Bridging the physical cellar and the digital ledger.
The Digital Cork is an on-chain receipt linked 1:1 to a physical bottle. It serves as cryptographic proof of ownership, authenticity, and condition—unlocking liquidity without moving the bottle from bonded storage.
The Digital Cork Protocol
Every Digital Cork is permanently tethered to physical inventory through the LWIN (Liv-ex Wine Identification Number) standard. Bottles are sealed with tamper-evident NFC/QR tags, ensuring the digital token cannot be separated from the physical asset.
We classify provenance into three rigorous tiers:
- Tier 1EstateSourced directly from the chateau or domaine. Perfect provenance.
- Tier 2TradeSourced through verified negociants and stored continuously in bonded warehouses.
- Tier 3CellarSecondary market acquisitions requiring expert physical authentication.
Metadata is secured via SHA-256 hashing and pinned to IPFS, creating an immutable attestation. When a bottle is finally opened and consumed, the Digital Cork is cryptographically destroyed, and a "Tasting Token" is minted as a permanent keepsake for the consumer.
The 5-Step Lending Flow
Tokenize
Physical inventory is audited, tagged, and minted as Digital Corks on-chain.
Legally wrap
Tokens are placed into an EU-compliant securitization vehicle.
Pledge & draw
Borrower locks tokens in a smart contract and draws Euro-denominated capital.
Custody enforces
The bonded warehouse monitors the assets. Smart contracts manage margin calls automatically.
Repay & release
Upon repayment, the smart contract unlocks the Digital Corks back to the borrower.
Real-Time Valuation
Wine lending historically failed due to opaque pricing. Our valuation engine solves this by aggregating multiple data feeds:
- Liv-Ex Market Data: Global secondary market clearing prices and bid/ask spreads.
- Bacchus AI: Our proprietary pricing engine analyzing auction results, critic scores, and vintage curves.
- DePIN Sensors: Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Networks providing real-time temperature and humidity feeds from the bonded warehouse.
Euro-Denominated Settlement
Wine is a traditional business. Lending must occur in fiat equivalents, not volatile crypto assets. We employ a phased bridge approach:
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Digital Cork?
A Digital Cork is an on-chain receipt linked 1:1 to a physical bottle of fine wine. It serves as cryptographic proof of ownership, authenticity, and condition, tethered to the bottle through the LWIN standard and tamper-evident NFC/QR tags.
Do I have to sell or move my wine to borrow against it?
No. Your wine stays in bonded storage for the life of the loan. You pledge the Digital Cork tokens that represent it as collateral in a smart contract and draw working capital without selling a single bottle.
How is the wine collateral valued?
Valuations aggregate Liv-ex secondary market data, Bacchus AI's proprietary pricing models, and real-time condition feeds from sensors in the bonded warehouse, producing a continuous mark-to-market price for every pledged asset.
What currency are loans settled in?
Loans are Euro-denominated. Settlement begins with Euro stablecoins, extends to regulated bank money tokens, and is designed to integrate the Digital Euro as it becomes available.
What happens if a loan defaults?
The bonded warehouse acts as a physical oracle and enforces custody. If margin thresholds are breached or the loan defaults, ownership of the Digital Cork — and legal title to the underlying wine — transfers to the lender.