QR codes, short codes, and the future of certificate-of-authenticity verification
7 March 2026

QR codes, short codes, and the future of certificate-of-authenticity verification

A printed certificate is forgeable. A short code that resolves to a studio-controlled record is not. How emerging-market galleries are catching up.

The next two years will see most reputable emerging-market galleries move from paper certificates to studio-controlled short codes — a 6–8 character ID printed on the verso, resolving to a public verification page hosted by the studio. The page renders the piece's title, edition, photograph and current ownership state.

Forging the paper is trivial. Forging a record that resolves on the studio's own domain is much harder. The collector wins.

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