Featured during London’s Fashion Week, the free network gives every verified artisan a permanent identity and credentials their work on Chia's public blockchain, so brands, buyers and ateliers can verify who they are working with.

Chia Network Inc. (Chia) today announced that ANAAR Artisan Network CIC deployed their solution utilizing the Chia blockchain. The network is a verified directory connecting skilled artisans with the brands, buyers and researchers looking for them. Chia’s blockchain-backed identity and credentials create a lasting, independently auditable record of artisan verification. This deployment demonstrates how Chia's blockchain infrastructure can support real-world applications that require trusted records of identity, credentials and provenance. ANAAR will feature the network in collaboration with Artisans on September 18, 2026 during London Fashion Week.

Behind handmade fashion, textiles, jewelry and homeware is a skilled artisan whose name rarely travels with the work. A brand looking for a specific skill usually relies on personal referrals, agents or trade fairs, with no simple way to check who an artisan is or what they have made. The credentials stored on the blockchain form a permanent auditable record of the artisan and their creations, ensuring that they are recognized and discoverable for the value they create.

"My pieces are sculptural and bold, handmade from urban waste like bicycle inner tubes, CDs and cork, materials the city has written off. In eight years, that work has gone from a London market stall to the Getty Museum store in Los Angeles. ANAAR takes it further: brands and designers anywhere can now discover me, see who already trusts my work, and get in touch directly," said Kate Sheppeard, Jewellery Designer, London, UK.

"Artisans have always been judged by their work, but too often the work travels and the artisan's name doesn't," said Aditi Angiras, Chief Executive Officer, ANAAR Artisan Network CIC. "We built this so a brand can find a skilled artisan anywhere, see that ANAAR has verified them, and get in touch directly. The profile is theirs to control, and it will never cost them anything. We selected Chia as it was the only blockchain that delivered the features and security that we needed."

ANAAR reviews every profile before it goes live and checks supporting credentials such as evidence of training or past work. On approval, an immutable identity is created for the artisan and a record of that verification is created to the Chia blockchain, creating a permanent, timestamped proof that cannot be quietly rewritten. Artisans never need to handle a wallet or pay a fee. Users search across craft categories and make contact inside the network, where artisans' phone numbers and email addresses stay private.

"ANAAR demonstrates how blockchain technology can solve real problems by abstracting away the underlying complexity," said Vishal Kapoor, Chief Operating Officer of Chia Network. "Artisans shouldn't have to rely on who they know to prove what they can do, so ANAAR gives each verified artisan a record on a public blockchain, greatly simplifying verification and discovery. Most people using the network will never have to think about the technology underneath, and that's exactly how it should be."

As a community interest company, ANAAR exists to benefit the artisan community, and its only revenue comes from subscriptions for patrons who want extra tools such as unlimited profile views, private artisan lists and project workspaces.

Availability

The ANAAR network will make its public debut during London Fashion Week on September 18, 2026, at BELONGING, TAMMAM’s 20th anniversary couture collection. Ten artisans who contributed to the collection will take the finale bow, with guests receiving access to their live profiles on ANAAR Artisan Network.

About Chia Network Inc.

Chia Network delivers software that enables enterprises to tokenize, custody and trade any asset, with auditable authenticity and provenance. Chia was created by Bram Cohen, the inventor of BitTorrent, and its underlying blockchain is open source and public. For additional details, visit www.chia.net.

Note to editors: Vishal Kapoor is Chief Operating Officer of Chia Network Inc. and serves on the board of ANAAR Artisan Network CIC.

About ANAAR

ANAAR Artisan Network CIC is a UK community interest company based in London. It runs the ANAAR Artisan Network, a verified directory connecting skilled artisans with the brands, buyers and researchers looking for them. ANAAR reviews every artisan profile before it goes live, and each approved artisan receives a permanent digital credential anchored to the Chia blockchain. The network is free for artisans, always. Learn more at www.anaar.network.

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