Provelio
Zero-knowledge IP timestamping — prove a file existed at a point in time without ever uploading it.
The Challenge
Creators, institutions, and developers often need to prove they possessed a piece of work at a specific time — a draft, a design, a dataset — without uploading the file to a third party or trusting a single central authority to vouch for the date.
Proof Without Exposure
The core idea behind Provelio is that proving you had something doesn't require showing it to anyone. Hashing happens client-side; only the hash — not the file — ever reaches the server.
Two Layers of Timestamping
Every hash gets an RFC 3161 timestamp immediately, then a Bitcoin blockchain timestamp via OpenTimestamps for a permanent, independently-verifiable record that doesn't depend on Provelio staying online to vouch for it.
Confirmation Happens in the Background
Blockchain confirmation isn't instant, so a separate worker service polls for it asynchronously — the API that issues the initial timestamp doesn't block waiting on the chain.
Our Solution
Provelio hashes a file locally with SHA-256, then anchors that hash with an RFC 3161 timestamp and a Bitcoin blockchain timestamp via OpenTimestamps — the file itself never leaves the user's device, only its fingerprint does.
Tech Stack
Results
- File existence provable from a SHA-256 hash — the underlying file is never uploaded
- Timestamps anchored on the Bitcoin blockchain via OpenTimestamps for independent, third-party verification
- A dedicated background worker polls for blockchain confirmation without blocking the main API
- Frontend (Vercel) and backend (self-hosted) deployed and scaled independently