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What is a Proof Chain?

A proof chain is a sequence of cryptographically linked attestations that prove the timeline of your creative work. Each attestation references previous ones, creating an unbreakable chain of evidence.

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Components

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Fingerprints

Every piece of content is hashed with SHA-512: 
SHA-512("Your research content...")
  → "e3b0c44298fc1c149afbf4c8996fb92427ae41e4649b934ca495991b7852b855..."
This fingerprint is:
  • Unique: Different content = different hash
  • Deterministic: Same content = same hash always
  • One-way: Cannot reverse to original content

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Attestations

Each fingerprint is attested on Base L2 via EAS: 
{
  "schema": "0x...",
  "data": {
    "projectId": "my-project",
    "category": "research",
    "fingerprint": "sha512:e3b0c44...",
    "treeHash": "sha512:...",
    "ref": "research/note.md",
    "effortHours": 250
  }
}

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Merkle Root

All attestations combine into a Merkle tree: 
        Merkle Root
           /    \
      Hash(A+B)  Hash(C+D)
       /    \     /    \
      A      B   C      D
The root proves all attestations without revealing individual content.

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Verification

Anyone can verify your proof chain:
  1. Find the attestation on base.easscan.org
  2. Check the timestamp - blockchain provides authoritative time
  3. Verify the fingerprint - hash the content yourself
  4. Follow the chain - each attestation links to the project
The proof chain provides:
Evidence TypeTraditionalSESHAT
TimestampSelf-reportedBlockchain-verified
Content proofWitness testimonyCryptographic hash
Tamper evidenceNoneImmutable ledger
Third-party verificationNotary ($$)Public blockchain (free)
Courts increasingly accept blockchain timestamps as evidence. The immutability and public verifiability make them legally robust.