The vision and influence of Simple Proof
“Instead, they will keep their proofs private, with the capacity to disclose them when necessary to verify documents in the future. This strategy acts as a form of digital insurance,” he added.
“Simple Proof is effective only if our clients desire transparency. If they have no interest in transparency, they will not consider [our service],” he added.
In today’s digital documentation era, how can we be sure that information hasn’t been altered? Rafael (Rafa) Cordón has a solution.
Simple Proof employs Bitcoin Core developer Peter Todd’s OpenTimestamps protocol, which uses hash functions to affix timestamps to information on the unchangeable blockchain.
Toriello oversaw a voting audit of the Guatemalan presidential election, the results of which Simple Proof aided in safeguarding.
“They won’t make their Verification Pages available to the public,” Cordón noted.
Thousands contributed from their devices to verify the vote records against those recorded on the Bitcoin blockchain via Simple Proof, earning sats for their efforts.
“We aim to help them document this effectively, whether by producing a documentary or sending a film crew to provide an opportunity to showcase to the world that they are the pioneers,” Cordón explained.
When discussing his interactions with public officials, Cordón emphasized one particular aspect.
“There are two categories of clients,” Cordón detailed. “The first comprises public officials worried about maintaining data integrity in their organizations, as they risk consequences if information is altered without approval. The second group is technology vendors contracted by governments to create or manage information, sharing similar concerns about being accused of data modification.”
Cordón and his team are currently engaging with various government officials and private companies working with governments interested in adopting Simple Proof.
“We maintain the integrity of public records,” Cordón remarked to Bitcoin Magazine.
In the instance of the Guatemalan presidential election, nearly 200,000 volunteers and observers from various political parties oversaw the voting process to deter fraud, details of which are explored in the documentary Immutable Democracy:
“The meetups are somewhat competing to be the first US county to adopt this,” Cordón noted.
Source: bitcoinmagazine.com
“Digital Witness confirmed that the election results were 99% accurate,” Cordón stated.
Cordón envisions that this method of creating private, verifiable proofs will gain significance not only for governments but also for various institutions and individuals.
“While elections are a vital application, they are merely the first instance. Our focus is on [protecting] public records — the data generated by governments,” he elaborated.
While some speculated that Simple Proof might have helped avert voting fraud in the recent Venezuelan presidential election, Cordón disagreed.
However, it is essential to remember that Simple Proof does not guarantee the authenticity of the data it helps archive on the Bitcoin blockchain. That responsibility still lies with the government or associated body — for example, during an election.
“I would never wish to engage with an undemocratic regime,” he expressed.
Cordón revealed that Simple Proof aims to collaborate with officials from established democracies worldwide.
“For Simple Proof to be effective, the authorities must desire its use,” Cordón explained.
“This was true in Guatemala. The authorities were inclined to use it due to their concerns about being accused of electoral fraud,” he added.
Even with tools like YubiKey, Cordón remains apprehensive.
Earlier this year, Carlos Toriello (Carliño) joined the Simple Proof team.
Simple Proof has secured a second client recently, the identity of which Cordón did not reveal. The client has been commissioned by its government to develop an application for managing public records, according to Cordón.
Cordón also pointed out that government employees must remain vigilant regarding the documentation process and believes that digital signatures could serve a role in verifying documents as they are created.
The future of data integrity and forthcoming challenges
“Initially, we compute the hash of the document, resembling a digital fingerprint. Each document possesses a distinct digital fingerprint comprised of a series of characters.
Bitcoin transactions have room for arbitrary text, known as the OPRETURN function. This is similar to when you write a check; there’s a small line at the bottom right labeled ‘Memo’ where you can jot down any text that reminds you of the check’s purpose. The OPRETURN function serves as a memo area within a Bitcoin transaction.
Toriello crowdsourced a team through StakWork, a chore app allowing participants to earn bitcoin for completing tasks.
“How are we going to substantiate that?” he questioned with a serious demeanor.
Toriello is now working to have Simple Proof maintain the integrity of election results in a county in the US.
Cordón clarified that a hash is not included for each individual document, but rather, the hash in an OP_RETURN represents the “root hash” of a Merkle tree, encompassing multiple document hashes.
“In Venezuela, it’s probable that the election authorities did not seek transparency from the outset,” Cordón asserted.
“We are advising governments to utilize digital signers such as YubiKey at the very least,” Cordón suggested. “Therefore, when someone scans a document, the individual controlling the YubiKey should sign it, thus generating the signature to be included on the blockchain.”
Cordón explains the procedure in simple terms as follows:
Within this ‘Memo’ area, we insert the hash, the digital fingerprint. This hash is then included in the Bitcoin transaction. Once the transaction is public, it is added to a block, ensuring it is stored immutably. Thus, you have this digital fingerprint encapsulated within a Bitcoin block, lasting indefinitely.”
While Cordón takes pride in having developed a tool to combat disinformation, he is conscious that Simple Proof is just one of numerous defenses we will necessitate against it.
“We are deeply concerned about the evolution of AI tools,” Cordón remarked. “It is imperative that we have solutions like Simple Proof to guard against AI-generated misinformation.”
As an incentive, Simple Proof is willing to document the implementation of its technology in the US through a short film, similar to Immutable Democracy.
He has been reaching out to Bitcoin meetup groups in the US, encouraging them to assist their county in implementing Simple Proof in the forthcoming elections.
This mechanism allows OpenTimestamps to validate countless documents with a single OP_RETURN entry. Merkle trees enable efficient verification that a specific piece of data existed within the tree.
“It’s a significant unresolved issue that will become exceedingly crucial over the next decade.”
The company gained significant attention last year when it was utilized to combat fraud in Guatemala’s presidential election. Yet, Simple Proof’s mission extends far beyond that.
To maintain the authenticity of accurate data — particularly governmental records — he founded Simple Proof, a business that protects official information using the Bitcoin blockchain.
“He conducted the audit as a citizen involved in a civil society initiative called Digital Witness, or Fiscal Digital,” Cordón explained. “Digital Witness was examining the documents published by election officials and validating them against Simple Proof to ensure their authenticity.”
“There exists a challenge in verifying who generated the information and whether this digital data originated solely from authentic real-world input or was derived from manipulated input,” Cordón expounded.
