Aqua Protocol Version 3

Welcome to Aqua: A Cryptographic Trust Protocol for Decentralized Data Integrity

The Aqua Protocol is a foundational framework for building distributed trust networks. By leveraging hash-chains, cryptographic signatures, and Ethereum-based timestamping, Aqua enables scalable, trustless verification of data integrity and provenance without reliance on centralized authorities. It empowers developers and innovators to create applications that certify, attest, and secure data in an open, private and decentralized way.

What Aqua Enables

Aqua serves as a versatile building block for a wide range of applications, including:

• Data Accountability: Track and verify the origin and history of data (data accounting).
• Access Control: Enforce secure, automated access policies.
• Identity Claims and Attestations: Certify identities and assertions without intermediaries.
• Notarization and Beyond: Provide undeniable proof of data existence and authenticity.

What’s Been Built (Prototypes)

The potential of Aqua is being explored through practical implementations:

• Federated Wiki Infrastructure: A notarized wiki system with built-in trust (PKC, https://github.com/inblockio/aqua-pkc, Protocol v1.2).
• Chrome Extension for Verification: A tool for name resolution and AquaTree validation (Aqua Verifier, https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/aqua-verifier/gadnjidhhadchnegnpadkibmjlgihiaj, Protocol v1.2).
• Firewall-Like Systems: Automated access control enforcement integrated with Aqua ("Guardian," Protocol v1.2).
• Document Signing Service: A platform for signing and verifying files ("Aquafier," https://aquafier.inblock.io, transitioning from v1.2 to v3).
• Decentralized Identity Solution: A new approach to identity management (Aqua Identity, https://github.com/inblockio/aqua-identity). Please request a demo with us via demo@inblock.io.

The Vision of Aqua

Aqua is still evolving, and we’re discovering the full scope of this powerful protocol. Here’s how we see it:

• An Open Framework: Enabling private, decentralized solutions for general data notarization.
• A Verifiable Data Structure: Linking and certifying data with cryptographic precision.
• A Protocol for Provenance: Ensuring clear attribution and integrity of data origins.
• A Foundation for Trust: Powering distributed networks where trust is built-in, not assumed.

How It Works

At its core, Aqua creates portable hash-chains—called AquaTrees—that record a gapless history of data revisions. These trees can be timestamped on Ethereum for immutability, exchanged across services, and verified automatically. Whether securing documents, systems, or identities, Aqua liberates the certification process from institutional gatekeepers, making trust accessible through open cryptographic standards.

We’re excited to see where this journey takes us—and invite you to explore, build, and contribute to the future of decentralized trust with Aqua Protocol Version 3.