Provenance you can look up,
authentication you can trust
PlugZ Chain is a registry of provenance and authentication records for items verified through PlugZ. It records verification events and chain-of-custody so an item's authentication history can be looked up.
What the registry is
PlugZ Chain is a registry that links each item we verify to the record of how it was reviewed and who has held it over time. When an item passes through PlugZ verification, the outcome of that review and the related chain-of-custody events are written to the registry as records that can later be referenced.
The goal is a durable, lookupable history: instead of relying on a single screenshot or a seller's word, a verification outcome is captured as a record that stays attached to the item's history. The consumer marketplace is the entry point for creating these records today; broader, more distributed infrastructure is the long-term direction described in the roadmap below.
PlugZ Chain records provenance and authentication history. It is not a payment network and does not custody funds. Payments on the marketplace are handled separately through our standard payment processing.
What a provenance record contains
A record describes an authentication or custody event in a structured, minimal way. It references the item without exposing personal data.
Item reference
A non-personal identifier that ties the record to a specific verified item, so its events can be grouped into one history.
Verification outcome
The result of the PlugZ authentication review for that event, indicating whether the item passed the checks performed at that time.
Timestamp
When the event was recorded, so events can be placed in order and the history read chronologically.
Chain-of-custody events
Key handoffs in the item's journey, such as intake for verification or transfer to a buyer, captured as a sequence.
Evidence reference
A cryptographic fingerprint of the supporting evidence rather than the evidence itself, so the record can be checked against the original without storing it on the registry.
Verification method
A short descriptor of how the item was reviewed for that event, providing context for the recorded outcome.
Records are designed to avoid personal data. Detailed evidence, payment information and private communications are kept off the registry; where a record needs to point to evidence, it stores a cryptographic fingerprint rather than the underlying content.
How authentication events are recorded
Each event follows the same path so the resulting history is consistent and tamper-evident.
1. Verify
An item is reviewed through the PlugZ evidence-review process and an outcome is reached for that event.
2. Fingerprint
The supporting evidence is reduced to a cryptographic fingerprint, so the record can later be checked against the original.
3. Append
The event is written to the registry as a new, timestamped record linked to the item's existing history.
4. Look up
The item's recorded history can then be referenced to review its past authentication and custody events.
Records are append-only and protected with cryptographic fingerprints, which makes undetected after-the-fact changes difficult: if stored evidence were altered, its fingerprint would no longer match. We describe these records as tamper-evident rather than offering an absolute guarantee against any possible change.
How it protects buyers
A history, not a snapshot
Buyers can reference an item's recorded authentication and custody events instead of relying on a single claim from a listing.
Continuity across owners
Because events are linked to the item over time, its verification history can travel with it rather than resetting at each sale.
Tamper-evident records
Cryptographic fingerprints make undetected changes to a recorded event difficult to make, so the history is harder to quietly rewrite.
Lookupable record
The recorded history is structured so it can be looked up and read, giving buyers a clearer basis for their own decision.
Relationship to the marketplace
The PlugZ marketplace is where most records are created today. When an item is verified as part of buying or selling on PlugZ, the outcome of that review and the related custody events are written to the registry, so the marketplace and the registry reinforce each other.
The registry records provenance and authentication history; it does not handle money. Payments are processed separately through our standard payment processing, and the registry never custodies funds. For how prices and fees work, see our pricing transparency page.
Roadmap
We aim to be honest about what is recorded today versus what is planned. The items below are directional and may change.
Marketplace-driven records
Recording authentication and custody events for items verified through the PlugZ marketplace, which is the entry point for the registry today.
Broader event coverage
Expanding the range of custody and verification events captured, so an item's history can be richer and more complete over time.
More distributed infrastructure
Moving toward more distributed infrastructure for storing and serving records, reducing reliance on a single operator. This is a longer-term direction, not a shipped product.
Portable, lookupable history
Making an item's recorded history easier to reference and carry across contexts, as a long-term goal rather than a current capability.
Disclaimer
PlugZ Chain records the outcomes of authentication reviews and related chain-of-custody events to help establish an item's provenance. These records are tamper-evident but are not a guarantee of evidence review, condition, pricing, or future resale, and they do not replace your own judgment. A recorded verification reflects the review performed at a point in time with the evidence then available. PlugZ Chain is a provenance and authentication registry, not a payment network or financial product; it does not custody funds, and any references here to distributed infrastructure or the PlugZ token describe direction and utility, not a financial offering. Roadmap items are subject to change.