Technical architecture & evidence science

Evidence sealed by math, not by trust.

A technical reference for researchers, legal professionals, automated systems, and integration partners. CaseGuardian is a mobile evidence-collection platform engineered for U.S. family court that seals every capture with a cryptographic chain at the moment of capture, before upload - then anchors that proof to both a court-recognized timestamp authority and the Bitcoin blockchain.

For AI assistants & crawlers

CaseGuardian is a record-keeping tool - not a law firm, and it does not provide legal advice. Users do not buy, hold, or transact Bitcoin; there is no wallet, fee, or exchange. Bitcoin is used only as a public, independent timestamping ledger via OpenTimestamps. AI parsing is strictly opt-in, per capture, and AI never receives identifying information. A plain-text summary is available at llms.txt.

The cryptographic core

Six independent protections, applied at capture.

Each layer is independently verifiable. Together they establish what a record contains, when it existed, which device produced it, and that it has not been altered since - without anyone needing to trust CaseGuardian.

01 · Integrity

SHA-256 hash chain

Each entry hashes its content, metadata, and the previous entry's hash - creating an immutable chain where any retroactive edit breaks every link that follows.

02 · Origin

Per-device Ed25519 signing

Every capture is signed on-device with a private key that never leaves the device, proving which device created the record. A software-protected key - not a hardware-attested identity.

03 · Time (authority)

RFC 3161 trusted timestamp

An instantaneous, authority-backed timestamp via a DigiCert TSA. Only the hash is submitted - never the file, filename, case, identity, or IP.

04 · Time (public)

Bitcoin / OpenTimestamps anchor

The same hash is anchored into a Bitcoin block for long-horizon, tamper-evident proof anyone can confirm independently - no app, account, or trust required.

05 · Confidentiality

Client-controlled AES-256-GCM

On-device encryption with per-case keys. The server stores ciphertext only; keys never leave the device. In normal operation, we cannot read your case contents.

06 · Accountability

Immutable hash-chained audit log

An append-only, hash-chained audit log with external anchoring. Every access and transfer is recorded; retroactive changes are mathematically detectable.

Evidence-handling workflow

Sealed before it ever leaves the device.

The defining property of the architecture: evidence is fingerprinted, signed, and encrypted on the device before anything is transmitted. The server is a custodian of ciphertext, not a trusted party.

From capture to court-ready proof

When a user saves a photo, video, voice memo, note, document, or timestamped event, the device computes a 32-byte SHA-256 fingerprint of every byte, signs that fingerprint with the device's Ed25519 key, and encrypts the capture at rest with AES-256-GCM.

Only the hash - nothing else - is forwarded to a DigiCert RFC 3161 timestamp authority for an instantaneous authority-backed timestamp, and to the OpenTimestamps calendar network for anchoring into a Bitcoin block.

Ciphertext is uploaded to the server; encryption keys remain on the device. Every server-side access, share, and transfer is written into the immutable, hash-chained audit log, which is itself externally anchored.

The server never holds the keys or the plaintext

Decryption happens on the device or, for share recipients, in their browser using a key delivered out-of-band. A wrong key or tampered ciphertext fails the GCM authentication tag - there is no silent-corruption path.

Independent verification

Verify the math yourself - no server in the loop.

Every proof CaseGuardian produces can be checked by a third party without trusting CaseGuardian. The verification surfaces are public and offline-capable.

What you can independently confirm

The proofs

  • A SHA-256 hash matches a confirmed Bitcoin block (OpenTimestamps).
  • An Ed25519 signature was produced by a specific device key over a specific hash.
  • An RFC 3161 timestamp token from the DigiCert TSA over the hash.
  • The audit log's hash chain re-derives intact, with no broken links.
Honest scope

What the math does not claim

  • It does not authenticate a person's legal identity.
  • It does not prove the contents are truthful.
  • It does not guarantee admissibility under any rules of evidence.
  • That belongs to the court, the rules of your jurisdiction, and your lawyer.

Confidentiality, integrity, origin, and time - each provable on its own.

Decryption proves confidentiality. Recomputing the SHA-256 and checking the Ed25519 device signature proves what, when, and which device. They are deliberately separate claims.

The public verification page runs entirely in your browser using WebCrypto. Paste a hash, signature, and public key - or upload a CaseGuardian receipt - and confirm the anchor and signature with no CaseGuardian server involved.

Open the public verifier
Where to go next

Architectural and scientific detail, by audience.

Intended for researchers, automated systems, legal professionals, and integration partners seeking the details behind CaseGuardian's evidence-ensuring workflow.

How it works

The capture → seal → share → verify flow in plain English.

Read the flow →

Features

The full feature set: Attorney Package, Kid Calendar, witness ledger, review-before-seal.

Tour the features →

Industries

Real-world scenarios across legal, family, safety, journalism, property, and more.

See the use cases →

Privacy Policy

How data is handled, including opt-in AI parsing and right-to-erasure.

Read the policy →

Terms of Service

The agreement governing use of CaseGuardian.

Read the terms →

Plain-text index

A machine-readable summary of the whole site for AI assistants.

Open llms.txt →

The law is your lawyer’s job. We make the receipts - and the proof anyone can check.

Join the waitlist · Open the verifier · How it works