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TECHNICAL DOCUMENTATION

Cross-Domain Receipt Graph Architecture

A directed acyclic graph (DAG) linking cryptographic receipts across transactions, content, and operations. ES256 signatures, SHA-256 hashing, blockchain anchoring, and deterministic verification.

Signature Algorithm
ES256 (ECDSA)
Hashing
SHA-256
Graph Structure
DAG

How Receipt Linking Works

1. Receipt Creation

Every event (transaction, content upload, operation) generates a cryptographic receipt:

{
  "id": "rcpt_abc123",
  "type": "transaction",
  "hash": "sha256:f7a8b...",
  "signature": "ES256:9k2l...",
  "timestamp": "2025-10-04T12:00:00Z",
  "data": {
    "amount": 199.00,
    "merchant": "shop.example"
  },
  "parentIds": [],
  "depth": 0
}

2. Graph Linking

Receipts reference parent receipts via parentIds, creating a tamper-evident chain:

{
  "id": "rcpt_xyz789",
  "type": "shipment",
  "hash": "sha256:a3c9d...",
  "signature": "ES256:7h4m...",
  "parentIds": ["rcpt_abc123"],
  "depth": 1,
  "relationType": "fulfillment"
}

Example: E-Commerce Flow

1
Order Receipt
rcpt_order_001
Depth: 0, Parents: []
2
Payment Receipt
rcpt_payment_001
Depth: 1, Parents: [rcpt_order_001]
3
Shipment Receipt
rcpt_ship_001
Depth: 2, Parents: [rcpt_payment_001]
4
Delivery Receipt
rcpt_delivery_001
Depth: 3, Parents: [rcpt_ship_001]
Result: Tamper-evident chain from order → delivery. Any modification breaks the cryptographic signatures.

Cryptographic Specifications

🔐

ES256 Signatures

ECDSA with P-256 curve and SHA-256. Industry standard used by JWT, WebAuthn, and Apple.

// Signature format
ES256:base64(r||s)
// 64 bytes total
🔗

SHA-256 Hashing

Content-addressable receipts. Hash includes all receipt data + parent hashes for Merkle tree properties.

// Hash input
SHA256(data + metadata + parentHashes)
// Output: 32 bytes
⛓️

Blockchain Anchoring

Merkle root of receipt batches anchored to Ethereum mainnet every 24 hours for timestamping.

// Anchor transaction
0x7f9a3b...
// Block: 18,234,567

Offline Verification Example

Node.js / TypeScript
import { createHash } from 'crypto';
import { verify } from 'jsonwebtoken';

// Verify receipt signature (offline, no API call)
function verifyReceipt(receipt: Receipt, publicKey: string): boolean {
  // 1. Recompute hash
  const computedHash = createHash('sha256')
    .update(JSON.stringify({
      id: receipt.id,
      type: receipt.type,
      data: receipt.data,
      parentIds: receipt.parentIds,
      timestamp: receipt.timestamp
    }))
    .digest('hex');

  // 2. Verify hash matches
  if (computedHash !== receipt.hash) {
    return false;
  }

  // 3. Verify ES256 signature
  try {
    verify(receipt.signature, publicKey, {
      algorithms: ['ES256']
    });
    return true;
  } catch {
    return false;
  }
}

// Verify entire graph chain
function verifyReceiptChain(receipts: Receipt[]): boolean {
  const receiptMap = new Map(receipts.map(r => [r.id, r]));

  for (const receipt of receipts) {
    // Verify this receipt
    if (!verifyReceipt(receipt, PUBLIC_KEY)) {
      return false;
    }

    // Verify parent links
    for (const parentId of receipt.parentIds) {
      const parent = receiptMap.get(parentId);
      if (!parent || parent.depth >= receipt.depth) {
        return false; // Invalid DAG structure
      }
    }
  }

  return true;
}

Interactive Receipt Graph Explorer

Explore how receipts link across different domains and industries

✓ CRYPTOGRAPHICALLY VERIFIABLE

Cross-Domain Receipt Graph

Link transactions, content, and operations into one verifiable chain.

💎
High-Ticket Sales
Coaching program with chargeback dispute (DAG demo)
Simulate Pricing Tier (Graph Depth Limit)
Current tier shows up to 10 levels deep
Step 1 of 617% Complete
💳

Client pays $15,000 for coaching program

Transaction processed, receipt generated

Cross-Domain Receipt Graph (DAG)

Click "Next" to start building the Receipt Graph

Watch the DAG structure emerge with branching and merging

Technical Comparison

COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE

How CertNode Compares

The only platform that handles transactions, content, AND operations in one cryptographic graph.

Feature
CertNode
Full Platform
Stripe Radar
Payment Fraud
C2PA
Content Auth
DataDog
Audit Logs
Platform Coverage
Transaction Verification
Content Authenticity
Operational Compliance
Unified Cross-Domain Platform
Cryptographic Security
Tamper-Evident Receipts
Blockchain Anchoring
Public Verifiability
Cross-Domain Cryptographic Links
Fraud Detection
Real-Time Transaction Monitoring
Cross-Merchant Pattern Detection
Network Fraud Defense
AI Content Detection
Compliance & Audit
PCI/SOX/GDPR Mapping
Audit Trail Generation
Compliance Report Export
Court-Admissible Evidence

One Platform vs. Three Separate Tools

❌ Traditional Approach

  • • Stripe Radar: $0.05 per transaction
  • • C2PA integration: Custom development
  • • DataDog logs: $15/host/month
  • • Manual cross-referencing between systems
  • • Siloed data, no unified verification

Estimated cost: $500-2,000/month

✅ CertNode Platform

  • • Transaction + Content + Operations verification
  • • Cryptographically linked across all domains
  • • Automatic compliance reporting
  • • Network fraud defense included
  • • One unified API, one dashboard

Starting at $49/month

The CertNode Advantage: Save time, reduce costs, and get stronger security with unified cross-domain verification

Comparison based on publicly available information as of November 2025. Contact us for detailed competitive analysis specific to your use case.

Why DAG Instead of Linear Blockchain?

✓ DAG Advantages

  • Parallel receipts: Multiple branches can evolve simultaneously (e.g., order + payment + shipment)
  • Cross-domain linking: Receipt from one merchant can reference another merchant's receipts
  • No global ordering: Don't need consensus on sequence, only parentage
  • Efficient verification: Verify sub-graph without loading entire chain

✗ Linear Chain Limitations

  • Sequential only: Can't represent parallel events
  • Single domain: Hard to link across merchants/systems
  • Global state: Requires consensus mechanism
  • Verification overhead: Must process entire chain

Integration Options

🔌

REST API

Simple HTTP endpoints for receipt creation, verification, and graph traversal.

View API Docs →
🔔

Webhooks

Real-time notifications when receipts are created, linked, or verified.

POST /api/webhooks
📦

SDKs

Native libraries for Node.js, Python, Ruby, Go, and PHP.

npm install @certnode/sdk

Ready to Build?

Start creating cryptographic receipts and building tamper-proof audit trails.