AdLedger Pilot Finds CryptoRTB Protocol Prevents Digital Fraud

(Image credit: AdLedger)

AdLedger, the consortium using blockchain and cryptography to address the problems of fraud, transparency and privacy in digital advertising, said its CryptoRTB technology has been used in market to buy and sell over-the-top ads.

In CryptonRTB’s first real-world scaled deployment, MadHive, which architected the protocol, acted as the DSP. MadHive’s sister company MadNetwork was the blockchain. Beachfront was the SSP.

“With so much television spend moving to digitally delivered formats like OTT,  it’s becoming even more critical to solve the underlying problems with the digital ecosystem,” said Christiana Cacciapuoti, executive director at AdLedger. “CryptoRTB can remedy these problems across all platforms and screens, including OTT, which is an increasingly important part of the marketing mix.” 

In the pilot deployment, CryptoRTB’s digital signatures identified and eliminated domain spoofing, which cost the industry $23 billion in fraud last year. CryptorTB also sealed consumer data, ensuring compliance with GDPR and CCPA regulations.

“The e-commerce industry has been utilizing cryptography to ensure trust, transparency and security for decades, and now we’re leveraging the technology with blockchain to remedy the problems in digital advertising,” said Adam Helfgott, CEO at MadHive and Project Lead at Mad Network. “In addition to providing the verification methods needed for a more efficient supply chain, CryptoRTB is built with privacy as a core tenet to ensure a mutually beneficial future for advertisers, publishers, and consumers.”

CryptoRTB injects cryptographic tools into the ad serving environment, identifies illegitimate ad supply and creates a verified chain of custody.

“The behind-the-scenes work of actually understanding and integrating technologies like cryptography to create efficiencies and drive data fidelity in digital advertising is now a reality,” said Frank Sinton, founder and president at Beachfront. “This proof-of-concept demonstrates to the collective industry that blockchain solutions can enable meaningful industry change. Now is the time to rally around this type of innovative solution, work to drive adoption with AdLedger members, and set the stage for the future of the industry. One that stands for the transparent, secure, and privacy-conscious flow of dollars and data across the supply chain.” 

The AdLedger consortium includes agencies Omnicom, IPG, Publicis, WPP and Dentsu, publishers Hearst and Meredith and chocolate marketer Hershey.

Jon Lafayette

Jon has been business editor of Broadcasting+Cable since 2010. He focuses on revenue-generating activities, including advertising and distribution, as well as executive intrigue and merger and acquisition activity. Just about any story is fair game, if a dollar sign can make its way into the article. Before B+C, Jon covered the industry for TVWeek, Cable World, Electronic Media, Advertising Age and The New York Post. A native New Yorker, Jon is hiding in plain sight in the suburbs of Chicago.