentation is not happening. And thankfully, this experimentation has moved well beyond the NFT craze we saw a few years ago.

Digital Product Passports as the Entry Point

Most real-world applications today take the form of blockchain-enabled Digital Product Passports, or DPPs.

A DPP is a digital twin of a physical product, accessed via a QR code or NFC chip, designed to verify authenticity, origin, and ownership history.

For luxury houses, this is a meaningful step forward in addressing counterfeiting, which continues to affect both primary and secondary markets.

This importance is reflected in the creation of the non-profit organsation: AURA Blockchain Consortium, founded by LVMH, OTB, Prada Group and Cartier, part of Richemont. AURA provides blockchain infrastructure built specifically for luxury applications.

Through these systems, DPPs also support aftersales services, warranty records, and resale verification, benefiting both the maison and the client.

Luxury houses actively deploying blockchain-enabled DPPs / authentication include, among others, Prada, Gucci, Chanel, Bulgari, Breitling, Rolex, and Panerai.

At present, the strongest value lies in provenance, traceability, and lifecycle management, rather than speculative tokens or NFTs, aside from rare and cultural experiments such as the collaboration I mentioned in Field Note 12: Why Luxury Keeps Turning to Art, where H. Moser & Cie × Azuki × The 1916 Company created a highly collectible digital-physical experience.

From Product Verification to Live Experiences

This raises a practical question.

If ownership can already be verified at the product level, what happens when the same logic is applied to physical experiences?

This is where blockchain begins to get interesting for me.

Traditional Luxury Event Management

Most luxury events still follow a familiar pattern:

• VIP lists exported from CRM systems
• Local markets adding names manually
• Invitations forwarded informally and untracked
• RSVP tracking across spreadsheets and third-party tools

The process is fragile, inconsistent, and administratively heavy.

A Blockchain-enabled Event Model (aligned with current Cartier infrastructure)

Here is a simplified example illustrating how a blockchain-enabled event could function using systems already in place today, particularly within the AURA ecosystem.

1. Ownership establishes eligibility

When a client purchases a Cartier watch:

• A digital twin is created on blockchain
• Ownership is recorded and verifiable
• Cartier can recognise the client without relying on email-based identification

2. Event access is defined as a condition

Ahead of an event, Cartier defines a rule: “Access is available to current owners of the Ballon Bleu limited edition.”

Any client who meets this condition qualifies automatically to be invited.

3. Invitations surface automatically

When the event is announced:

• The Cartier app checks live ownership records on blockchain
• Eligible owners see the invitation appear
• Non-owners do not

4. RSVP is bound to ownership

RSVP is confirmed by ownership verification:

• The client taps “Attend”
• Ownership is verified in real time
• RSVP is locked to that identity

RSVPs cannot be transferred without transferring ownership of the watch.

5. Entry is verified on site

At the venue:

• The client opens the Cartier app
• Ownership of the digital twin is verified in real time
• Entry is granted automatically

There are no clipboards, no excel sheets, no manual lists.

6. Attendance becomes part of the client record

Because attendance is verifiable:

• Cartier knows exactly who attended
• Participation becomes part of the client’s history

This enables automatic post-event privileges, such as:

• Access to official photography
• Priority access to future launches or limited editions
• Invitations to private Cartier experiences

No emails, no forms, no loyalty cards.

This is, of course, a simplified example, but it reflects a very real opportunity. Event management, CRM, and client recognition can become cleaner, more accurate, and far less dependent on manual processes.

Over time, this logic naturally evolves into loyalty systems based on participation and experience rather than points or tiers.

Innovation in luxury rarely moves quickly, but it does move deliberately and with infrastructure such as the AURA Blockchain Consortium now in place, the foundations for these changes are well within reach.

What I'm into Right Now:

📚 Books: Scarcity: The True Cost of Not Having Enough, by Sendhal Mullainathan & Eldar Shafir

Thanks for reading everyone!

Zantelle

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