Timestamping and Time Tokenization

Description

Blockchain enabled Tokenization opens up new ways to deal with “time” – arguable our most precious commodity. Time Tokenization starts with a timestamp as a mark of the moment, in which a given event occurred, ensuring that certain data existed at that time (PoE or “Proof of Existence”). Timestamps are fundamental in blockchains’ designs, making it impossible to repeat a block in the future and prevent double-spending.

Timestamps have many uses – Timestamps enable the identification of when data was edited, allowing the identification of data breaches and alterations. Timestamp tokens stored in a tamper-proof ledger without the need to rely on a centralised timestamping authority can also allow spotting alterations in news articles, which can aid in the fight against fake news even in contexts of low trust. This is done through tracking versioning because, as the unique hash changes when content is changed, a reader can see when, how and by whom a document version was changed. For instance, LKS claimed to launch one such solution.

This has implications for copyright disputes, as the original work can be found in the blockchain and even for search engine optimisation (SEO) since “timestamping is considered structured data, which helps search engines rank a website.”

Benefits & Outcomes
  • Allows creators to have/give access to any type of digital content on any platform, keeping copyrights safe and defining the authorship of the work
  • Tracks usage of the content online
  • Can be further expanded for royalty payments
Links
Further Info

“Italian blockchain firm LKS created a non-fungible token (NFT)-based system that allegedly can prevent the spread of fake news.

According to an announcement sent to Cointelegraph on April 14 — other than countering fake news — LKS’s system also protects the copyright of digital content.

An LKS spokesman confirmed that the system creates an NFT which contains the identity of the publisher, publishing time and a link to the original source. The token confirms the identity of the author (which is established through Know Your Customer procedures during the registration needed to use the system), while the transaction timestamp proves publishing time.

Articles are processed by a non-reversible mathematical function which creates an alphanumeric string — a hash — which is then saved on-chain. If a single character of the article is edited, the hash changes and the hash saved on the blockchain can prove that the article changed. When a publisher edits an article, he releases a new NFT with an updated hash linked to the older one.”

Status

Checking on the Blockchain Explorer there is still some activity – https://www.lkschain.io/blockchain.html, but the CBRC team are unable to verify the actual existence of this project actually being uses

Researched by Antony November 2021

© Antony Welfare 2024

CBRC