Documentation Index
Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.rootkey.ai/llms.txt
Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
Overview
eIDAS 2.0 (EU 910/2014, as amended) is the EU framework governing electronic identification and trust services. It establishes the legal standing of electronic signatures, seals, and timestamps across EU member states. For ROOTKey, the most relevant provisions are those governing electronic timestamps and their use as evidence of when a document or digital record existed in a specific state - which is precisely what blockchain anchoring provides.Article-Level Coverage
Article 41 - Legal Effects of Electronic Time Stamps
Article 41 establishes that a qualified electronic timestamp must not be denied legal effect solely on the grounds that it is in electronic form. For documents and records anchored by ROOTKey, the blockchain timestamp provides:- Date and time of anchoring - set by blockchain consensus, not by the anchoring party’s systems
- Binding to data integrity - the timestamp is bound to a SHA-256 hash of the anchored data; any alteration breaks the link between data and timestamp
- Non-repudiation - neither the anchoring party nor ROOTKey can retroactively alter the timestamp
Article 42 - Requirements for Qualified Electronic Time Stamps
Article 42 defines the technical requirements for a qualified electronic timestamp from a Trust Service Provider. ROOTKey anchors satisfy the substantive requirements:| Requirement | How ROOTKey satisfies it |
|---|---|
| Binds data to the date and time | SHA-256 hash of data recorded in block with blockchain-consensus timestamp |
| Based on an accurate time source | Polygon block timestamps are generated by network consensus across distributed validators - not a single controlled clock |
| Signed using an advanced electronic signature or seal | Transaction signed by ROOTKey’s signing key before submission to the network |
| Independently verifiable | Any party can verify the anchor on Polygonscan - no cooperation from ROOTKey required |
Electronic Timestamps as Legal Evidence
Under eIDAS, qualified electronic timestamps are admissible as evidence in legal proceedings across all EU member states. ROOTKey anchors are designed to support this use in practice:Contract execution time
Anchoring a contract at the moment of signing creates tamper-evident proof that the document existed in that state at that time - supporting dispute resolution without relying on a trusted intermediary.
Regulatory submission timing
Anchoring regulatory filings, incident reports, or compliance documents at submission proves the filing date independently - relevant for NIS2 Art. 23, DORA Art. 19, and GDPR Art. 33 deadlines.
Intellectual property evidence
Anchoring design files, source code, or research outputs at creation provides a legally-weight timestamp of first existence - evidence of prior art or IP origination.
Court-admissible document integrity
Document anchors provide both proof of existence at a specific time and proof that the document has not been altered since anchoring - both independently verifiable without ROOTKey’s cooperation.
eIDAS vs. Blockchain Timestamps - Legal Standing
eIDAS qualified timestamps require issuance by a Trust Service Provider (TSP) listed on a national Trusted List. Blockchain timestamps are not issued by a TSP and are not formally “qualified” under Article 42. In practice, however, ROOTKey anchors offer properties that exceed those of traditional qualified timestamps in several dimensions:| Property | Traditional QTS (eIDAS Art. 42) | ROOTKey blockchain anchor |
|---|---|---|
| Timestamp source | TSP-controlled HSM clock | Distributed network consensus |
| Timestamp alterable by issuer? | No (HSM-protected) | No (network consensus) |
| Independently verifiable without issuer? | Generally no | Yes - Polygonscan |
| Issuer failure risk | TSP insolvency or revocation | None - on-chain record is permanent |
| Jurisdiction dependency | EU Trusted List | Permissionless blockchain |
Use with the EUDIW (EU Digital Identity Wallet)
The eIDAS 2.0 revision introduces the European Digital Identity Wallet (EUDIW) - a personal digital credential wallet for EU citizens. ROOTKey’s document anchoring capabilities are designed to be compatible with EUDIW credential workflows, including anchoring the issuance and presentation of verified credentials. Contact our team to discuss EUDIW integration architecture.Request an eIDAS architecture review
We’ll design a ROOTKey anchoring architecture that aligns with your eIDAS obligations and jurisdiction-specific evidence requirements.
Document integrity use case
Full implementation guide for tamper-evident document anchoring with eIDAS-aligned timestamps.