# Link - Authentic Phygitals
## What is Link?
Bounce Link is a secure, versatile solution for phygital (physical + digital) product authentication and platform expansion, linking verified genuine physical products to collectible digital doubles that unlock exclusive experience both IRL and across the metaverse.
Link's embeddable, encrypted NFC phygital tag and cloud-based authentication and digital experience service enable a new level of seamless phygital engagement for brand & creators.
* [x] Guarantee authenticity and ownership of physical products
* [x] Seamlessly link your brand's physical and virtual presence
* [x] Create engaging, rewarding and gamified fan experiences virtually & IRL
* [x] Track product journeys in secondary markets and across the metaverse
## Why Go Phygital?
Young consumers are immersed in virtual world, from SNS to gaming, more than ever before. Among Gen-Z & A, [more 90% are self-proclaimed gaming enthusiasts](https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Esports/Sections/Media/2022/07/Newzoo-Engagement-Report-Analysis.aspx), [nearly 3 in 4 spend on digital fashion](https://blog.roblox.com/2022/11/insights-from-our-2022-metaverse-fashion-trends-report/), and [84% say their physical and digital styles inspire each other](https://www.voguebusiness.com/story/technology/digital-fashion-is-alive-and-well-for-gen-z). Clearly, the physical-digital divide \_\_\_
At the same time, counterfeit products are an ever-growing threat to retail brands in fashion, collectibles, sports and luxury. In the sneaker market alone, counterfeit goods have surpassed the revenue of genuine ones [by nearly 1.5x in 2023](https://runrepeat.com/counterfeit-shoes-statistics).
Going phygital means not only giving your customers the certainty they own an authentic product, but also extending their experience, on your brand's presence, into the digital spaces that matter most.
## How Link Works
Going phygital with Link is as easy as Tap, Claim, Bounce!
Bounce Link is an embeddable tag that imbues any physical product, from toys to fashion items, with phygital capabilities. Inside each Tag is an encrypted NFC ([near-field communication](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Near-field_communication)) chip that is connected to a secure cloud-based authentication service.
When a Link Tag is tapped, it is automatically detected by iOS & Android devices, and prompts users to launch a mobile-first, web experience where they can instantly verify the authenticity of their products and explore connected offers and experiences - no downloads, no apps, just tap and it works!
Link Tags integrate automatically with the Bounce ecosystem, from [Flex exclusive experiences](/product-guides/flex-fan-experiences.md) to [Track phygital metaverse analytics](/product-guides/track-metaverse-analytics.md), and powered by our customizable [Portal](/integration-guides/web-portal.md) to keep the journey on brand.
## Seamless, On-Brand Physical-to-Digital Journey
Link integrates with Bounce Portal, a no-code, fully-customizable phygital gateway
Customizable Link Tags
Link Tags come in a range of shapes, sizes and materials to fit into any product, including:
* Iron-on & sew-on patches for clothing, shoes and accessories
* embeddable inlays for toys, paper and hard products
* Customizable stickers, plastic and paper cards
Each product can be made to order and fully branded with color and print, with optional weather and heat proofing across our entire range of tags.
Learn more about Link Tag products
On-brand Claim Experience
Link offers several physical-to-digital flows that ensure the entire customer journey feels native to your brand.
Instantly launch a fully-customizable [Portal](/integration-guides/web-portal.md) and offer a rich digital experience connected to Link phygitals. Portals can even be mapped to your brand's custom domain.
Want even more control? Use [Secure Forwarding](/integration-guides/apis-and-sdks/web-notifications-and-forwarding.md) & [API](/integration-guides/apis-and-sdks/rest-api/link-api.md) to bring Link's authentication into your own web and in-app experiences.
Global Link Network
Link's proprietary phygital authentication and fan engagement solutions are built from the ground up for high performance and availability, leveraging latest in web technologies and deployed to a global edge network that ensures quick load times and snappy responses wherever your customers are.
## Verified Authenticity & Ownership
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Want to know more about Bounce Link hardware and cloud security?
Our detailed security and authenticity deep-dive is coming soon.
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Link Tag's hardware-encryption guarantees the authenticity and current ownership of a Link-enabled phygital collectible, and innovative security features keep it safe both in-store and on the street. Give your customers the confidence that they are buying a genuine article, and your brand the certainty that exclusive digital content and experiences are available only to loyal fans and verified owners.
Verified Physical Authenticity
Link Tags guarantee physical authenticity and cannot be copied or duplicated like simple NFC tags. Each tag stores a unique 128-bit secret that can only be accessed using an encryption key that is unique for every tag and stored securely. Every time a tag is tapped, a unique signature is generated, that is then verified as authentic on Bounce servers.
By including this authentication signature as part of the NFC's URL, Link can verify the authenticity of a phygital collectible without requiring any specialized apps, simply open the prompted web page and your Link tag is automatically verified as part of the user experience.
Guaranteed Current Ownership
Link Tags can do more than authenticate a phygital, they can also verify any user accessing connected digital experiences is the current holder of the physical asset. By keep track on how often they're tapped, Link Tags & servers can guarantee that a claim page or experience are launched by the most recent tap, preventing what is known as "replay attacks" (when a tap response is stored before a phygital is transferred).
Real-world Security
Phygital collectibles exist in the real world, whether on a rack or shelf in a store, or worn by your customers on the street. Link Tags feature two innovative security features that prevent a digital collectible from being claimed without a purchase or tranferred without permission.
**2FA** - In addition to their secret key, each Link tag stores a password that can be used as a two-factor authentication method when a phygital collectible is first claimed, just like when receiving a code to complete an email login. This prevents anyone from claiming a phygital in-store without a valid code.
**Binds** - Once a Link phygital is claimed, the creator and/or owner can choose to bind it to prevent transfers. This means that the next person to tap the Tag could only claim it if the current owner releases the bind and enables a transfer. A similar mechanic is available for digital-first transfers, binding the digital double automatically until the phsysical is claimed.
**Tamper Proof** - Link Tags feature internal protection against tampering. Any attempt to extract a tag, peal a sticker or access the NFC chip will result in the permanent disabling of the tag. The Link service can detect this, alert you to tamper attempts in real time and automatically disable access to connected digital content and experiences.
Effortless Integration
Bounce [Web Portals](/integration-guides/web-portal.md), [Secure Forwarding](/integration-guides/apis-and-sdks/web-notifications-and-forwarding.md), [SDKs & APIs](/integration-guides/apis-and-sdks.md) are all designed to manage all the complexity of authentication and ownership verification automatically. Trust experiences and rewards are delivered to verified owners without dealing with worrying about integration or compromising user experience.
## Going Phygital with Bounce Link
From customized Link tags that fit your manufacturing and inventory process, to a range of digital integration options and powerful retail & marketing features, Link supports every step of your physical-to-digital journey.
Tags in All Shapes & Sizes
Link Tags come in a variety of formats, from stickers and cards to iron-on and sewn patches, and bare inlays that can be embedded into any product.
Most tags can be tailored to specific size, shape and color, with support for full-color branding and dynamic QR codes and serial numbers (with min. MOQ).
Learn more about Link Tag variants and customization:
[Link Tag variants](/product-guides/link-authentic-phygitals/link-tag-variants.md)
All Packed & Programmed
Link Tags are manufactured and pre-programmed in batches, with a unique ID assigned to each tag and linked to our digital asset management.
It's easy to assign a batch of Link Tags to an inventory SKU and product variants, track delivery and activation, and associate groups with retail locations, customers, and dynamic variables & traits of linked digital assets (NFT IDs, limited in-platform assets, etc.).
Each tag is individually programmed and encrypted with a unique encryption key.
Choose a Digital Integration Flow
From a no-code Web Portal to versatile in-game asset SDKs, Bounce provides a range of digital integration flows that allow you to craft unique and engaging phygital experiences that are tailored to your brand and product's digital expansion strategy.
Learn more about digital integration options:
[Integration Overview](/integration-guides/integration-overview.md)
Retail Integrations (upcoming)
Creating phygital products requires complex interactions between physical and digital aspects of the manufacturing, retail and marketing. Our upcoming retail integrations are designed to make going phygital as painless as possible for your brand and your team.
Upcoming features include:
* E-commerce & PoS support for account linking, content gating and security
* CRM & loyalty integrations with a range of engagement & loyalty providers
* Supply-chain integration for tag batch allocation, security and tracking
* Support for Digital Product Passport (DPP) standards
Reach out to share your ideas and request specific features
{% content-ref url="/pages/dJoqTYogEja4hNzNcbb9" %}
[Link Tag variants](/product-guides/link-authentic-phygitals/link-tag-variants.md)
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## Get a Link Tag Sample Pack
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## Tap Into the Bounce Ecosystem
Connect Link phygital collectibles to exclusive content and experiences across digital platforms, and track the phygital journeys or your products and fan communities.
{% content-ref url="/pages/YsrzcvC8Hv4sfyQ5BYPb" %}
[Flex - Fan Experiences](/product-guides/flex-fan-experiences.md)
{% endcontent-ref %}
{% content-ref url="/pages/5PBu25hcp1ddp7tTUyuo" %}
[Track - Metaverse Analytics](/product-guides/track-metaverse-analytics.md)
{% endcontent-ref %}
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