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2.1 Cryptographic and Proof Architecture

VeriSeal relies exclusively on conservative, battle-tested cryptographic primitives.

No experimental consensus layer. No proprietary hash algorithm. No opaque cryptographic construction.

The model is deterministic, reproducible, and institutionally defensible.

Design Objectives​

The cryptographic layer must ensure:

  • Structural integrity
  • Deterministic reproducibility
  • Long-term auditability
  • External verifiability
  • Optional decentralized timestamp anchoring

Canonicalization​

Raw input data must first be transformed into a deterministic representation.

Let:

E = raw evidence
C(E) = canonical representation

Canonicalization guarantees:

  • Stable JSON encoding
  • Deterministic field ordering
  • UTF-8 normalization
  • No ambiguity in whitespace

The canonical payload:

P = C(E)

Hashing​

Primary integrity primitive:

H = SHA-256(P)

Properties:

  • Collision resistance (current cryptographic assumptions)
  • Deterministic output
  • Universally reproducible

The hash becomes the core proof identifier when single-artifact.

Merkle Aggregation​

For multi-artifact proofs:

h1, h2, ..., hn

A Merkle tree is constructed.

The resulting:

merkle_root

Properties:

  • Any leaf modification invalidates the root
  • Efficient inclusion proofs possible
  • Deterministic multi-artifact binding

The merkle_root becomes the canonical public reference.

Append-Only Ledger​

Each proof is inserted into an append-only ledger.

Each entry contains:

  • proof_identifier
  • metadata
  • UTC timestamp
  • prev_hash

Chaining rule:

entry_hash_i = SHA256(entry_data_i || entry_hash_(i-1))

This creates structural immutability.

Altering historical entries breaks chain integrity.

Strong Binding Mode​

VeriSeal enforces structural coherence between:

  • UX logs
  • Media artifacts
  • Canonical JSON
  • Ledger entry
  • Optional PDF
  • Optional OTS anchor

Binding prevents selective modification or component substitution.

PDF Signature (Optional Layer)​

PDF is render-only.

When enabled:

  • RSA-3072 signature
  • Document hash embedded
  • Independently verifiable

Important:

The PDF is not the source of truth.
The ledger entry and public JSON are.

OpenTimestamps (Optional)​

When enabled:

  • The proof hash is submitted to OTS
  • A .ots file is generated
  • Bitcoin confirmation anchors existence in time

OTS strengthens temporal anchoring but is not required for structural validation.

Trust Minimization​

Verification requires trust only in:

  • SHA-256
  • Deterministic computation
  • Public cryptographic standards

Not in:

  • Proprietary servers
  • Operator statements
  • Visual representations

VeriSeal does not assert truth.
It guarantees structural integrity.