Types

"TimeSealing" represents a novel approach to ensuring data integrity, privacy, and security in distributed systems, leveraging the power of blockchain technology. Each database row or document is individually hashed in this method, with the computed hash being stored on the blockchain for later verification. This is known as the "Hashed" variant of TimeSealing.

The Hashed variant of TimeSealing serves as a fundamental approach to preserving the integrity of data transactions. By creating a unique hash for each database row or document, and subsequently storing it on the blockchain, the authenticity of each transaction can be retrospectively validated. This feature is an integral part of any robust data management solution in distributed systems, as it provides an immutable log of data transactions. The hashed variant is typically recommended for its balance between data security and bundle size, particularly when dealing with sufficiently long rows or documents.

However, for data with enhanced privacy requirements, the Salted-Hashed variant of TimeSealing might be preferable. In this approach, an extra key—referred to as a 'salt'—is included in the hashing process. This additional step significantly increases the complexity of the hash, making it nearly impossible for hash tables to decrypt the original data entries. Nevertheless, this method presents a slight complication: to verify that a piece of data and its corresponding hash belong together, the salt must be disclosed. This requirement can potentially make the Salted-Hashed variant less attractive, depending on the specific privacy needs.

For the highest level of transparency and decentralization, the Fully Onchain variant of TimeSealing is available. This method involves uploading complete database entries to the blockchain, which facilitates the sharing of data across different entities. Furthermore, this option provides a mechanism for the creation of blockchain-based non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and layer-2 tokens, similar to ordinary tokens. However, due to the public nature of blockchain, this method is best suited for data that can be freely accessed by the general public, thereby limiting its usage to specific types of transactions.

Finally, the Encrypted variant of TimeSealing takes data security to the next level by encrypting data with a user-specified security key before sealing it on the blockchain. Utilizing the AES256 encryption standard, this method enables data to be fully stored on the blockchain while ensuring that only parties with the correct encryption key can access it. This variant is particularly suitable for scenarios where sensitive data needs to be shared among a specific group of users, providing a high level of security and privacy.

Each of these TimeSealing variants offers unique benefits, allowing users to select the most suitable option based on their specific requirements concerning data integrity, privacy, security, and decentralization. As the use of blockchain technology continues to grow, the need for such robust and flexible data management solutions will only increase. TimeSealing represents an innovative step towards addressing this need.

Summary

Hashed is the most common (and recommended) variant of TimeSealing, ensuring small data bundles while ensuring user privacy. Each database row/document gets individually hashed and the hash stored onchain. Later, the hash can be compared against the actual entries to verify authenticity.

Salted-Hashed is a more secure variant of hashed, where an additional key is added in the hashing process to ensure hash tables won't identify clear text entries. The downside is that it requires revealing the given key to prove that data and hash belong together. As long as rows/documents are sufficiently long, we recommend Hashed over Salted-Hashed, while specifically privacy-relevant data should be Salted-Hashed. Fully Onchain uploads complete database entries to the blockchain to offer decentralized database entries shared between entities. The option even allows to create onchain NFTs (similar to ordinals tokens) and L2 tokens. While this is the most powerful variant of TimeSealing, it is often limited to public entries that are fine to stay on the public blockchain, readable for everyone.

Encrypted variant is a fully onchain TimeSeal encrypted with a user-picked security key. We use an AES256 encryption method to encrypt the data, which allows having data fully onchain and shareable between parties. Those mutual parties can only see the data with shared encryption keys.