bit-protocol 0.2.0

Decentralized IP Proof of Existence — stamp your ideas on Bitcoin

Bit Protocol

Decentralized IP Proof of Existence on Bitcoin.

Stamp your files, code, and ideas to the Bitcoin blockchain as immutable proof that you had them at a specific point in time. No disclosure. No gatekeepers. No subscription fees.

✅ Verified on Bitcoin Testnet — txid: b98761beaf2b4e8fb60b3fe6ee767f2cb9347fb785f8b57e02328b00cef4ab4c

pip install bit-protocol
bit init
bit stamp my-whitepaper.pdf --utxo=<txid>:<vout>
bit verify my-whitepaper.pdf --txid=<txid>

Why

Problem	Bit Protocol
Patents cost $10K+ and take years	Stamp in seconds for cents in fees
Trade secrets have no legal protection if leaked	Prove possession without disclosure
Bernstein.io costs $54–$329/mo	Open-source, self-host, free
Vendor lock-in	Your keys, your node, your stamps
Centralized registries can be seized or shut down	Bitcoin is permissionless and unstoppable

How It Works

Your file → SHA-256 hash → OP_RETURN payload → Bitcoin tx → Immutable proof
                      ↓
              Local SQLite cache

OP_RETURN Schema

| 3 bytes  | 1 byte  | 1 byte  | 32 bytes   | 4 bytes   | ≤42 bytes |
| Protocol | Version | Type    | SHA-256    | Key FP    | Metadata  |
| "BIT"    | 0x01    | 0x01-04 | File hash  | Key ID    | JSON      |

Total: 41–83 bytes — fits within Bitcoin's original OP_RETURN limit and is forward-compatible with Bitcoin Core v30's 100KB expansion.

Quickstart

1. Install

pip install bit-protocol

2. Generate your identity

bit init

Creates a secp256k1 keypair at ~/.bit/key.pem.

3. Get testnet BTC

Send some tBTC to your address (shown by bit status) from a testnet faucet.

4. Stamp a file

bit stamp myfile.pdf --utxo=<txid>:<vout>

5. Verify

bit verify myfile.pdf --txid=<txid>

6. Check your stats

bit status

Real Example (Testnet)

# Generate key (one-time)
bit init

# Stamp a file
bit stamp whitepaper.pdf --utxo=62256e0bda6e7972...:0

# Output:
# ✓ Stamped to Bitcoin testnet!
#   txid: b98761beaf2b4e8fb60b3fe6ee767f2cb9347fb785f8b57e02328b00cef4ab4c
#   View: https://blockstream.info/testnet/tx/b98761beaf2b4e8fb60b3fe6ee767f2cb9347fb785f8b57e02328b00cef4ab4c

# Verify
bit verify whitepaper.pdf --txid=b98761beaf2b4e8fb60b3fe6ee767f2cb9347fb785f8b57e02328b00cef4ab4c

# Output:
# ✓ MATCH — PROVEN: You possessed this exact file at block time.

Commands

Command	Description
bit init	Generate your identity key
bit status	Show identity, wallet, and stamp count
bit stamp <file>	Stamp a file to Bitcoin
bit verify <file> --txid=<id>	Verify a file against an on-chain stamp
bit search <query>	Search your local stamp database

Options

bit stamp file.pdf --type=source_code     # Tag content type
bit stamp file.pdf --mainnet              # Use Bitcoin mainnet
bit stamp file.pdf --utxo=abc123:0        # Specify UTXO for fees
bit stamp --text "my idea" --utxo=abc:0   # Stamp from text, not file
bit stamp file.pdf --meta='{"v":"1.0"}'   # Attach metadata
bit stamp file.pdf --fee=5000             # Custom fee in satoshis

Public Index (optional)

Share stamps with the network via an optional public index:

docker compose up -d
curl http://localhost:8787/health

# Record a stamp
curl -X POST http://localhost:8787/stamp \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"hash":"abc...","txid":"def...","content_type":"document","key_fingerprint":"abcd1234"}'

# Look up a stamp
curl http://localhost:8787/stamp/abc...

# Search
curl "http://localhost:8787/search?q=abc&field=hash"

Pre-commit Hook (optional)

Auto-stamp files on every commit:

cp scripts/pre-commit.sh .git/hooks/pre-commit
chmod +x .git/hooks/pre-commit

Stamps all staged .md and .pdf files. Edit the hook to change tracked extensions.

Roadmap

• Core protocol schema
• CLI (init, stamp, verify, search)
• Bitcoin testnet broadcast
• Local SQLite database
• Public index API
• Pre-commit git hook
• Live on-chain verification
• PyPI release (pip install bit-protocol)
• GitHub Action for CI stamping
• VS Code extension
• UTXO scanner (auto-select inputs)
• HD key derivation (BIP32/BIP44 for IP families)
• Fractional IP tokenization
• Multi-chain support (Ethereum, Solana)

Development

git clone https://github.com/washingtoneimae-dot/bit.git
cd bit
python3 -m venv venv
source venv/bin/activate
pip install -e ".[dev]"
pytest tests/ -v

Strategy

Bit Protocol is the Linux to Bernstein's Windows — an open-source protocol that any developer can self-host, customize, or contribute to.

	Bernstein	Bit
Model	Closed SaaS	Open Core
Price	$54–$329/mo	Free (self-host)
Keys	Account-based	Self-sovereign
Registry	Centralized	Bitcoin + optional index
Legal	WIPO-recognized	Community-built
Tokenization	None	Planned (fractional IP)

The strategy: free self-host → developer adoption → prior art shield → network of interoperable registries that no single entity controls or can ignore.

License

MIT