Merck and PwC Pilot Hedera Blockchain for Cocoa Traceability
Hedera (HBAR)
Editor:
Eugene Serbin
Merck, PwC Germany and The Hashgraph Group have launched a pilot project to revolutionize cocoa traceability using the Hedera blockchain. This initiative addresses the complex supply chain where over two million African farms sell through tangled intermediaries, making origin verification difficult. The European Union will enforce strict regulations starting 30 December 2026, requiring precise data to prove cocoa origins.
Companies failing to comply with these new rules face fines of up to 4% of their annual turnover. The new system aims to solve opacity issues that encourage child labor, deforestation and smuggling. By providing end-to-end traceability, the solution ensures verifiable data for regulators and consumers.
The pilot combines technology from these three innovation leaders to meet the upcoming legal requirements. This move prepares the chocolate industry for a profound transformation in how it tracks its products. The project directly responds to the increasing legal pressure on companies to demonstrate supply chain integrity. It marks a significant step toward solving the historical difficulty of tracing cocoa back to its source.
How the market reacted
Whalio's own Binance spot order flow for HBAR, measured when this story was written up on 7 September 2026. Not the outlet's figures.
HBAR is currently trading at $0.08162 with a 1-hour buy ratio of 54.2%, indicating a slight preference for buyers in the short term. This 1-hour ratio is higher than the 4-hour buy ratio of 52.8%, suggesting that buying pressure is building over the last hour rather than fading. The 24-hour buy ratio stands at 50.9%, showing a balanced but slightly bullish sentiment over the longer timeframe. Volume delta for the hour is positive at +$83,923, while the 4-hour delta is +$230,463, reflecting active accumulation. Over the past 24 hours, the cumulative volume delta closed at +$533,893, with net buying occurring for 18 of the last 24 hours. Spot volume reached $5,495,868 with 49,314 trades, confirming active market participation.
The latest daily buy ratio of 50.6% sits at the 71st percentile of the last 324 days, against a median of 49.3% - stronger buying than most days.
Was that an ordinary day?
The same Binance spot measurements for HBAR, averaged over the days leading up to the story.
Over the preceding week, the 7-day average buy ratio was 52.6%, making today's 24-hour ratio of 50.9% slightly lower by 1.7 points. Volume relative to the average was 0.87x, indicating lighter trading activity compared to the weekly norm. Despite the lower volume, the coin saw a price change of +11.1% over the last 8 days. The total volume delta for the week was +$2,609,266, with net buying recorded on 6 of the 7 days. This suggests that while today is slightly less active than the weekly average, the broader trend remains positive.