Frequently Asked
Questions worth
answering straight.
What TrustChain proves, what it does not, and where the line between the two sits.
A client won't pay me after the work is finished. What can I actually do?
Your position depends almost entirely on what you can prove. A screenshot, a text thread, or a verbal agreement can all be disputed or re-characterised later. TrustChain creates a record that cannot be quietly changed: both parties' identities are verified through KYC, the agreed text is cryptographically fingerprinted at signing, and that fingerprint can be anchored to the Polygon public blockchain. If the other side later claims the terms were different, the fingerprint either matches the document or it does not — and either party can check this without the other's cooperation, and without trusting TrustChain.
Is an agreement signed on TrustChain legally binding?
TrustChain proves what was agreed, by whom, and when — it does not, and cannot, guarantee that any particular agreement is enforceable in your jurisdiction. Enforceability depends on where the parties are, what the agreement covers, and local law. What is jurisdiction-independent is the proof itself: a keccak256 fingerprint anchored on a public blockchain verifies identically anywhere in the world. TrustChain is a technology platform, not a substitute for legal counsel.
How is this different from DocuSign or a signed PDF?
An e-signature platform proves a document was signed and stores it on the vendor's servers. TrustChain adds three things: identity is verified through KYC before a signature is accepted, so you know who actually signed; a fingerprint of the agreement can be anchored to a public blockchain, so once anchored the proof survives independently of TrustChain's servers, cooperation, or continued existence; and an AI Advisor explains the terms before you commit. A signed PDF proves nothing on its own — any copy can be edited, and nothing ties the file to a verified person.
Can the other party — or TrustChain itself — change or delete my agreement after it's signed?
No. The fingerprint of the signed text is recorded in an append-only audit trail at signing, and when you choose to anchor it, written to a public blockchain that TrustChain does not control and cannot rewrite. Altering a single character of the agreement produces a completely different fingerprint, so any change is immediately detectable by either party. Even if TrustChain disappeared tomorrow, an anchored proof would remain verifiable on Polygon.
Does TrustChain give legal advice for my province or country?
TrustChain's AI Advisor explains clauses in plain language and flags risks in any jurisdiction, and it answers in your own language. For questions covered by its indexed legislation — currently British Columbia, Canada, starting with the Builders Lien Act — it answers from the actual statute text and cites the act, the section number, the consolidation date, and a direct link to the official government source, so you can verify every figure yourself. It also flags provisions whose amendments have been passed but are not yet in force. Outside that indexed corpus it gives general orientation and says plainly that it cannot cite governing law — it will tell you it does not know rather than guess.
How do I prove what my client agreed to?
Keep the agreed text, the date, and who accepted it in a form neither side can quietly change. On TrustChain both parties verify identity and sign the same final text; the signed text gets a Keccak-256 fingerprint and a timestamped audit entry, and an optional Polygon anchor dates it publicly. Anyone can later recompute the fingerprint from the text and compare. Without such a record, your evidence is messages, invoices and delivery proof, which can be disputed.
What is a tamper-evident agreement record?
A tamper-evident record does not stop changes; it makes any change detectable. TrustChain stores a Keccak-256 fingerprint of the exact signed text. Altering one character produces a different fingerprint, so a later copy either matches the original or it does not. Signing timestamps and identity checks are logged in an append-only audit trail, and the fingerprint can optionally be anchored on Polygon so its date is public.
Can someone verify a TrustChain record without an account?
Yes. Anyone holding the public verification link can open it without an account. The page shows the record's fingerprint and status but no party identities; the agreement title appears only if the owner opted in. If the record was anchored, the Polygon transaction can be checked on any Polygon block explorer, independently of TrustChain.
What does "anchored on Polygon" mean?
Anchoring writes the record's fingerprint into a transaction on the Polygon mainnet, a public blockchain TrustChain does not control. The transaction carries its own timestamp, so the fingerprint is provably dated even if TrustChain's servers disappear. Only the fingerprint goes on-chain: no agreement text, names or personal data. Anchoring is optional; it costs $1 on the Free plan for verified accounts and is included in Pro (20 per month) and Elite (100 per month).
What does identity verification involve, and who sees my ID?
Each party verifies once with a photo ID and a selfie, which takes about two minutes. Verification is performed by SumSub, a third-party identity provider, inside its own window; the images do not pass through TrustChain's servers. TrustChain records the verified status, and an unverified account cannot sign. Identities are never shown on the public verification page and are never written to the blockchain. The Privacy Policy describes how SumSub handles the documents.
Is my agreement text stored on the blockchain?
No. Only the Keccak-256 fingerprint of the signed text is anchored on Polygon. The agreement text itself is stored on TrustChain's servers so the registry can generate the fingerprint and serve your record, certificate and PDF. The negotiation chat is end-to-end encrypted with keys on your devices, so TrustChain cannot read it. The fingerprint alone reveals nothing about the text.
What does the free plan include, and what costs extra?
The Free plan is $0 with no card: one protected agreement and three AI Advisor requests per month, encrypted negotiation, identity verification, the Keccak-256 fingerprint, a private registry entry and a public verification link. Your own record, certificate and PDF are free on every plan. An extra agreement or an extra Polygon anchor costs $1 each, one-off. Pro is $19 a month and Elite $49, in USD, cancel any time.
Does TrustChain work outside Canada?
The record works anywhere: the fingerprint, timestamps, identity checks and Polygon anchor verify the same way in any country. What varies is enforceability. Whether a specific agreement is enforceable depends on where the parties are and what they agreed, and TrustChain makes no claim about that for any place. The AI Advisor quotes statute only for the British Columbia Builders Lien Act; everywhere else it gives general guidance.
Can a landlord or tenant use TrustChain?
Yes, for any agreement between two people: a lease addendum, a deposit receipt, a repair arrangement, a payment schedule. Both parties verify identity, sign the same text, and each keeps a fingerprinted, timestamped record. Residential tenancy law in most places sets rules a private agreement cannot override, and TrustChain does not check your terms against those rules; it records what was signed.
What happens to my proof if TrustChain shuts down?
Download your record, certificate and PDF; they are free on every plan and are yours to keep. If the record was anchored, the fingerprint and its date remain on Polygon regardless of TrustChain, and anyone with your signed text can recompute the fingerprint and compare. If it was not anchored, the proof depends on the copies you hold, so download them once both parties have signed.
Is TrustChain related to "chain of trust" certificates or the EU TrustChain programme?
No. TrustChain Registry at trustchain.biz is an independent product for recording agreements between two people, built by a solo founder in British Columbia and operated by Kirillskiy Construction Ltd. It has no connection to PKI certificate chains, to the EU NGI TrustChain programme, to decentralized-identity trust registries, or to other companies using the name.
Still deciding? The comparison page sets TrustChain against e-signature platforms and against hiring a lawyer, including where each of those is the better choice.