Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about vtimestamp, blockchain timestamping, and proof of existence.
General
What is document timestamping?
Document timestamping is the process of creating cryptographic proof that a specific piece of data existed at a specific point in time. The proof is a SHA-256 hash of your document, recorded on a blockchain with a consensus-verified timestamp. This hash acts as a unique fingerprint — if the document changes by even a single byte, the hash is completely different.
What is vtimestamp?
vtimestamp is a free, open-source, decentralized timestamping service built on the Verus blockchain. It lets you prove that a document, file, or piece of text existed at a specific moment in time. Your documents never leave your device — only a hash is published. The proof is stored permanently on-chain, tied to your VerusID, and can be verified by anyone without needing an account or trusting any service.
How is this different from a notary?
A traditional notary is a state-appointed official who verifies identity, confirms willingness, and witnesses signing. Blockchain timestamping proves something different: that a specific document existed at a specific time, possessed by a specific identity. It does not verify the signer's legal identity or mental state. Timestamping complements notarization but does not replace it where legally required. Consult legal counsel for important matters.
How is this different from OpenTimestamps?
OpenTimestamps (OTS) is a well-established, free protocol for Bitcoin-based timestamping. It aggregates millions of timestamps into a single Bitcoin transaction via Merkle trees, making it excellent and cheap for proving a hash existed at a point in time. Three key differences: (1) OTS is hash-only — no identity binding, no structured metadata like title or description. (2) Each OTS proof is a .ots file you keep alongside your document; lose the file and reconstructing the proof is your problem. (3) vtimestamp stores the full record on your VerusID with structured metadata, so anyone can query your identity's timestamp history in one call — nothing extra to keep. Use OTS when hash existence alone is what you need. Use vtimestamp when attribution and context matter.
Is a blockchain timestamp legally recognized?
It depends on jurisdiction and context. A vtimestamp is cryptographic proof that specific data existed at a specific time, recorded on a public blockchain by a specific identity. That's strong corroborating evidence — but it is not legal registration, not formal notarization, and not a substitute for government-recognized IP protection like patent filings. Admissibility varies, and some jurisdictions accept blockchain-based evidence more readily than others. For matters with legal stakes, consult legal counsel in your jurisdiction about how blockchain timestamps are treated as evidence.
Why Verus? What makes this blockchain different?
Verus has a few unusual design choices that make it well-suited to timestamping. Identity is native to the protocol — VerusID is built into consensus, not a smart contract bolted on top. There are no smart contracts at all — Verus uses "smart transactions" validated by consensus directly, so there's no VM, no gas, and no contract vulnerabilities. Structured, typed data (VDXF) is a first-class feature, so applications like vtimestamp can store rich metadata alongside hashes with standardized namespaced keys. And fees are stable and predictable — no volatile gas markets. Identity, data storage, and low-cost transactions were designed together from the start rather than being layered on over time.
Privacy & Security
Are my documents uploaded to the blockchain?
No. Your documents never leave your device. vtimestamp computes a SHA-256 hash of your file or text entirely in your browser using the Web Crypto API. Only this hash (a 64-character string) is stored on the blockchain. No one can reconstruct your document from the hash — it's a one-way function.
What information is public?
The SHA-256 hash, the title you chose, any description you wrote, the filename and file size (if provided), the block time and height, and your VerusID name are all public on the blockchain. The actual document contents remain private — only you have the original file. You control how much metadata to include.
Can a timestamp be faked or backdated?
No. The block time is set by blockchain consensus — you can't insert data into a past block. Each identity update is a separate, immutable transaction. SHA-256 is collision-resistant, so no one can produce a different document with the same hash. And anyone can independently verify against the public blockchain, so there's no single authority to compromise.
Using vtimestamp
What is a VerusID?
A VerusID is a self-sovereign identity on the Verus blockchain. It's a human-readable name (like alice@) that you own and control — no company or government manages it for you. Your VerusID is used to sign timestamps, proving that you are the one who created the proof. You manage your VerusID through Verus Mobile or the Verus Desktop wallet.
How do I get a VerusID?
You can register a VerusID through the Verus Desktop wallet or through an ID provisioning service. A root-level VerusID costs 100 VRSC (which is locked in your identity, not spent). SubIDs — identities registered under a parent currency — work just as well for timestamping and can vary in price, with the lowest costing less than one cent. Once registered, your VerusID is yours permanently — it's controlled by your private keys and can't be taken away. Visit verus.io to get started.
What if I lose access to my VerusID?
VerusID supports revocation and recovery at the protocol level — you can configure a separate recovery authority when you create your identity (or update it later). If your primary keys are compromised or lost, the recovery authority can re-issue control with new keys, and your entire timestamp history is preserved. Your identity isn't tied to a specific key — it's tied to your ID, and you can rotate keys without losing your history. This is a significant advantage over address-based systems where losing the key means losing everything associated with the address.
Can I timestamp any file type?
Yes. vtimestamp hashes the raw bytes of any file — PDFs, images, audio, video, code, archives, or any other format. You can also paste text directly. The hash is computed entirely in your browser, so there's no file size limit imposed by the service (though very large files may take longer to hash).
How much does it cost?
vtimestamp itself is free. The only cost is Verus blockchain transaction fees — a 0.0001 VRSC base fee plus a data-storage fee for the encrypted payload, totalling roughly 0.004 to 0.005 VRSC per timestamp, paid from your wallet when you approve the transaction. You'll need a small amount of VRSC in your Verus wallet to cover these fees. There are no subscriptions, no per-stamp fees, and no hidden costs.
How do I verify a timestamp?
Go to the Verify page, enter the VerusID name, and upload the same file (or paste the same text). The system computes the hash, searches the identity's blockchain history for a match, and shows you the timestamp details including block time, height, and transaction ID. No login required.
What happens if vtimestamp shuts down?
Your timestamps survive. They're stored on the Verus blockchain, not on vtimestamp's servers. Anyone can verify them using a Verus node — either getidentityhistory (for per-timestamp block details) or getidentitycontent (to list accumulated timestamps for an identity). The data is decentralized and permanent — the service is just a convenience layer on top of the blockchain.
What if I lose the original file?
You won't be able to verify the timestamp. Verification works by hashing the original file and comparing it to the hash stored on the blockchain — if you no longer have the exact original file, there's no way to recompute the hash. vtimestamp stores only the hash, not your document. Keep your original files safe.
Technical
What is a SHA-256 hash?
SHA-256 (Secure Hash Algorithm 256-bit) is a cryptographic function that takes any input and produces a fixed 64-character hexadecimal string. It's a one-way function: you can't reverse it to get the original data. Even a tiny change to the input produces a completely different hash. SHA-256 is used widely in security, including Bitcoin and most blockchain systems.
What is VDXF?
VDXF (Verus Data Exchange Format) is a protocol-level system for structured, typed data on the Verus blockchain. It provides namespaced keys, DataDescriptors with typed labels, and a standardized way to store and retrieve structured data on identities. vtimestamp uses VDXF to store timestamp data in a consistent, discoverable format under the proof.basic key.
How is timestamp data stored on chain?
Each timestamp is one entry under the proof.basic VDXF key on your VerusID's contentmultimap. The entry is a single DataDescriptor in public-encrypted mode (flags: 13): the daemon encrypts the payload with an ephemeral key and publishes the incoming viewing key (ivk) on-chain. Anyone with a Verus node that exposes decryptdata can recover the original JSON containing your hash and metadata. Encryption here is the storage convention for application data on a public VerusID — not a privacy mechanism for the metadata itself.
Can I verify without the vtimestamp website?
Yes. Use the Verus CLI to query any identity's history directly. Run verus getidentityhistory "identity@" to see all updates and find entries under the proof.basic VDXF key. For each one, call verus decryptdata with the descriptor + anchoring txid + retrieve: true to recover the JSON payload, then verus getblock on the entry's blockhash to confirm the exact timestamp. decryptdata needs to be available on whichever RPC endpoint you use — a local Verus daemon always works. See the Developer Documentation for the full recipe.