Digital Provenance & Immutable Authenticity

Digital Provenance & Immutable Authenticity

Securing the Future of Art through Cryptographic Custody

At Ramos.art, we believe that an artwork’s value is inseparable from its history. To protect our collectors and ensure the lasting legacy of every piece, we have implemented a cutting-edge Digital Chain of Custody system developed by César Ramos (@ESRAC). By merging traditional fine art with advanced cryptography and best audit practices, we ensure that the provenance of your acquisition is documented, unforgeable, and globally verifiable.

Our Authentication Ecosystem

Every artwork is issued with a Digital Certificate of Authenticity (CoA) in PDF format, signed by the artist. Brazilian artists will signed the CoA with the official GOV.BR protocol (the Brazilian government’s highest level of digital identity and signature). The certificate includes the name of the current owner of the artwork, and our database is able to verify the entire chain of successive buyers.

1. The SHA-256 Digital Fingerprint

Each certificate (CoA) is processed through a SHA-256 hashing algorithm. This creates a unique “Digital Fingerprint” called a hash. Even a visually perfect change to the document—such as changing the owner’s name or the date in the PDF—will result in a completely different hash (fingerprint), immediately flagging the document as counterfeit on our verification page.

Legal Security & Anti-Fraud: Our verification system is a critical tool against the trade of illicit goods. Under legal frameworks regarding stolen property (such as Art. 180 of the Brazilian Penal Code), acquiring or handling items known to be products of crime is a serious offense. Therefore, any attempt to validate a forged or tampered certificate will fail our cryptographic check, alerting the buyer that the artwork may be of illicit origin and protecting them from the criminal liability of “Receiving Stolen Goods” (Receptação).

2. Private Blockchain Ledger

Our system functions as a private ledger where every sale is linked to the previous one. The hash of a new certificate is mathematically tethered to the hash of the preceding record. This creates an unbroken chronological chain, proving the path of ownership from the artist’s studio to the current collector.

3. Real-Time Global Verification

Private owners, galleries, and auction houses can visit ramos.art/verify to upload a certificate. Our system will instantly confirm if the document is Authentic, Original, and Current.

The Resale Royalty (Droit de Suite) & Ownership Transfer

The Droit de Suite (Resale Royalty Right) is a legal and ethical standard (Law No. 9.610/98) that grants the artist a 5% participation in the resale price of their work, in accordance with the original purchase contract signed between the artist and the first owner. The CoA includes a mention of this obligation in every resale. In the ramos.art ecosystem, this royalty is the key to maintaining the integrity of the digital chain.

Why the 5% Royalty is vital for the New Owner:

  • Updating the Chain: Only upon the formal registration of the resale and the settlement of the 5% royalty will a new, updated Certificate of Authenticity be issued by the artist to the new owner and registered in our private blockchain.
  • The “Current Status” Validation: If a resale occurs without registration, the old certificate will remain in our system as “Obsolete” and, therefore, subsequent resales may be deemed illegal (as product of a crime). To maintain legal ownership and the full market value of the artwork, the new owner must request a new certificate from the artist that reflects their legitimate ownership in our verified ledger.
  • Active Valorization: This procedure allows the artist to continue monitoring his complete catalog of artworks, preventing illegal resales and ensuring the verification infrastructure remains online for decades to come.

“A work with a verified and unbroken provenance is significantly more valuable in the secondary market than one with an obscure or undocumented history.”

How to Register a Transfer If you are a gallery or a collector reselling an artwork:

  1. Contact us at cesar@ramos.art.br or via our portal.
  2. Upon verification of the transaction and settlement of the Resale Royalty, we will register the new CoA and link in our private provenance blockchain.
  3. A new, government-signed Digital CoA will be issued directly to the new owner.

Art is eternal. Now, its provenance is too.

Author: César Ramos (@ESRAC)