What distinguishes ProperTrust
E-signature tools prove that someone clicked. ProperTrust proves what was agreed, that each party read it, when it happened, and lets anyone check it from the paper, forever, without asking us.
Paper and record prove each other
Every document carries a QR code and a verification code. The paper points to the record; the record identifies the binding wording by its hash. Neither can be forged without the other noticing.
Read, not just signed
Signers acknowledge every clause individually; each acknowledgement is timestamped and becomes part of the anchored bundle. "I never saw that clause" stops being an argument.
Content stays with you
Documents are encrypted with their own key in your vault. Only hashes leave it. A verification page shows existence and status; the wording opens only for parties or with the PIN you set.
Identity you can see
Email, card, government ID and completed business are visible as badges. Counterparties know what a signer proved before they rely on a signature.
A bridge to notaries
A Swiss notary can confirm the record and the recorded signature times from a day register, with an honest scope: existence and time, not the validity of the deal.
Open proofs
Timestamp proofs are standard OpenTimestamps files. They verify against the Bitcoin blockchain with any client, even if ProperTrust disappears tomorrow.
Why Bitcoin
A proof is only as strong as the thing it is anchored to. We anchor in Bitcoin because it is the one ledger with no company, foundation or government that can rewrite it, the longest uninterrupted record of any blockchain, and the most expensive one to attack. For a timestamp that has to hold up in ten or thirty years, those three properties matter more than speed or features.
- Neutral: nobody issues it, nobody can pause it, nobody can be ordered to change it.
- Durable: running since 2009 without a reset; every block since then is public and replicated worldwide.
- Independent verification: a proof file plus any Bitcoin node is enough; no ProperTrust server, no account, no token.
- Efficient: OpenTimestamps aggregates thousands of hashes into one transaction, so anchoring costs nothing per document and holds no personal data on-chain.
- Honest scope: Bitcoin proves that a hash existed at a time. Who signed and what was agreed is proved by the ProperTrust bundle, the identity levels and, where needed, a notary.
How a proof is built
- The document is hashed with SHA-256. The hash, never the content, is submitted to independent OpenTimestamps calendars.
- The calendars merge it into a Merkle tree and commit the root into a Bitcoin block, usually within hours.
- ProperTrust stores the proof file and shows the block height on the proof page. Anyone can download the .ots file and verify it independently.
- When all parties have signed, the signature bundle is hashed and anchored the same way, and every party receives an edition.
And other blockchains?
Bitcoin is the anchor of record. For editions, attestations and wallets we will add an Ethereum-compatible network, where tokens and smart contracts live. Both will coexist: Bitcoin for the proof that must last, a programmable chain for the things you hold and transfer. See what is coming.