HOW THE PROTOCOL WORKS

Autho is open-source, non-custodial registry software. Independent node operators replicate an append-only canonical record, and users sign Bitcoin transactions client-side.

What this is

Autho is a decentralized protocol for tracking ownership of authenticated physical goods. It is designed so the protocol never takes custody of user funds and never holds private keys.

Key properties

Non-custodial

The software does not custody BTC or user private keys. Payments are peer-to-peer on Bitcoin.

Append-only history

The canonical record is forward-only. New events can be added, but history is not rewritten.

Deterministic validation

Given the same record, honest nodes compute the same state. Validation does not depend on a single website.

Voluntary upgrades

Nodes can choose whether to upgrade. Backward-compatible updates are the default approach.

How an ownership update works (high level)

Node roles

Bootstrap / Reference Node

Publishes reference releases and serves bootstrap endpoints. It has no special authority over history.

Operator Nodes

Validate, replicate, and participate in rule enforcement. Operators may be compensated for validation work via protocol-defined fees.

Replica / Observer Nodes

Replicate and verify the canonical record. Observer nodes do not receive protocol-defined fees.

Fees (protocol-defined)

Autho can define a title update fee in sats for certain ownership updates. Fee rules are deterministic and should be disclosed in advance.

Company vs protocol

The protocol is neutral infrastructure. A company may publish tooling, onboarding, and a reference implementation, but the canonical record is maintained by independent node operators.

We publish open-source software for a non-custodial registry. Independent operators choose whether to run it, users sign transactions themselves, and historical records are immutable.