Source Code escrow with Blockchain Protection: Get your Data on the Chain
- Tamper-proof escrow of software source code and digital assets
- Legally compliant escrow agreements
- Maximum data control and security
How our solution works
Secure your digital assets and intellectual property with our innovative dApp, a decentralised legal tech application that combines cutting-edge blockchain technology with an intuitive user interface. Our solution enables you to store and manage source code, IP and digital assets in a legally secure manner - tamper-proof, transparent and traceable at all times.
With the Smart Legal dApp, you can bring your digital assets 'on-chain' and benefit from a unique system that combines technological innovation with legal precision.
Our token-based access control allows you to retain complete sovereignty over your data at all times, while the blockchain acts as a tamper-proof verification infrastructure. With regular updates and a clear view of all stored material, we create maximum security and control - ideal for companies that want to protect both their customers and their intellectual property.
The submission process is roughly divided into five steps:
- Create a legal deposit agreement to secure usage rights and release criteria.
- Upload the source code to the smart legal dApp with automated blockchain hash generation.
- Notarise the hash and record it in the deposit certificate to provide insolvency resistance
- Tokenisation and linking of all documents and source code as an immutable digital entity 'onchain
- Long-term security and auditability through blockchain security and regular updates.
Benefits of our solution
- Tamper-proof storage of software source code and digital assets:
Your software source code is stored in a private, decentralised IPFS-based system. A cryptographic hash is anchored on a public blockchain (Ethereum) as a tamper-proof fingerprint. - Legally compliant drafting of escrow agreements:
Lawyer-drafted, bespoke contracts with defined release criteria to protect your software. Maximum legal security through digital notarisation to avoid bankruptcy assets. - Maximum data control and security:
Your source code remains completely private and protected from unauthorised access by an innovative gated IPFS system and secure data vault.
How does source code deposition work and why is it useful?
Source code escrow (also known as 'software escrow') is where a software vendor has the source code of its product securely deposited with a neutral escrow centre. The purpose of this escrow is to protect its customers (licensees) from possible bankruptcy or non-fulfilment of the contract for other reasons. If the software plays a mission-critical role for an organisation, the cessation of maintenance of the software or the termination of the licence agreement would result in operational disruption and loss of revenue.
Source code escrow, in conjunction with a lawyer-drafted escrow agreement, therefore ensures that the licence holder has access to the source code in the event of the software vendor's insolvency, for example, in order to ensure the continued use and maintenance of the software.
The advantage for software vendors is that they can protect their customers - which contributes to a positive business relationship - without having to disclose the source code and thus their intellectual property. It therefore strikes a fair balance between the interests of both parties, providing security and stability for the software licensee and protecting the licensor's intellectual property rights.
What are the benefits of blockchain-based source code storage?
Blockchain-based source code storage means that the source code is not stored in a centralised, error-prone cloud solution, but on a private IPFS system.
IPFS (InterPlanetary File System) is a protocol-based decentralised storage system that stores files distributed across a network of computers (called nodes). While IPFS is normally a publicly accessible protocol, our approach uses an innovative tokenised IPFS fork that allows private digital assets to be stored securely and accessed only by authorised users.
This architecture ensures that your data is not dependent on a single storage location and is always available. The accompanying use of blockchain technology ensures that your stored source code cannot be altered unnoticed, as any change is recorded on the blockchain using the hash reference. This provides a tamper-proof, transparent and decentralised method of protecting the source code from failure. In detail, this means:
- Fail-safe: The decentralised structure of the IPFS network means there is no central point of failure that could be the target of an attack or technical failure. Distributed storage ensures that data remains available even if individual network nodes are disrupted.
- Protection against tampering: Anchoring a cryptographic hash on the blockchain ensures that any subsequent changes to the source code can be detected immediately. The combination of cryptographic mechanisms and the immutability of the blockchain creates tamper-proof documentation and increases legal certainty.
- Data sovereignty: The source code remains completely under the control of the customer and is not stored on the blockchain itself. The code is securely stored via our tokenised IPFS system and can only be viewed by authorised parties, while the blockchain acts as a publicly accessible verification infrastructure. The combination of private IPFS and blockchain technology allows you to view your stored data as digital originals on the blockchain ('I see the original data you see').
Our Source Code deposition services
Legal and contractual services
- Create customised digital escrow agreements:
By clearly defining escrow and release terms and synchronising them with licence and usage rights, we enable our clients to have legally secure access to source code when contractually defined release criteria are met. - Tokenisation of contracts:
All contracts are tokenised and stored with the source code as a single record. As a result, they remain unalterably linked and can be viewed transparently at any time, providing maximum traceability and protection against tampering.
Technical services for secure storage
- Tokenisation and secure vault:
Source code is secured in a token-based data vault that is accessible only to authorised parties. Tokenisation enables granular control, giving customers full control over what, if any, code areas are visible to third parties. - Decentralised storage on a modified IPFS fork:
The tokenised source code is stored decentrally on a customised IPFS fork, which combines private access controls with the tamper-proof documentation of public blockchains. This ensures maximum security and confidentiality. - Long-term verifiability through hashing on the Ethereum blockchain:
For each version of code, a hash is stored on the Ethereum blockchain, acting as a digital fingerprint and proving the integrity of the code. This means that the original state can be verified at any time.
Maintenance and updating of stored material
- Regular updates and versioning:
Customers can submit annual updates of deposited material, including the latest version of their source code. Two versions are stored by default; older versions can be stored on request. - Secure deletion of obsolete data:
Obsolete versions are deleted in accordance with data protection regulations, unless otherwise instructed. This ensures that only current and relevant versions are stored.
Non-binding initial consultation for your source code deposit
We will be happy to provide you with a no-obligation initial consultation to explain in detail how the deposit process works with our solution.
