How does Arkova verify documents without seeing them?

Arkova uses cryptographic fingerprinting (SHA-256) that runs entirely in your browser. We only store the fingerprint, a one-way mathematical proof, never the document itself. This fingerprint is then anchored to a permanent public record.

Can anyone verify a credential?

Yes. Verification is completely open. Anyone with a verification link or QR code can confirm a document's authenticity and timestamp independently. No account or software required.

What types of documents can I anchor?

Any digital file: PDFs, images, spreadsheets, presentations, contracts, certificates, transcripts. If it has a file, it can be fingerprinted and anchored.

How is this different from DocuSign or other e-signature tools?

E-signature tools prove who signed a document. Arkova proves that a specific document existed at a specific time and has not been altered since. These are complementary. You can anchor a signed document to prove it hasn't changed after signing.

Can I integrate Arkova into my existing systems?

Absolutely. Our Verification API lets you verify credentials programmatically with a single API call. Batch endpoints support up to 100 verifications per request. Webhook notifications provide real-time events.

Your documents never leave your device. That's our foundational privacy guarantee, not just a feature. Fingerprints are anchored to a public, independently verifiable network. Even if our servers were compromised, your documents remain private because we never had them.

How does Arkova work with our existing ATS or background check workflow?

Arkova's Verification API integrates with any system that can make an HTTP call. Your ATS, HRIS, or background screening platform calls our endpoint and receives a structured, verified response. We also support webhooks for real-time status updates and batch endpoints for bulk verification.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. General

What is Arkova?

Arkova is a jurisdiction-aware verification layer. It anchors compliance-aligned metadata to a public ledger. Documents never leave your device.

Is Arkova a blockchain company?

No. Arkova is verification infrastructure that uses a public ledger as an immutable timestamping layer. Users never interact with chain economics.

Do I need to know anything about the anchoring network?

No. Arkova abstracts all chain complexity. You see status updates (PENDING → SECURED). No wallets, no gas fees, no transactions.

What types of credentials can I verify?

13 types: DIPLOMA, CERTIFICATE, LICENSE, BADGE, ATTESTATION, FINANCIAL, LEGAL, INSURANCE, SEC_FILING, PATENT, REGULATION, PUBLICATION, OTHER.

2. Security & Privacy

Does Arkova store my documents?

No. Documents are fingerprinted (SHA-256) entirely in your browser. Only the one-way hash and PII-stripped metadata are sent to the server.

Important

This is Arkova's foundational privacy guarantee. There is no backdoor or "raw mode."

What data does Arkova store?

Fingerprint (SHA-256 hash), credential metadata (issuer, type, dates), anchor status, and anchor transaction references. Never document content.

Is my data encrypted?

All data in transit uses TLS. Database is encrypted at rest via Supabase (managed Postgres). API keys use HMAC-SHA256. Treasury signing keys are in cloud HSMs.

How does Row Level Security work?

Every table has FORCE ROW LEVEL SECURITY. Even if application code has a bug, the database refuses to return rows the user isn't authorized to see. Cross-tenant access is architecturally impossible.

Can Arkova see my documents?

No. The generateFingerprint() function runs only in the browser. It is architecturally prohibited from being imported in server-side code.

3. API & Integration

What are the rate limits?

Anonymous: 100 req/min/IP. API key: 1,000 req/min. Batch: 10 req/min. Enterprise: custom. Headers on every response.

Is the API schema stable?

Yes. The verification response schema is frozen. No field removals or type changes without a v2 prefix and 12-month deprecation notice. Additive nullable fields are allowed.

What SDKs are available?

TypeScript (@arkova/sdk) and Python (arkova). Both support verify, batch verify, anchor, and usage endpoints.

How do webhooks work?

HTTPS-only delivery, HMAC-SHA256 signed, 5 retries with exponential backoff, dead letter queue for failures. See /docs/webhooks.

Can AI agents use Arkova?

Yes. MCP server at edge.arkova.ai/mcp for Claude, GPT, and custom agents. Also available via REST API. See /docs/mcp.

4. Anchoring

How does network anchoring work?

Arkova writes 36 bytes to the anchoring network via OP_RETURN: ARKV prefix (4 bytes) + Merkle root hash (32 bytes). Multiple credentials are batched into a single transaction.

How long does anchoring take?

Batches run every 5 minutes. Network confirmation typically takes 10-60 minutes. Status updates in real-time via the dashboard.

What if network fees spike?

Arkova uses fee estimation and batching to keep costs low. During fee spikes, anchoring is queued and processed when fees normalize. Status is clearly shown as PENDING.

Can I verify without Arkova?

Yes. The anchor transaction is public. Anyone can look up the OP_RETURN data, extract the Merkle root, and verify the hash. Arkova is not required for independent verification.

What happens if Arkova goes down?

Verification proofs are anchored to a public, decentralized ledger. Proofs survive regardless of Arkova's operational status.

5. AI Features

What AI model does Arkova use?

Gemini 2.0 Flash (primary), with Cloudflare Workers AI as fallback. Provider abstraction supports hot-swapping to OpenAI or Anthropic.

Is AI extraction accurate?

Current F1 score: 82.1% across 2,050+ evaluation entries. Best: CLE credentials (94.3%). Worst: LICENSE (59.4%). Human review queue catches low-confidence extractions.

Does AI see my documents?

No. AI operates on PII-stripped metadata only. Documents are processed client-side (PDF.js + Tesseract.js). Only stripped text reaches the server.

Are AI features required?

No. All AI features are optional, gated by feature flags, and have manual fallback. AI failures never block the core verification workflow.

6. Billing & Pricing

Is there a free tier?

Yes. A generous free tier is available to maximize developer adoption. See arkova.ai for current pricing.

How are AI credits counted?

Metadata extraction: 1 credit. Semantic search: 1 credit. Fraud analysis: 5 credits. Embedding generation: 1 credit.

Can I pay per API call?

Yes. x402 micropayments (USDC on Base L2) enable pay-per-call access without a subscription.