Expanding VIDTs timestamping to include IPFS based dynamic context proof

The VIDT DAO ecosystem has seen multiple important technological implementations that create more opportunities for better use-cases. Some of these are the dynamic context and using VIDT DAO’s timestamping technology as the core of digital twins.

This proposal is about expanding these technologies and improving the proof-of-authenticity functies of the VIDT DAO ecosystem using IPFS.

The expansion of the proof-of-authenticity

Proof-of-authenticity, as the name suggests, is a function to provide the proof that something is authentic. VIDT DAO’s timestamp technology is based around this function, by using the hash (or fingerprint) of a document and timestamping this on the blockchain. This way you provide proof that a document has existed at that point in time, and that the wallet creating the timestamp has declared its authenticity.

This also works for use-cases that involve other types of data, instead of files. You can create a hash of anything digital. Many of the VIDT DAO timestamping use-cases also work with a so-called context, which is essentially metadata of the timestamp providing extra information about the timestamp.

In sensitive use-cases, the context provides valuable information about the authenticity of not just the timestamp but also the owner of the original timestamped document/data. This means that it is important to provide proof-of-authenticity of the context as well.

The InterPlanetary File System (IPFS)

As explained on the IPFS website: IPFS is an open system to manage data without a central server. IPFS is a peer-to-peer network to store information making it open and verifiable. These core characteristics overlap the characteristics of blockchain, and what VIDT DAO stands for.

For all you familiar with NFTs, many of the NFTs use IPFS to store the metadata and asset of the NFT on IPFS.

IPFS is the perfect technology to provide extra timestamp information, and the proof of authenticity of the timestamp context of a VIDT DAO timestamp. Essentially; it is an extension of the VIDT DAO timestamp technology to provide extra verification possibilities.

There is one big caveat of IPFS however, and that is that there is no way to provide proof-of-ownership and proof-of-existence. Which is why it still has to be combined with timestamps on the blockchain.

The proposal

This proposal is for the development of the IPFS add-on for the VIDT DAO ecosystem. For this, we are asking for a grant of 2,75 million VIDT DAO tokens.

We will be using the grant funds for the following:

• IPFS addon: the IPFS documents have to be coupled to a VIDT DAO timestamp so that it can be easily proven that a certain IPFS document is part of a certain VIDT DAO timestamp. Otherwise the proof-of-ownership and proof-of-existence would not exist. We will be researching the best way to do this, preferably on-chain, and following the research conclusion develop the addon.
• Documentation: there should be information about how the IPFS addon fits into the VIDT DAO ecosystem. And also why integrators should use this for certain use-cases for example. Our goal is to work together with the VIDT DAO academy and/or the awareness team to find the right place and way to provide the documentation.
• Best-practices and examples: part of the documentation is also to provide best practices regarding the structure of the IPFS implementation, and examples on how to work with the addon and implementation in use-cases.