As impersonation scams and fraudulent communications surge globally, South Africa-based messaging platform VERA is stepping up with a bold solution. On Tuesday, June 10, VERA announced the launch of a blockchain-powered secure messaging platform, aimed at bringing verifiable identities to business-to-business (B2B) communication.
The platform is initially targeting South African businesses, where scams and phishing attacks remain a growing threat. VERA is tackling this issue head-on by integrating decentralized identity technology from the credentials provider cheqd, ensuring that users’ identities are authenticated and recorded immutably on the blockchain.
Verified Communication for the Modern Enterprise
“Secure communication should also be verifiable,” said Max Coleman, Co-Founder of VERA. “cheqd’s infrastructure allows us to not only protect conversations, but to prove the identity of participants in a way that’s scalable, privacy-respecting, and future-ready.”
Once a user verifies their contact information, they’re issued a digital identity stored on the blockchain. This allows businesses to instantly validate the identity of anyone they’re communicating with, significantly reducing the risk of impersonation, invoice fraud, and phishing attacks.
According to VERA, the platform aims to provide a tamper-proof and immutable identity layer, which is particularly valuable in a world where an estimated 3.4 billion scam emails are sent every day.
Fighting Back Against Business Scams
The platform is designed with real-world risks in mind. One of the most common forms of business-targeted fraud is invoice manipulation something cheqd’s Co-Founder and CEO Fraser Edwards says his own company deals with on a weekly basis.
“Every week we receive invoices by email attempting to defraud us,” Edwards said. “VERA solves a genuine problem which affects ourselves and every company worldwide. Their platform ensures that every company and individual is verified before communicating.”
Africa has seen an alarming rise in cybercrime. Data from cybersecurity firm Check Point showed that in Q1 2023, one in 15 organizations across Africa faced ransomware attempts every week. VERA’s verified messaging service is a timely response to these threats.
Roadmap and Global Expansion
VERA is currently preparing for a beta launch in South Africa, with plans to go live by the end of August 2025. The long-term vision includes expanding to the European Union, United States, and United Kingdom, where secure, identity-verified messaging is increasingly in demand.
With blockchain technology as its foundation and a focus on identity-first communication, VERA positions itself at the intersection of cybersecurity, decentralized identity, and B2B productivity.
