The Authentia Key
Not a certificate.
A permanent key
A paper document is a twelfth-century instrument. The Authentia Key is a system that endures alongside the work itself.
What the Authentia Key contains
- Complete Technical Sheet
- Title, year, technique, dimensions, signature, condition report.
- Archival Images
- Front view, reverse detail and signature, any historical photographs. High resolution for future due diligence.
- Qualified Electronic Signature: in development
- With a qualified timestamp, applied by the author with an external provider. Planned, not yet active.
- SHA-256 Fingerprint
- Cryptographic fingerprint of the document, recorded at issue and no longer modifiable. Anchoring to a public distributed ledger: in development.
- NFC Identifier
- Unique ID of the chip physically applied to the work or frame, with AES cryptographic verification using dynamic keys (NTAG 424 DNA).
- Provenance History
- Registry of ownership transactions, updatable over time. The collector who purchases becomes the new custodian of the documents.
Declaration of Service Nature
This document attests exclusively that the signatory has declared, under their own responsibility… Authentia Arte S.r.l. does not verify that declaration and expresses no judgment on the attribution, value, or artistic quality of the work. The service is exclusively documentary and technological in nature.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How long does the certificate last?
- It does not expire. The document's SHA-256 fingerprint stays in the registry and cannot be modified: anyone holding the PDF can recompute and compare it, today and in twenty years. The qualified electronic signature with Long-Term Validation (LTV) is in development: when it exists, the author will apply it with a qualified provider.
- Can the NFC chip be removed or cloned?
- The NTAG 424 DNA chip uses AES-128 encryption with dynamic keys: every reading produces a different signature, and without the key — which never leaves our systems — no valid signature can be produced. A link that has already been used does not work a second time. The chip is still a physical object, though: detaching it is possible, which is one reason the photographs of the work are part of the certificate.
- How does verification work?
- Hold the Authentia Key close to your smartphone. Within 5 seconds your browser will open the verified digital certificate. No app required.
- What happens if the work changes owner?
- The seller transfers the certificate access rights to the new owner. The chain of custody is updated in the cryptographic registry with a certified date.
- Does this document attest to the authorship of the work?
- No. This document attests exclusively that the signatory has declared, under their own responsibility…