News | Tax Stamp & Authentication News™

Chander S Jeena

17 July 2025

3 min read

Generative AI Watermarking Named One of Top 10 Emerging Technologies

A new World Economic Forum report1 has identified generative AI watermarking as one of the top 10 emerging technologies of 2025.

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Linstrom K Marangu

29 June 2025

6 min read

Excise in Africa: Challenges, Opportunities, Solutions

Africa is a continent with a serious financing gap. According to the African Union, ‘Africa’s sustainable financing gap until 2030 is about $1.6 trillion,’ and ‘the continent needs additional financing of about $194 billion annually to achieve its Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. This financing gap is equivalent to 7% of Africa’s GDP’.

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Chander S Jeena

22 June 2025

4 min read

StockX Brand Report Highlights Trends in Verification and Anticounterfeiting

In time for World Anticounterfeiting Day, the US-based resale platform StockX has released its second annual Brand Protection & Customer Trust Report, showcasing the company's significant advancements in verification, fraud prevention, and anti-counterfeiting measures throughout 2024.

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Chander S Jeena

29 May 2025

4 min read

Smart Labels: Is Sensing Replacing Scanning?

In our January edition of Authentication & Brand News™, we asked: ‘could 2025 be the year for smart and sustainable IoT labels?’ The question was prompted by the unveiling of new smart label solutions from Giesecke+Devrient (G+D) and Linxens. The solutions are emblematic of a larger shift in logistics and authentication: moving from traditional scan-based systems to sensing-based networks.

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Sven Bergmann

27 May 2025

3 min read

New York’s Legal Cannabis Market Won’t Survive Without Track and Trace

New York State is at a critical juncture. Despite legalizing adult-use cannabis more than two years ago, the state has yet to implement a meaningful seed-to-sale tracking system. As a result, the illicit market is not just thriving – it’s dominating.

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Chander S Jeena

18 May 2025

7 min read

Meet Crane Authentication – One Brand, One Vision

Crane NXT recently announced the launch of a new brand identity: Crane Authentication. This unified brand consolidates the strengths of recently acquired De La Rue Authentication, the Smart Packaging assets of TruTag Technologies, and OpSec Security (purchased last year). Crane NXT now comprises two segments: Security and Authentication Technologies (which includes Crane Currency and Crane Authentication) and Crane Payment Innovations.

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Nicola Sudan

12 May 2025

4 min read

Interview with Incoming ITSA Chair Tim McIntyre

This month, we sat down with the new Chair of the International Tax Stamp Association (ITSA), Tim McIntyre of Canadian Bank Note Company Limited, to discuss his background, his thoughts on the industry and how he plans to support an evolution of ITSA to take a more agile and proactive leadership position within the field of tax stamps and traceability.

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Chander S Jeena

11 May 2025

1 min read

Has Holography Lost Its WOW? We Need Your Input!

Holographic features have long played a vital role in optical document security—grabbing attention, signaling authenticity, and giving visual verification. But as design trends shift and digital solutions take a larger role, it’s time to reassess their impact.

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By Dr Mark Deakes

4 May 2025

3 min read

Optical Security Protecting The Best

As overt security technologies (OST) evolve beyond traditional holography, Dr Mark Deakes, chair of the International Optical Technologies Association (IOTA), considers integrated optical solutions taking centre stage. These OSTs are becoming vital to banknotes, identity security, product authentication and brand protection – offering robust, sustainable defences against the growing threat of illicit activities.

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Nicola Sudan

28 April 2025

11 min read

Digital Versus Physical in the Era of AI and Quantum Computing

During the 2025 Tax Stamp & Traceability Forum™, Francis Tuffy of Reconnaissance International chaired a panel discussion on the role of physical security features in an increasingly digital landscape, where artificial intelligence (AI) and quantum computing (QC) are coming to the fore.

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Nicola Sudan

2 April 2025

2 min read

TSTF 2025 – New Speakers Confirmed from African Continent

Linstrom Marangu, Health Tax Specialist from the African Tax Administration Forum (ATAF), has confirmed his participation at the Tax Stamp & Traceability Forum, which takes place from 7-9 April in Cape Town, South Africa.

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Chander S Jeena

24 March 2025

2 min read

Quantum Base Plans £5M IPO for Authentication Tech

Located in Lancaster University, UK, Quantum Base (QB) has announced its intention to list on the London Stock Exchange’s AIM market in April 2025. The company aims to raise between £3 million and £5 million through a placing and retail offer to support product development and commercial expansion, joining the growing number of quantum technology companies advancing their authentication solutions.

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Nicola Sudan

18 March 2025

2 min read

TSTF 2025 – New Speakers Confirmed from African Continent

Linstrom Marangu, Health Tax Specialist from the African Tax Administration Forum (ATAF), has confirmed his participation at the Tax Stamp & Traceability Forum, which takes place from 7-9 April in Cape Town, South Africa.

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Nicola Sudan

5 March 2025

3 min read

Final Programme Released for Tax Stamp & Traceability Forum

Further to our announcement last month of the speakers signed up for this year’s Tax Stamp & Traceability Forum™, from 7-9 April in Cape Town, South Africa, the programme has now been finalised.

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Chander S Jeena

11 Feb. 2025

2 min read

US Postal Service Unveils Money Order with Enhanced Security

The US Postal Service (USPS) has introduced a newly redesigned money order with a red, white, and blue colour palette and enhanced security features.

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Nicola Sudan

3 Feb. 2025

2 min read

ITSA Selected as Liaison Organisation to EU Standards Body

In the February 2024 issue of Tax Stamp & Traceability News™, we described how the International Tax Stamp Association (ITSA) had submitted recommendations1 for a secure and interoperable implementation of the EU Digital Product Passport (DPP) to the European Committee for Standardisation (CEN) and the European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardisation (CENELEC).

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Treegen

21 Jan. 2025

5 min read

Balancing Traceability and Authentication: Challenges for Governments and Manufacturers

There is a common belief that traceability solutions alone will eliminate counterfeiting and simplify product authentication. However, while item-level traceability enhances product transparency, the most commonly adopted technologies come with vulnerabilities, especially in terms of authentication.

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Chander S Jeena

23 Dec. 2024

5 min read

The Authentication Journey in 2024 – Innovation and Consolidation

As we move into 2025, this overview highlights trends and developments that caught the attention of Authentication & Brand News™ (ABN) in 2024 and that could continue to shape the industry.

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Nicola Sudan

17 Dec. 2024

4 min read

2024 – A Year in Review

Looking back over the year that was, a number of developments stand out in different areas: namely mergers and acquisitions, the growth in illicit vapes, the integration of tax stamps into wider e-governance programmes, and a greater focus on sustainability in tax stamps. In the meantime, the ongoing rollout of national tobacco track and trace systems under the WHO FCTC Protocol continues at a sluggish pace.

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Francisco Mandiola

4 Dec. 2024

2 min read

LatAm Tax Authorities Share Updates at ITSA Event

In October, 40 participants turned up for the latest International Tax Stamp Association (ITSA) webinar, which was in Spanish only and directed towards tax and customs authorities across Latin America.

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Latest News

Generative AI Watermarking Named One of Top 10 Emerging Technologies

Excise in Africa: Challenges, Opportunities, Solutions

StockX Brand Report Highlights Trends in Verification and Anticounterfeiting

Smart Labels: Is Sensing Replacing Scanning?

New York’s Legal Cannabis Market Won’t Survive Without Track and Trace

Meet Crane Authentication – One Brand, One Vision

Interview with Incoming ITSA Chair Tim McIntyre

Has Holography Lost Its WOW? We Need Your Input!

Optical Security Protecting The Best

Digital Versus Physical in the Era of AI and Quantum Computing

TSTF 2025 – New Speakers Confirmed from African Continent

Quantum Base Plans £5M IPO for Authentication Tech

TSTF 2025 – New Speakers Confirmed from African Continent

Final Programme Released for Tax Stamp & Traceability Forum

US Postal Service Unveils Money Order with Enhanced Security

ITSA Selected as Liaison Organisation to EU Standards Body

Balancing Traceability and Authentication: Challenges for Governments and Manufacturers

The Authentication Journey in 2024 – Innovation and Consolidation

2024 – A Year in Review

LatAm Tax Authorities Share Updates at ITSA Event

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