DFTS (Decentralized File Timestamping System)

This is a tool I wrote to help timestamp files on the Bitcoin blockchain. Basically, it proves that a file existed at a certain time without needing to trust a central server.

It works on the Bitcoin Testnet right now.

How it works

1. Hashing: It takes your files and calculates their SHA-256 hashes.
2. Merkle Tree: It combines all those hashes into a single "Merkle Root".
3. Anchoring: You take that root and put it into a Bitcoin transaction using OP_RETURN.
4. Verification: Later, you can prove the file hasn't changed and was there when the block was mined.

Setup

Just install it with pip:

pip install .

How to use it

There are a few steps to timestamp your files.

1. Hash your files

First, pick a folder with the files you want to timestamp.

dfts batch my_documents/ --output hashes.json

2. Make the proofs

This creates the Merkle tree and saves the root.

dfts merkle hashes.json

This will print out the Merkle Root. You'll need this for the next step.

3. Send it to Bitcoin

This is where you actually put it on the blockchain. You'll need a wallet like Electrum (Testnet).

dfts anchor <PASTE_MERKLE_ROOT_HERE>

Follow the instructions it prints out. Once you send the transaction, copy the TXID.

4. Finish up

Now tell the tool the TXID so it can save the final proofs.

dfts finalize proofs/ <TXID>

5. Verify

You can check a file later like this:

dfts verify my_documents/contract.pdf proofs/contract.pdf.json

Future ideas (vaguely)

• Automate the wallet part (it's manual right now).
• Maybe support Mainnet properly.

Technical Roadmap (iykyk)

• V1 (Current): CLI, Merkle aggregation, Manual anchoring (Testnet). Done.
• V2: Programmatic anchoring via PSBT.
• V3: OpenTimestamps compatibility and scalable servers.
• V4: Mainnet hardening & P2P proof propagation.