When online notarization is overkill, blockchain timestamps fill the gap
U.S. courts accept blockchain-anchored timestamps as self-authenticating under FRE 902(13)–(14) with a written certification. For proof-of-existence — IP filings, contract drafts, internal memos — they're faster and cheaper than remote online notarization.
What "notarization" actually does — and what it doesn't
A U.S. notary public attests to two things: (1) the identity of the signer, and (2) the act of signing in the notary's presence. They do not vouch for the truth of the document's contents, nor do they certify when a document was originally created. Online notarization (RON — Remote Online Notarization, now allowed in 40+ states) digitizes the witnessing process but the substantive function is unchanged.
If your goal is to prove that a document existed on a specific date — not who signed it — a notary is doing more than you need, at a cost and pace that doesn't match the work.
When proof-of-existence is the actual need
- Trade secret protection: prove your customer list, formula, or process existed before a former employee's competing business launched.
- Patent priority and prior art: establish a reduction-to-practice date for an invention before filing or before discovery of competing prior art.
- Copyright authorship: prove a manuscript, design, or codebase existed before publication or alleged infringement.
- Contract draft history: timestamp the original draft of a clause to defeat later claims of unilateral modification.
- Internal investigations: HR complaints, whistleblower reports, regulatory findings — when the date matters in litigation, the timestamp is dispositive.
- AI-generated content disputes: prove a piece of writing, code, or design existed before a generative AI tool was capable of producing it.
How blockchain timestamps fit Federal Rule of Evidence 902(13)–(14)
FRE 902(13) makes self-authenticating any record generated by an electronic process or system, accompanied by a written certification of a qualified person in the form prescribed by Rule 902(11). FRE 902(14) does the same for digital data authenticated by hash. Blockchain anchoring fits both: a SHA-256 fingerprint of the document is recorded in a block whose timestamp is established by the consensus of thousands of independent nodes, the inclusion proof is mathematically verifiable, and any party can verify the result against the public chain — without foundational expert testimony at trial.
The Federal Rules of Evidence and parallel state rules increasingly accommodate blockchain-anchored evidence, and federal courts have admitted hash-anchored timestamps as authentication evidence. The ESIGN Act (15 U.S.C. § 7001) and the UETA at the state level reinforce that electronic records cannot be denied legal effect solely because they are electronic.
The cost and convenience comparison
- Online notarization (RON): $25-50 per document. Requires identity verification, scheduled video session, signer present. Mostly designed for contracts that need a witnessed signature, not for date-only proof.
- Traditional notary: $5-15 per document, but you have to physically appear during business hours.
- Bastamp blockchain timestamp: $2.99 per stamp, $0.94 per stamp in the 500-pack. No scheduling, no identity verification, no notary required. Done from any browser in 30 seconds.
How Bastamp works in practice
The SHA-256 hash is computed in your browser — the file itself never leaves your device (privacy by design). Bastamp aggregates the hash into a Merkle tree with other hashes from the same time window, then anchors the Merkle root on Polygon (primary anchor, low gas cost) and on Bitcoin via OpenTimestamps (secondary anchor, long-term integrity).
The output is a tamper-evident PDF certificate containing the document hash, the Merkle proof, the Polygon transaction hash, the Bitcoin block reference, and an explicit statement of the U.S. legal framework (FRE 902(13)–(14), ESIGN Act, UETA). The certificate is independently verifiable against the blockchain forever — even if Bastamp ceases to exist.
Pricing starts at $2.99 per stamp, dropping to $0.94 per stamp in the 500-pack. No subscription, no smart card, no notary appointment. Your first stamp is free.
Legal framework — United States
Admissible under Federal Rule of Evidence 901(b)(9); self-authenticating under FRE 902(13) and 902(14). ESIGN Act and state UETA provide statutory recognition.
FAQ
Is a blockchain timestamp the same as notarization for a U.S. court?
No. A notarized document carries a presumption of regularity (opposing counsel bears the burden of rebutting it). A blockchain timestamp self-authenticated under FRE 902(13)–(14) is admitted with a written certification rather than foundational expert testimony, and carries comparable weight specifically on the date-of-existence question. They serve different purposes: notarization authenticates a signer, blockchain authenticates a date.
Can I backdate a document with blockchain?
No. The timestamp proves only that the document existed at the moment it was hashed — never earlier. This is a fundamental limit of any timestamping mechanism, including notarization, registered mail, and trusted timestamping services.
What if Polygon or Bitcoin shuts down?
Bastamp anchors on both for exactly this reason. Bitcoin has 16 years of uninterrupted operation and over $1 trillion in market cap; the probability of disappearance on legally-relevant timelines is negligible. Polygon is the primary anchor for cost efficiency, Bitcoin the long-term integrity backstop.
Does this work in all 50 states?
The Federal Rules of Evidence apply in federal court, and most state rules track FRE 901 and 902 closely. State-by-state variations exist on parallel issues (RON statutes, qualified electronic signatures), but on the core question of authenticating blockchain-anchored evidence the framework is consistent across the U.S.; where a state has not adopted parallel self-authentication for electronic process records, FRE 901(b)(9) (process/system) remains available with brief foundational testimony.
How long does it take to anchor a document?
Stamping is instant on your end (browser-side SHA-256). Polygon anchoring completes within 10-15 minutes (we batch every quarter-hour). Bitcoin anchoring via OpenTimestamps takes 1-6 hours for inclusion in a block. The final certificate is available after both anchors confirm.
Do I need to use Bastamp for the timestamp to be valid?
No. The verification is independent of Bastamp. Anyone with the certificate can verify the timestamp directly against Polygon and Bitcoin using public block explorers, without contacting Bastamp at all. We provide the convenience layer; the cryptographic proof stands on its own.
Try your first stamp — free
No credit card. The certificate is admissible under the legal framework cited above.