Open registry for internet of things

An internet of things (IoT) system for item identity verification of a plurality of physical items, wherein for each of the plurality of the physical items, an identity tag is coupled to the physical item and the physical item is associated with a network accessible location running on at least one server and the network accessible location is a website, comprising:

• an identity tag comprising a circuit for storing a private key and a unique identifier of the identity tag;
• an open registry blockchain, wherein the open registry blockchain comprises an open registry processor and an open registry memory and the open registry blockchain stores an entry of the physical item, wherein the entry comprises the unique identifier of the identity tag, a public key of the identity tag, an identifier of the network accessible location and a chain of ownership, wherein the public key is associated with the private key stored on the identity tag coupled to the physical item;
• the identity tag for broadcasting the unique identifier of the identity tag;
• a mobile device, wherein the mobile device comprises a wireless reader, a mobile device processor and a mobile device memory storing mobile device program instructions that when executed by the mobile device processor causes the mobile device processor to perform the steps of:
• monitoring the identity tag and receiving the unique identifier of the identity tag;
• transmitting the unique identifier to the open registry blockchain;
• receiving the public key associated with the unique identifier from the open registry blockchain;
• generating and transmitting a challenge message to the identity tag;
• the identity tag for:
• generating a first digital signature by signing the challenge message with the private key;
• sending the first digital signature and the signed challenge message to the mobile device;
• the mobile device memory stores additional mobile device program instructions that when executed by the mobile device processor causes the mobile device processor to perform the steps of:
• receiving the digital signature from the identity tag;
• authenticating the physical item by verifying the first digital signature;
• retrieving the identifier of the network accessible location from the open registry blockchain using the unique identifier based on the verification of the digital signature;
• and
• accessing and presenting the network accessible location of the physical item using the retrieved identifier of the network accessible location.