How to Use and Verify Blockchain Timestamp

Think of BlockchainSign.io like a digital notary that proves when you created a document. Just like a notary stamps papers to prove they're real, we use blockchain technology to create a permanent, unchangeable record of your file.

Say you write a story or make a design and you want proof that it was yours on a certain date. Your file stays private with you — we never keep it. Instead, we take a "fingerprint" of it (a short code that's unique to your file) and lock that fingerprint into the blockchain — a giant public logbook shared across thousands of computers, so no one can edit or erase it. That record is stamped with the exact date and time. Later, if anyone claims they made it first, you can show your file matches the fingerprint and prove you had it earlier. That's all we do: give your file a tamper-proof timestamp that anyone can check, without ever seeing the file itself.

1. You send us your file - We take your document, image, or any digital file
2. We create a "fingerprint" - We use SHA256 math to create a unique code (called a hash) for your file's information
3. We save it to the blockchain - This fingerprint gets permanently stored on Ethereum blockchain
4. You get a certificate - We give you a certificate file that proves everything

You'll get a certificate file (like cert.yml) that contains:

• Your file's information (email, file details, etc.)
• Blockchain transaction ID - The permanent record number
• Link to view it online - So anyone can check it's real

Step 1: Open the blockchain link

In your certificate, find the line that says tx_url.

For example: https://etherscan.io/tx/0x1833eb71a350493c32b7e828b56308bd16fe117d5a6ab49139a666dad9683f6f

Click this link - it will take you to Etherscan.io (think of it like Google for blockchain transactions).

Step 2: Find the hidden data

On the Etherscan page, you need to find the actual data that was stored:

1. Look for a section called "More Details"
2. Find "Input Data"
3. Click "View as UTF-8" (this makes the computer code readable)

Step 3: Check the fingerprint matches

In the readable data, you'll see a hash (long string of letters and numbers). Compare this with the payload_hash in your certificate - they should match exactly!

You can double-check our work by generating the SHA256 hash yourself using any online SHA256 calculator:

Step 1: Copy your payload data

From your certificate, copy everything under the payload: section. For example:

  Email: [email protected]
  File SHA-256: a0566e5c4d077424a7be39d95d1308488c81b7b49274588bf9f5b2eb13554ac4
  Meta: Example Tech Solutions LLC

Step 2: Remove leading spaces

IMPORTANT: Since the certificate is in YAML format, you need to remove the leading spaces from each line. The text should look like this:

Email: [email protected]
File SHA-256: a0566e5c4d077424a7be39d95d1308488c81b7b49274588bf9f5b2eb13554ac4
Meta: Example Tech Solutions LLC

Step 3: Generate SHA256 hash

1. Go to any online SHA256 generator (like https://emn178.github.io/online-tools/sha256.html)
2. Paste your cleaned payload text
3. Generate the hash
4. Compare it with the payload_hash in your certificate - they should match exactly!

This proves that the data in your certificate is exactly what was timestamped on the blockchain.

• Blockchain is permanent - Once something is on the blockchain, it can never be changed or deleted
• Timestamped - The blockchain shows exactly when we saved your file's fingerprint
• Public verification - Anyone in the world can check Etherscan to verify your certificate is real

If you're having trouble verifying your certificate, contact us at [email protected]

BlockchainSign.io

This service uses Ethereum blockchain and SHA-256 cryptographic hashing for maximum security and permanence.