When a registered user uploads or creates a document, the document is encrypted before it is saved in the InterPlanetary File System (IPFS) encrypted decentralized storage and referenced with a hash number provided by the storage calculated from the contents of the document itself using a one-way function (i.e., document contents cannot be derived from the hash).
Documents are encrypted using AES-256 encryption.
An original document is valid once it is stored in the decentralized storage subsystem (IPFS) and signed by the issuer with a blockchain key. An original document is registered with the blockchain when the hash and signature of the document are added to the document transfer contract on the Ethereum network or subnetworks.