Blockchain Data Deposit for Electronic Signing

In the past, in addition to "verifying the authenticity" of the source of electronic data evidence, the judicial system also had to incur certain costs for the secure preservation of data. Even if such evidence is accepted by the court, it cannot be guaranteed that it will not be lost or even tampered with due to cyber attacks or other force majeure factors during preservation. Therefore, by leveraging the characteristics of blockchain technology, electronic data evidence only needs to ensure the authenticity and reliability of its source; after being uploaded to the chain, the judicial system does not need to worry about it being tampered with or lost. This is the practical significance of applying blockchain technology in the judicial system. It is believed that blockchain technology will bring more changes in the future, and whether it is a "subversive and revolutionary" innovation or not, it will promote the development of human civilization.

On September 7, 2018, the Supreme People's Court of China issued the "Provisions on Several Issues Concerning the Trial of Cases by Internet Courts," which recognized the legal effect of blockchain deposit in the burden of proof in Internet-related cases.

Article 11 states: "If the electronic data submitted by a party can prove its authenticity through technical means for evidence collection, preservation, and tamper-proofing such as electronic signature, trusted timestamp, hash value verification, and blockchain, or through authentication by an electronic evidence collection and deposit platform, the Internet court shall confirm it." This is the first time in China that judicial interpretation has legally confirmed evidence preservation methods such as trusted timestamps and blockchain, indicating an important breakthrough in the application of electronic evidence preservation technology at the judicial level.

By connecting with judicial institutions such as notary offices, judicial authentication centers, arbitration commissions, and Internet courts, the Online Electronic Contract Signing System incorporates the entire process of electronic contract document signing, electronic signing process evidence deposit, and electronic signing data transmission into the scope of notarization. If necessary, users can apply for notarial certificates, judicial authentication reports, arbitration awards, etc. with one click online, eliminating the trouble of traditional evidence issuance and proving that the entire electronic signing process is legally recognized.