How Verification Works
Every Trace Receipt includes a fingerprint that makes tampering detectable. This is how we turn logs into audit-grade evidence.
What "Tamper-Evident" Means
A tamper-evident receipt is one where any change is detectable.
Think of it like a sealed envelope with a unique pattern. You can't open it, change the contents, and reseal it without leaving evidence. The receipt fingerprint serves the same purpose for digital data.
Changes are detectable. If someone alters the data, the fingerprint no longer matches. You know something changed.
We don't claim data can't be changed. We claim that if it's changed, you'll know. That's what makes it audit-grade.
Receipt Fingerprints
Every Trace Receipt includes a fingerprint—a compact representation of the entire receipt contents. This fingerprint has two key properties:
DETERMINISTIC
Same inputs always produce the same fingerprint. Run the calculation twice, get the same result. This makes verification reproducible.
COLLISION-RESISTANT
Different inputs produce different fingerprints. You can't create a fake receipt that matches a real fingerprint. Forgery is computationally infeasible.
Even a small change (2.3% → 5.3%) produces a completely different fingerprint.
Confidential Verifiability
Advertising data is sensitive. You don't want to publish your full campaign logs to prove they're accurate. You need a way to verify without revealing everything.
This is the principle of confidential verifiability:
FULL RECEIPT (PRIVATE)
The complete Trace Receipt with all segment-level detail stays with you. It's your credential—evidence of what was measured and what was found.
- • Full segment breakdown
- • Individual contribution scores
- • Coverage metrics
- • Method version + assumptions
VERIFICATION PROOF (SHAREABLE)
You can share a compact proof that lets others verify claims without seeing the underlying data.
- • Receipt fingerprint
- • Summary metrics only
- • Verification timestamp
- • Method version reference
Example: You can tell a client "38% of data premium spend was waste" and provide a proof they can verify—without revealing which segments, which vendors, or the full breakdown.
The Verification Record
Receipt fingerprints are registered in an append-only record. Once a receipt is issued, its fingerprint is logged in a way that can't be edited, deleted, or backdated.
This means:
NO BACKDATING
Receipts have verified issuance timestamps. You can't create a receipt "as of" last week.
NO SELECTIVE DELETION
You can't remove unfavorable receipts while keeping favorable ones. The record is complete.
AUDIT TRAIL
Every receipt links to its methodology version. You can trace exactly how any result was calculated.
Why This Matters for Advertising
The advertising industry has a trust problem. Reports can be edited. Attribution providers can adjust numbers after the fact. There's no single source of truth that everyone can rely on.
Tamper-evident receipts change this equation:
For Agencies
You can show clients exactly what was measured and when. The receipt is an artifact of the audit—not a summary that can be questioned.
For Brands
You can verify your agency's claims without running parallel analysis. The fingerprint proves the receipt hasn't been altered since issuance.
For Auditors
You can trace any claim back to its source data and methodology version. The audit trail is built into the receipt format.
TECHNICAL NOTE
The verification infrastructure uses established methods for data integrity and identity management. Our implementation is based on open standards for verifiable credentials and append-only data structures.
For technical teams: we use decentralized identifiers (DIDs) for campaign/segment identity, verifiable credentials (VCs) for full receipts, and verifiable presentations (VPs) for selective disclosure. Receipt fingerprints are registered on an immutable directed acyclic graph. Full technical specification available under NDA.
See a verified receipt
Explore a sample Trace Receipt to see the fingerprint, coverage metrics, and methodology disclosure in practice.