Certificates & Data Anchoring
Certificates are cryptographically signed, hash-based proofs that anchor digital records to the Circular network without exposing the underlying data. They enable secure, independently verifiable atte
Overview
In Circular, a certificate is a verifiable, immutable object created by hashing a digital asset (such as a document, dataset, or structured file), combining it with metadata, and anchoring the result to the network via a signed, timestamped record. Certificates serve as durable, privacy-preserving attestations for high-integrity processes.
They are designed for use in regulatory and operational settings, where data must remain under organizational control but still be provably unaltered and independently auditable.
Certificate Structure
Each certificate includes:
Field
Description
CertificateID
Deterministically generated unique identifier
IssuerID
Identity of the issuing node or organization
Hash
SHA-256 hash of the original file or payload
Metadata
Optional key-value fields defined at issuance
Timestamp
Logic timestamp assigned at the time of issuance
Signature
Issuer’s digital signature validating the certificate
ChainRef
Identifier for the blockchain where the certificate is anchored
BlockRef
Reference to the block containing the certificate
Certificates are immutable once issued and remain accessible for querying, verification, and auditing.
What Gets Anchored
Circular does not store the original data in the certificate or on the network. Only the cryptographic hash of the content is stored. This ensures:
Data privacy is preserved
Organizations retain full control of their files
No sensitive or proprietary content is exposed
Anchored components include:
Content hash
Optional metadata
Issuer and timestamp
Network-level signature and anchoring reference
Signature and Verification
Every certificate is signed by the issuing node using a secure digital signature scheme. Circular currently supports:
Signature algorithm: EdDSA (Curve25519) or compatible elliptic curve options
Verification method: Deterministic hash-based verification using the issuer’s public key
To verify a certificate, the recipient re-hashes the original data and compares the output to the stored certificate hash. If the values match and the signature is valid, the certificate is considered authentic and unaltered.
Certificate Types
Circular supports different certificate classifications depending on context. Some predefined types include:
Type
Use Case
C_TYPE_DOC
General documents and PDFs
C_TYPE_DATASET
Research or analytical datasets
C_TYPE_MODEL
AI model outputs or configurations
C_TYPE_SIGNATURE
Timestamped digital approvals
C_TYPE_VOUCHER
Time-locked certificates with expiration logic
Each certificate type has an associated schema to ensure consistent formatting and usage.
Use Cases
Healthcare: Certify clinical trial results, lab records, or physician sign-offs
Pharmaceutical: Audit manufacturing batch integrity or protocol versioning
AI/ML: Anchor datasets or model checkpoints for reproducibility
Research & Academia: Timestamp and verify data submissions or publications
Legal & Governance: Prove authorship or attest to non-repudiation without revealing the underlying document
Access & Integration
Certificates can be accessed and managed via:
API:
Endpoints for certificate issuance, lookup, and validation
SDKs:
Available in supported programming languages for integration into internal workflows
Explorer:
Visual interface for inspecting issued certificates and verifying timestamps or issuers
Summary
Certificates are the atomic trust primitive within the Circular infrastructure. They provide a lightweight, secure mechanism for anchoring data without revealing it — enabling institutions to validate information, streamline audits, and protect integrity across collaborative environments.
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