UVerify Records Document Fingerprints on Cardano

Cardano’s official X account featured UVerify on November 14, highlighting an existing mainnet application for checking document integrity. UVerify computes a SHA-256 fingerprint locally and records it on Cardano through a signed transaction. Fabian Bormann previously demonstrated the application at Cardano Developer Office Hours in June 2025.

What a Cardano Record Can Establish About a PDF

When a user selects a PDF, UVerify calculates a digital fingerprint from the file’s contents. The same file produces the same fingerprint. Changing a detail such as the amount in a contract produces a different result. The sender can share the PDF by email or through an existing document system while Cardano holds the reference used to check that version.

A recipient can calculate the fingerprint of their copy and compare it with the on-chain record. A match shows that the copy corresponds to the file registered in that transaction. The time of the record establishes that this version existed by the time its fingerprint was recorded.

How UVerify Links a Record to Its Issuer

A document check and an issuer check answer different questions. For a diploma, the fingerprint establishes which version was recorded. To establish who issued the record, a verifier also needs a way to connect the signing wallet to the university.

UVerify documents a certificate called IdentityAuth that links a Cardano wallet to an identifier in KERI, a system for managing cryptographic identities. The wallet can register or revoke that link through a separate on-chain record. Whether UVerify displays the credential as verified through KERI depends on how the deployment is configured.

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Cardano’s App Directory Tracks On-Chain Activity

Cardano’s app directory recorded 1,721 UVerify transactions over 30 days in its October 26 snapshot. UVerify’s own mainnet dashboard separately listed 126 issued certificates, including 87 in its identity category and 33 in its connected goods category. The directory counts transactions over a stated period, while the project dashboard counts certificates by category.

Registering a new fingerprint requires a Cardano wallet to sign the transaction. Someone who already has the file can check an existing record without connecting a wallet or submitting another transaction.