Three layers, one signature.
Qaws is not a blockchain toy and not a certificate printer. It is a tamper-evident chain of trust grounded in three independent physical layers, collapsed into one cryptographic countersign at the moment the artist completes a work.
NFC · NTAG 424 DNA
A microchip bonded into the work or under the seal. Each chip produces a unique, rotating cryptographic response when tapped — impossible to clone, destructive if removed.
Applied by the artist
A warm wax seal is pressed on the work by the artist's own hand, keyed with a DNA sequence unique to their studio. The gesture itself becomes part of the authentication — and the DNA can be confirmed years later in a lab.
HD micro-scan
At authentication, the work is scanned at 8× macro. The micro-imperfections of the surface — the grain of the bronze, the stroke of the paint — are encoded into a fingerprint that can be verified from a phone photo.
The artist signs. Qaws countersigns.
- 01
The artist holds a private key.
Ed25519, stored in a dedicated device (tablet or hardware wallet). Nobody else — not even Qaws — can countersign in the artist's name.
- 02
At the moment of making.
The three layers are captured, the wax is applied, the visual fingerprint is locked. The artist then countersigns the record on-device.
- 03
Qaws verifies and publishes.
The signature is verified against the artist's public key, the record is published. The twin goes live. Everyone can see the status; only the holder sees the back of the card.
- 04
Transfers flow through the same chain.
Every resale on Qaws preserves the signature and updates the holder. Every off-platform transfer breaks the chain — the twin reverts to OFF-CHAIN, and the market prices it accordingly.
What the world sees.
Authenticated & up to date.
All three layers verified, signed by the artist, current holder is known to the platform.
Authenticated but drifted.
Originally authenticated, but the last transfer happened off the platform. Can be regularized — fee + retro-royalty.
Not authenticated.
The work has never been signed. Retro-authentication is available if the artist (or estate) inspects physically — 200 to 2000 CHF.
Take your studio back.
Become an authenticator on Qaws. Authentication kit ships within seven days: tablet, NFC chips, wax + DNA, calibrated camera.