Aqua Protocol v4

Aqua Protocol v4 is the latest version of the protocol, introducing significant improvements in structure, flexibility, and capabilities. This version is currently in beta.

Overview

Aqua Protocol v4 provides a robust framework for creating cryptographically verifiable chains of revisions. Each revision in a chain can represent different types of operations, from storing data to signing, witnessing, and linking to other chains.

Core Concepts

Revisions

A revision is the fundamental unit in Aqua Protocol. There are five types of revisions in v4:

Object Revision - Stores data with an associated template
Template Revision - Defines the schema for object revisions
Signature Revision - Adds cryptographic signatures to verify authenticity
Witness Revision - Provides timestamped proof of existence via blockchain
Link Revision - Creates verifiable connections to other revision chains

Revision Chains

Revisions form chains by referencing previous revisions through cryptographic hashes. The first revision in a chain is called the "genesis revision" and has no previous revision reference.

Methods

Aqua Protocol v4 supports two canonicalization methods:

scalar: Direct JSON canonicalization (default for most use cases)
tree: Merkle tree-based canonicalization for large datasets

Hash Types

Currently, v4 supports:

FIPS_202-SHA3-256: SHA-3 256-bit hashing algorithm

Common Fields

All revision types share these common fields:

Field	Type	Description
`version`	string	Protocol version URL: `https://aqua-protocol.org/docs/v4/schema`
`revision_type`	string/RevisionLink	Type identifier for the revision
`nonce`	string	Random 16-byte hex string (prefixed with `0x`) for uniqueness
`local_timestamp`	number	Unix timestamp when the revision was created
`method`	string	Canonicalization method: `"scalar"` or `"tree"`
`hash_type`	string	Hashing algorithm: `"FIPS_202-SHA3-256"`
`previous_revision`	string	Hash reference to the previous revision (optional for genesis)

Schema Structure

The v4 schema is designed to be:

Extensible: New revision types can be added without breaking existing chains
Verifiable: Every revision can be independently verified through hash computation
Composable: Chains can link to other chains, creating complex data structures
Flexible: Templates allow custom data structures while maintaining validation

Key Improvements from Previous Versions

1. Unified Revision Structure

All revision types follow a consistent structure with common fields, making implementation and validation simpler.

2. Template-Based Validation

Object revisions reference templates via hash, ensuring data conformity to predefined schemas.

3. Multiple Signature Types

Support for RSA, Ethereum (EIP-191), and DID-based signatures provides flexibility for different use cases.

4. Enhanced Witnessing

Improved witness structure with detailed transaction information and merkle proof support.

5. Explicit Linking

Link revisions create verifiable connections between separate revision chains.

Getting Started

To understand the v4 schema in detail, visit the Schema Reference section, where each revision type is documented with examples and field specifications.

Tooling

Aqua RS SDK

The official Rust SDK for Aqua Protocol v4 provides:

Type-safe revision creation and validation
Cryptographic operations (signing, hashing)
Witnessing capabilities (Ethereum, Nostr, TSA)
WASM compilation for web applications

Repository: github.com/inblockio/aqua-rs-sdk

Installation:

Code

bash

1# For Rust projects
2cargo add aqua-rs-sdk
3 
4# For WASM builds
5wasm-pack build --target web --no-default-features --features wasm

CLI Tools

Command-line utilities built on the v4 SDK enable:

Creating and validating revision chains
Signing revisions with various methods
Witnessing to blockchain networks
Verifying complete chains

Use Cases

Aqua Protocol v4 is designed for:

Document Integrity: Verifiable audit trails for documents and data
Supply Chain: Tracking provenance and authenticity
Digital Identity: Self-sovereign identity with verifiable credentials
Notarization: Timestamped proof of existence
Data Provenance: Complete history tracking with cryptographic guarantees
Decentralized Attestations: Peer-to-peer verification without central authorities

Next Steps

Explore the Schema Reference to understand each revision type
Review example revision chains in the SDK repository
Try the CLI tools to create your first revision chain
Read about specific use cases and implementation patterns

For questions or feedback about v4, please visit the Aqua Protocol GitHub repository.

Aqua Protocol v4

Aqua Protocol v4 is the latest version of the protocol, introducing significant improvements in structure, flexibility, and capabilities. This version is currently in beta.

Overview

Core Concepts

Revisions

A revision is the fundamental unit in Aqua Protocol. There are five types of revisions in v4:

Object Revision - Stores data with an associated template
Template Revision - Defines the schema for object revisions
Signature Revision - Adds cryptographic signatures to verify authenticity
Witness Revision - Provides timestamped proof of existence via blockchain
Link Revision - Creates verifiable connections to other revision chains

Revision Chains

Revisions form chains by referencing previous revisions through cryptographic hashes. The first revision in a chain is called the "genesis revision" and has no previous revision reference.

Methods

Aqua Protocol v4 supports two canonicalization methods:

scalar: Direct JSON canonicalization (default for most use cases)
tree: Merkle tree-based canonicalization for large datasets

Hash Types

Currently, v4 supports:

FIPS_202-SHA3-256: SHA-3 256-bit hashing algorithm

Common Fields

All revision types share these common fields:

Field	Type	Description
`version`	string	Protocol version URL: `https://aqua-protocol.org/docs/v4/schema`
`revision_type`	string/RevisionLink	Type identifier for the revision
`nonce`	string	Random 16-byte hex string (prefixed with `0x`) for uniqueness
`local_timestamp`	number	Unix timestamp when the revision was created
`method`	string	Canonicalization method: `"scalar"` or `"tree"`
`hash_type`	string	Hashing algorithm: `"FIPS_202-SHA3-256"`
`previous_revision`	string	Hash reference to the previous revision (optional for genesis)

Schema Structure

The v4 schema is designed to be:

Extensible: New revision types can be added without breaking existing chains
Verifiable: Every revision can be independently verified through hash computation
Composable: Chains can link to other chains, creating complex data structures
Flexible: Templates allow custom data structures while maintaining validation

Key Improvements from Previous Versions

1. Unified Revision Structure

All revision types follow a consistent structure with common fields, making implementation and validation simpler.

2. Template-Based Validation

Object revisions reference templates via hash, ensuring data conformity to predefined schemas.

3. Multiple Signature Types

Support for RSA, Ethereum (EIP-191), and DID-based signatures provides flexibility for different use cases.

4. Enhanced Witnessing

Improved witness structure with detailed transaction information and merkle proof support.

5. Explicit Linking

Link revisions create verifiable connections between separate revision chains.

Getting Started

To understand the v4 schema in detail, visit the Schema Reference section, where each revision type is documented with examples and field specifications.

Tooling

Aqua RS SDK

The official Rust SDK for Aqua Protocol v4 provides:

Type-safe revision creation and validation
Cryptographic operations (signing, hashing)
Witnessing capabilities (Ethereum, Nostr, TSA)
WASM compilation for web applications

Repository: github.com/inblockio/aqua-rs-sdk

Installation:

Code

bash

1# For Rust projects
2cargo add aqua-rs-sdk
3 
4# For WASM builds
5wasm-pack build --target web --no-default-features --features wasm

CLI Tools

Command-line utilities built on the v4 SDK enable:

Creating and validating revision chains
Signing revisions with various methods
Witnessing to blockchain networks
Verifying complete chains

Use Cases

Aqua Protocol v4 is designed for:

Document Integrity: Verifiable audit trails for documents and data
Supply Chain: Tracking provenance and authenticity
Digital Identity: Self-sovereign identity with verifiable credentials
Notarization: Timestamped proof of existence
Data Provenance: Complete history tracking with cryptographic guarantees
Decentralized Attestations: Peer-to-peer verification without central authorities

Next Steps

Explore the Schema Reference to understand each revision type
Review example revision chains in the SDK repository
Try the CLI tools to create your first revision chain
Read about specific use cases and implementation patterns

For questions or feedback about v4, please visit the Aqua Protocol GitHub repository.

Documentation

Version v4 (beta)

Aqua Protocol v4

Overview

Core Concepts

Revisions

Revision Chains

Methods

Hash Types

Common Fields

Schema Structure

Key Improvements from Previous Versions

1. Unified Revision Structure

2. Template-Based Validation

3. Multiple Signature Types

4. Enhanced Witnessing

5. Explicit Linking

Getting Started

Tooling

Aqua RS SDK

CLI Tools

Use Cases

Next Steps

Documentation

Version v4 (beta)

Aqua Protocol v4

Overview

Core Concepts

Revisions

Revision Chains

Methods

Hash Types

Common Fields

Schema Structure

Key Improvements from Previous Versions

1. Unified Revision Structure

2. Template-Based Validation

3. Multiple Signature Types

4. Enhanced Witnessing

5. Explicit Linking

Getting Started

Tooling

Aqua RS SDK

CLI Tools

Use Cases

Next Steps