Internet Proof Vault

AI Proof Vault is a simple but powerful proof-of-originality system that allows anyone to verify that an image is truly theirs. A user uploads an image, the backend securely hashes it, stores it on Filecoin to generate a CID, and then maps image hash → CID inside a lightweight SQLite database. This creates a permanent, timestamped fingerprint of the content without ever exposing the raw image publicly. Anyone can verify originality by re-uploading an image: the system re-hashes it, checks for a matching hash in the database, retrieves the stored CID, fetches the content from Filecoin using the Synapse SDK, and compares it. If the content matches, the user gets a cryptographically verifiable proof of authorship. The goal is to combat AI plagiarism, deepfake misuse, and content theft by giving creators, journalists, designers, and researchers a trust-minimal, decentralized method for proving that they produced something first.

The project uses a Node.js + TypeScript backend deployed on Railway, a React frontend on Vercel, and a local SQLite database to maintain a fast mapping from each image hash to its corresponding CID. When a user uploads an image, the server computes a SHA-256 hash, streams the file through the Synapse SDK to Filecoin Warm Storage, and receives a unique CID. This CID is inserted into SQLite as { imageHash → cid } and becomes the anchor for future verification. Verification is simple: upload again → backend re-hashes → lookup → fetch content from Filecoin via Synapse → compare. Because Filecoin storage is decentralized and content-addressed, the CID becomes a tamper-proof reference point for long-term proof of originality. SQLite was chosen intentionally for hackathon speed and simplicity, giving instant queries without operational overhead. A lightweight API layer exposes /generate and /verify, with full CORS support for cross-origin access from Vercel. The architecture intentionally avoids storing raw user images, guaranteeing privacy and minimizing storage cost. Overall, the project combines content hashing, decentralized storage, minimal backend infrastructure, and a clean browser interface to deliver a verifiable proof-of-originality system that anyone can use in seconds.