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Document Registry

A lightweight, low-cost, onchain proof-of-existence system for timestamping documents, research, IP, and digital work.

Overview

The Document Registry provides a fast, cost-efficient and immutable method to prove that a document existed at a specific point in time. Instead of storing the full file onchain, SafePulse only records the hash, making the process cost-efficient while maintaining strong cryptographic guarantees.

This service is ideal for protecting intellectual property, research, legal documents, design drafts, code, and any other material where authorship and existence must be provably timestamped.

A trustless, permanent anchor for any file that need to be verified.

Context & Problem

The Problem

Traditional document notarization methods suffer from:

  • High costs for official notary services
  • Slow processing
  • Geographic limitations
  • Risk of altered or missing records
  • Dependence on centralized institutions

Organizations and creators need a way to prove authorship, establish priority, and timestamp content without revealing the full document or relying on third parties.

The Solution

SafePulse Document Registry creates an immutable onchain proof that a specific document, identified by its hash, existed at a given moment. This proof is:

  • Cryptographically verifiable
  • Public or private document identifier
  • Permanent and censorship-resistant
  • Quick and inexpensive

This allows creators, researchers, and businesses to validate authorship or existence whenever needed.

Use Cases

1. Intellectual Property Protection

  • Artists timestamp digital artwork
  • Writers record novel drafts
  • Developers anchor new code or smart contracts
  • Designers secure product sketches

2. Research & Innovation

  • Recording first publication dates
  • Protecting proprietary formulas
  • Proving original authorship of research papers
  • Documenting experiments or iterations
  • Timestamping agreements before signature
  • Anchoring evidence documents
  • Recording immutable audit logs

4. Enterprise Workflows

  • Documenting internal policies
  • Securing confidential revisions off-chain
  • Establishing chain-of-custody events

Key Features

1. Fast and Low-Cost

Designed as a lightweight alternative to Verifiable Documents.

2. Non-custodial Data management

File stays off-chain by user/issuer, we verify.

3. Immutable and Permanent

Records cannot be deleted or modified, ensuring trustworthiness.

4. Flexible Storage Options

Users can store files:

  • Locally
  • IPFS
  • Arweave
  • Any private or centralized host

5. No Initialization Required

Unlike Verifiable Documents, the record exists immediately after registration.

Step-by-Step Tutorial

Prerequisites

  • SafePulse Wallet installed
  • Native token balance for registration fees
  • Issuer/Creator DID: an key DID (did:key) or an ERC-1056 DID with issuer key as its Delegate
  • File prepared and hashed automatically by the app

A. Registering a Document

  1. Upload your file to one of:

    • IPFS
    • Arweave
    • Centralized host (direct download link)

  2. Tap Document Registry

  3. Copy the file link/IPFS-CID/Arweave Transaction Id

  4. Fill in the creation form:

    • Paste the refrence identifier (file link/IPFS-CID/Arweave Transaction Id)
    • Choose blockchain network

  5. Tap Register (top of screen)

  6. Confirm the on-chain transaction

  7. After minting, go to History

  8. Locate the document history record

  9. Share the Verifiable Document DID with relevant parties

Real-World Examples

Example 1: Protecting Creative Work

A designer registers a new product sketch. Months later, if questioned about authorship, the onchain timestamp validates they created it first.

Example 2: Academic Research Timestamp

A scientist anchors early drafts of a paper before journal submission, proving that research was conducted earlier than similar publications.

Example 3: Internal Company Evidence

A compliance officer anchors a log of policy updates to prove the timeline of organizational changes.

Benefits

  • Extremely low-cost proof registration
  • Works instantly with minimal user steps
  • Does not expose or upload the actual file
  • Immutable and verifiable forever
  • Provides strong authorship protection
  • No dependency on centralized notaries

Drawbacks

  • Does not support revocation
  • Does not support multiple controller
  • Cannot attach signatures
  • Cannot filter/limit verifiers

For these advanced features, Verifiable Documents are recommended.

Best Practices

  • Save the original file securely — the hash depends on exact content
  • Use decentralized storage (IPFS/Arweave) for long-term preservation
  • Register drafts and versions frequently if working iteratively
  • Combine registry entries with Pledge Contracts for deliverable verification
  • For legal agreements, convert to Verifiable Documents if signatures are needed