We use the SHA-256 cryptographic algorithm to create a unique hash of your file, which is then recorded on the Sepolia Ethereum blockchain. This process provides a secure and immutable certification of your document's existence at the time of attestation.

SHA-256, short for Secure Hash Algorithm 256-bit, is a cryptographic hash function from the SHA-2 family. It plays a critical role in cryptography and is essential for operating contemporary technologies like blockchain systems. This algorithm produces a unique, fixed-size 256-bit (32-byte) hash, making it a standard for data integrity verification across various digital platforms and applications.

A hash function, such as SHA256, processes an input and generates a fixed-size string of bytes, known as a 'digest'. This digest is uniquely associated with its specific input. Remarkably, altering just a minor detail of the input – such as a single letter or a pixel – results in a significantly different digest, a phenomenon known as the avalanche effect. This characteristic of hashing makes it an invaluable mechanism for confirming the integrity of data, ensuring that any modifications to the original input can be reliably detected.

No, retrieving the original content of a file from its hash is impossible. Hash functions are designed to be one-way, making it infeasible to reverse-engineer the original file from its hash, much like you cannot reconstruct fruits from a smoothie. Our hash algorithm generates a 32-byte output, represented as a 64-character hexadecimal string. This results in 2²⁵⁶ — approximately 1.1579209 × 10⁷⁷ — (115 792 089 237 316 195 423 570 985 008 687 907 853 269 984 665 640 564 039 457 584 007 913 129 639 936) possible hash values, making it virtually impossible to calculate any input that would produce a specific predetermined hash output.

An Attestation Station can certify all digital files, including PDFs, images, videos, and text documents. Our platform ensures that the integrity and ownership of your digital assets are verifiably maintained.

No, only the hash of your document is stored on the blockchain. This ensures your privacy and security while enabling the verification of your document's authenticity and timestamp.

Your file is securely hashed within your browser, ensuring it never leaves your device. We transmit the file's metadata, precisely its hash, to the Ethereum Attestation Service and Sepolia Ethereum Blockchain. This means only the digital fingerprint of your file is shared, preserving the confidentiality of the actual content.

Verifiers can use the Attestation Station to compare the blockchain hash with the current document's hash. If the hashes match, it confirms the document's authenticity and the exact state at attestation.

No, attestations are designed to be immutable to ensure their integrity and reliability. If modifications are needed, the standard procedure involves the issuer revoking the original attestation and issuing a new one to reflect the changes.

Maintaining an unmodified record of each document version that has been attested is paramount. Ensuring you have a securely stored copy of the document as it existed at the moment of attestation is crucial. This practice is essential for future verification of the document's integrity and authenticity. Any alterations made to the document after its attestation can be identified by comparing the current version with the stored initially hashed version.

A Referenced Attestation is a Unique Identifier (UID) of an existing attestation. This feature lets you connect one attestation to another, creating a linked chain of attestations. By referencing a previous attestation’s UID when creating a new one, you establish a direct relationship between them, which can be helpful in tracking a sequence of related attestations or adding context to the current attestation. This linkage enhances the clarity and integrity of the attestation process.

Yes, attestations can be revoked if the issuer selects the revocation option at the time of attestation creation. The Attestation Station supports the functionality to revoke an attestation, which alters its status to "revoked" in the system. However, it's important to note that the attestation is not deleted from the blockchain but remains permanently recorded.

When you make an attestation revocable, you have the option to invalidate or cancel it at a later time. This flexibility allows you to retract the attestation if circumstances change, such as new information emerging that affects the accuracy or relevance of the attested information.

To access the Attestation Station, a digital wallet is required. For a seamless experience, we suggest using MetaMask, a widely recognised and user-friendly option.

Currently, our services are exclusively available on the Sepolia testnet. Sepolia is a Proof-of-Stake (PoS) testnet that offers developers a cost-free environment to deploy and test smart contracts, making it an ideal choice for development and testing purposes.

You can verify your attestations using the Sepolia Ethereum Attestation Service Scanner at https://sepolia.easscan.org. The Sepolia Testnet Etherscan, available at https://sepolia.etherscan.io, is another resource for reviewing your attestations.

Attestation Station is a free service. However, users should be aware that executing attestations involves network gas fees. These fees fluctuate depending on the current network congestion and the attestation's complexity.

You can use resources such as Sepolia faucets to obtain the required gas for transactions. One such faucet is Sepolia PoW Faucet where you can easily acquire the necessary gas for your transactions.

If you find yourself with unwanted ETH, one productive option is to contribute to developing future projects or support ongoing ones. As a developer, I'm always working on new and exciting features that could benefit from additional resources. If you're interested in supporting this development directly, you can send your leftover ETH to the following address: 0x3afE794FD0F5403bBb6d6F1445Dbd3150e65D57a. Your contributions are greatly appreciated and will be utilised to enhance and develop our offerings further.

Unlike traditional services, Attestation Station leverages blockchain technology for digital attestation. This provides higher security, transparency, and efficiency, making it easier to certify and verify documents without needing physical presence or paper-based processes.

Yes, Attestation Station can be used to certify and verify the authenticity of legal documents. However, we recommend consulting with legal professionals regarding accepting digital attestation in your jurisdiction.

If you haven't found the answer to your question in our FAQ, we encourage you to visit our application's "How It Works" section. This tab provides detailed information and guidance that might address your query. For additional support or specific inquiries, please get in touch with us directly by emailing C00292057--at--setu--dot--ie. We're here to help!