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Signchain

A platform that creates and manages tamperproof digitally signed documents using smart contracts, DIDs and decentralized storage

Signchain

Created At

ETHOnline

Project Description

We have been working on an Arbitration platform for some time. While dealing with the conventional system, we felt that there is an absolute need for digitizing the signing process of legal agreements/ documents. That's when we started ideating around the digital signing platform (Signchain).

We know that there has been plenty of effort in the area of electronic signing. But the existing solutions don't seem to operate on standards that are interoperable. In Signchain, we want to address the age-old issues of document signing such as tampering, delayed process, verification troubles, with the help of decentralized storage and open verification. We also want to address the interoperability concerns by using standardized identity, storage, and signing protocols.

We created a basic platform where users can share the document privately with other counterparties that need access and sign the document. Whenever any party signs on the document, the proofs (standard digitally signed data) are recorded. The proofs of the signatures can be verified by anyone on the platform while only certain parties will have access to the document. The identity of all the parties can also be verified as the credentials are maintained using decentralized identity standards.

How it's Made

Signchain has three major modules: End to end encryption for documents that are stored on decentralized storage, signing operation where standard digital signing proofs are maintained for all the signers of the document, and decentralized identity that is used to manage user credentials.

We built the end-to-end encryption with a custom-built flow with PKI and symmetric key standards. We integrated the flow with contracts and decentralized storage (IPFS) with the help of Fleek and Filecoin slate so that any document can be shared publicly but decrypted only by counterparties in the platform.

We added the digital signing module that follows signed data standards. We later integrated this part with the private document so that the signed proofs and documents are anchored and anyone with the document can verify the signatures.

We used Ceramic IDX to maintain user credentials in the decentralized network. We did face issues due to some limitations of the library but we were able to tie user credentials to the Ceramic documents.

We were able to accomplish most of the things that we planned for the hackathon. We are proud of being systematic throughout the hackathon. We set milestones for each week, created designs before the implementation, and automated the contract tests, and did peer reviews.

Post hackathon, we want to explore the capabilities of Ceramic IDX and move some of our onchain logic and proofs to ceramic documents as we found it really interesting and promising.

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