Verified Information: How to Cut Through the Noise of Misinformation and Disinformation to Invest with Confidence

According to the 11,000 business executives and 900 subject matter experts surveyed in the 2025 World Economic Forum risk report. They highlighted misinformation and disinformation; defined as “persistent false information (deliberate or otherwise) widely spread through media networks, shifting public opinion in a significant way towards distrust in facts and authority, including but not limited to false, imposter, manipulated and fabricated content;” as the highest risk of greatest international concern over the short term.

Rising greenwashing litigations, driven by misleading environmental claims, highlight the growing concern over misinformation and disinformation; The Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment published a study in June 2024 analyzing global trends in climate change litigation. As illustrated in the figure below, the growing numbers of litigations tell the story and frame the stakes: misinformation or disinformation can wipe out market value overnight, destroy reputation, and deter or misdirect investments. At a time of rapid economic transformation triggered by the need to balance resources efficiency, energy security, environmental and social damages, and broader societal concerns, long term investments decisions need to be rooted on reliable facts.

Figure - Number of Companies targeted in strategic climate-aligned litigations (2015-2023)^[1]

Defining Facts: The Science of Verification

So, when is a fact, a fact? Science defines a fact as a statement based on repeated evidence. This requires criteria to define the fact and testing of the fact under a range of scenarios and within rigorous conditions. In a previously published paper Trust Infrastructure for the Transition Economy, Fiùtur applies this to the field of environmental outcomes, defined as the measurable environmental impact of real-world assets. We need to recognize that not all statements are yet measurable, not all questions have singular answers, and science is continually evolving. This is why peer-reviewed industry protocols and standards play a critical role in defining the facts that can be established and their expected level of precision. As Mike Bodson, ex CEO of the DTCC put it, “data integrity in an industry framework comes with the certainty that data can be relied upon because it has transparent definitions, controls, and standards. It is data integrity that ensures the legality and transferability of assets.”

A digital shield protecting verified information builds on these principles for data collection and testing:

• Implement industry peer-reviewed Protocols specifying the requirements for the measurement of the facts to be tested
• Segregate roles in the definition and testing process to avoid conflicts of interest
• Define the process and qualification criteria to fill the roles
• Include an independent verification function
• Issue immutable, referenceable “verified” stamps containing the above safeguards

For mission critical applications, where misinformation and disinformation would have unacceptable consequences (e.g., in the form of regulatory action), the entire process can be, and often is, digitized.

In the field of environmental claims information, this has significant advantages: for instance, to test adherence to industry definitions on an ongoing basis, such as taxonomy criteria requiring independent verification as in the EU Methane Regulation. Once digitized, the “verified” stamps can easily be interconnected to other “verified” stamps in a chain. This may be useful when products are transformed through supply chains and collect more stamps, when products are itemized and refer to a single initial stamp, or when products are referenced in financial transactions.

Tokenizing Truth: The Power of Distributed Ledgers

The concept of a network of verified information dates from the early days of digital ledger technology and has great merit in the context of screening out misinformation and disinformation across multiple sources where a high level of governance is required. Smart contracts, also called tokens, leverage that technology to provide contextualization of the actions performed at each stage of the verification process. For example, if a protocol implementor calculates an environmental metric, not only are they required to produce the actual value, but they must also state any assumptions, starting values, base benchmarks, protocols or standards into a smart contract that only they can execute on. This prevents data tampering and misrepresentation.

In this tokenized based system:

• Users can easily trace a token’s provenance and transaction history in a way that is digitally verifiable.
• Transactions can be automatically recorded on a ledger in an immutable and transparent manner.
• Tokens’ histories can be traced down to the individual level and double counting or substitution cannot occur.

Fiùtur leverages this technology to provide a high level of verification and governance to real-world assets’ environmental claims. Underlying this, the Canton protocol provides a mechanism for multiple DAML based distributed ledgers, running on different (or no) blockchains to interoperate with the same (often increased) level of security and immutability as if they were all on the same blockchain.

Participating in a Canton network (private or public) ensures the automated issuance and servicing of assets, atomic settlement across systems, privacy, control, and interoperability. The entire asset lifecycle is modeled - embedding data, rights, and obligations to bring more of the asset lifecycle on chain to expedite multi-party processes, reduce risk and increase operational efficiency.

In short:

• Regulatory grade, digitally native issuance
• Granular privacy and compliance controls
• Connectivity across all stakeholders to create end-to-end value.

The good news is that digital shields to mis/disinformation already exist in financial circles, and market participants who view information as power are increasingly investing in these technologies. What is evolving is the implementation of digital applications to specific business cases requiring accuracy. As these processes democratize, the likelihood of digital shields on mobile devices indeed is increasing.

Ensure the integrity of your environmental claims with digital tracking and independent verification. In markets that value transparency and resource efficiency, verified data sets you apart—building trust, reducing risk, and unlocking competitive advantages. Contact sales@fiuturx.com to explore how our digital verification solutions can protect your claims and strengthen your market position.

‍

^[1]Setzer J and Higham C (2024) Global Trends in Climate Change Litigation: 2024 Snapshot. London: Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment, London School of Economics and Political Science