



Independent Submission                                      S. Tomlinson
Internet-Draft                                               Lockb0x LLC
Intended status: Informational                             24 March 2026
Expires: 25 September 2026


  The Lockb0x Protocol: Codex Entries for Verifiable Data Sovereignty
                       draft-tomlinson-lockb0x-01

Abstract

   This document specifies the Lockb0x Protocol, a standards-based
   framework for creating Codex Entries (machine-readable Controllable
   Electronic Records) that bind together storage proofs, blockchain
   anchors, encryption metadata, signatures, and provenance.  The
   protocol enables interoperability across decentralized and cloud
   storage systems while providing auditability and compliance with
   legal frameworks such as UCC Article 12.

Status of This Memo

   This Internet-Draft is submitted in full conformance with the
   provisions of BCP 78 and BCP 79.

   Internet-Drafts are working documents of the Internet Engineering
   Task Force (IETF).  Note that other groups may also distribute
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   Internet-Drafts are draft documents valid for a maximum of six months
   and may be updated, replaced, or obsoleted by other documents at any
   time.  It is inappropriate to use Internet-Drafts as reference
   material or to cite them other than as "work in progress."

   This Internet-Draft will expire on 25 September 2026.

Copyright Notice

   Copyright (c) 2026 IETF Trust and the persons identified as the
   document authors.  All rights reserved.

   This document is subject to BCP 78 and the IETF Trust's Legal
   Provisions Relating to IETF Documents (https://trustee.ietf.org/
   license-info) in effect on the date of publication of this document.
   Please review these documents carefully, as they describe your rights
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Table of Contents

   1.  Introduction  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   2
   2.  Scope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   2
   3.  Terminology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   3
   4.  Requirements Language . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   3
   5.  Data Model  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   4
   6.  Storage Adapters  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   4
   7.  Anchoring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   4
   8.  Verification  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   4
   9.  Certificates  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   4
   10. Codex Entry JSON Schema . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   5
   11. Example Flows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   5
   12. Security Threat Models  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   5
   13. Security Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   5
   14. IANA Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   5
   15. Normative References  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   5
   Appendix A.  Document History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   6
   Appendix B.  Codex Entry JSON Schema  . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   6
   Author's Address  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   8

1.  Introduction

   The Lockb0x Protocol defines a mechanism for verifiable data
   provenance and sovereignty across heterogeneous storage backends and
   blockchains.  This Internet-Draft provides a reference specification.

2.  Scope

   The Lockb0x Protocol defines a verification and provenance layer for
   digital data.  It is *not a storage protocol*; rather, it operates
   with existing storage and blockchain systems to provide integrity,
   custodianship, and auditability.

   Objectives of the protocol include:

   *  *Data Sovereignty*: demonstrating control over how and where data
      is stored.

   *  *Compliance*: enabling a verifiable chain of custody applicable to
      frameworks such as UCC Article 12 in the United States and GDPR in
      the European Union.

   *  *Cross-Organization Trust*: allowing independent parties to verify
      shared data without relying on a central authority.






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   The protocol introduces a *Codex Entry* abstraction that unifies
   storage proofs, cryptographic signatures, identity bindings, and
   blockchain anchors in a consistent, verifiable format.

3.  Terminology

   The key words MUST, MUST NOT, REQUIRED, SHALL, SHALL NOT, SHOULD,
   SHOULD NOT, RECOMMENDED, MAY, and OPTIONAL in this document are to be
   interpreted as described in [RFC2119].

   *  *Codex Entry*: A structured, signed data object that encapsulates
      integrity proofs, storage references, anchors, identity bindings,
      and optional encryption metadata.

   *  *Storage Adapter*: A module that interfaces with an external
      storage system (e.g., IPFS, S3, GCS, Azure, Solid Pod) and
      produces verifiable proofs of storage.

   *  *Anchor*: A blockchain transaction or equivalent immutable record
      that cryptographically attests to the existence of a Codex Entry
      at a specific point in time.

   *  *Verifier*: A tool or process that checks the validity of a Codex
      Entry by verifying signatures, integrity proofs, storage claims,
      and anchors.

   *  *Certificate*: A human- or machine-readable document generated
      from a Codex Entry that provides evidence of integrity,
      custodianship, and anchoring.  Formats MAY include JSON, W3C
      Verifiable Credentials, or X.509.

   *  *Identity Context*: Identifiers bound to a Codex Entry that
      describe the controlling party (individual, entity, or asset) and
      optional hierarchy fields (org, process, artifact).  An additional
      subject field MAY be included to represent an individual, entity,
      or asset referenced by the entry.

   *  *Encryption Metadata*: Information included in a Codex Entry when
      assets are encrypted, specifying algorithm, key identifiers, and
      the last_controlled_by field.

4.  Requirements Language

   The key words "MUST", "MUST NOT", "REQUIRED", "SHALL", "SHALL NOT",
   "SHOULD", "SHOULD NOT", "RECOMMENDED", "NOT RECOMMENDED", "MAY", and
   "OPTIONAL" in this document are to be interpreted as described in BCP
   14 [RFC2119] [RFC8174] when, and only when, they appear in all
   capitals, as shown here.



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5.  Data Model

   The Lockb0x Protocol defines a structured JSON object called a Codex
   Entry.  This is the fundamental unit of the protocol, capturing
   proofs of integrity, storage, identity, and blockchain anchoring.

   The full normative Codex Entry [JSON-Schema] is provided in
   Appendix B.  This section provides only an overview of the object
   structure and its role in the protocol.

   See the specification for required and optional fields, key ownership
   semantics, and revision chains.  UUIDs MUST conform to [RFC9562].

6.  Storage Adapters

   Storage Adapters translate provider-specific metadata into canonical
   proofs (e.g., ni-URIs).  Supported adapters include IPFS, S3, GCS,
   Azure Blob, and Solid Pods.  Each adapter defines:

   *  Protocol identifier (e.g., "ipfs", "s3", "solid")

   *  Method for computing [RFC6920] integrity proof

   *  Required metadata fields (e.g., region, jurisdiction, provider)

7.  Anchoring

   Anchoring links a Codex Entry to an immutable, time-stamped record on
   a blockchain or equivalent ledger.  Anchors MUST be created before
   certificates are issued.  Signatures MAY be applied before or after
   anchoring, but certificates MUST bind both signatures and the anchor.
   Required fields: chain ([CAIP-2]), tx_hash, hash_alg.  Optional:
   token_id (NFT anchor).

8.  Verification

   Verification requires recomputing integrity proofs, validating
   signatures, and confirming anchors.  Verifiers MUST implement
   [RFC8785] JSON canonicalization.  Automated verifiers MAY be smart
   contracts.

9.  Certificates

   Certificates provide human/machine-readable evidence derived from
   Codex Entries.  Formats: JSON, W3C VC, X.509.  Certificates MUST bind
   to anchor transaction IDs, integrity proofs, and signatures.  They
   MAY include expiry or revocation metadata.




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10.  Codex Entry JSON Schema

             { ... see appendix-b-schema.md for full JSON Schema ... }

                   Figure 1: Codex Entry Schema Reference

11.  Example Flows

   End-to-end flows for Codex Entries:

   1.  File -> Codex Entry -> Stellar Anchor -> Verification

   2.  IPFS Example

   3.  S3 Example

   4.  Google Cloud Storage Example

   5.  Solid Pod Example

   6.  Multi-Sig Control Flow

   7.  Revision Chain Flow

   (Full example flows are provided in Appendix A.)

12.  Security Threat Models

   Detailed scenarios include: key compromise, malicious storage
   providers, replay attacks, hash collisions, false jurisdiction
   claims, insider threats, denial-of-service, and post-quantum risks.
   Mitigations include HSMs, multi-sig, canonicalization, crypto-
   agility, and redundant anchors.

13.  Security Considerations

   Security considerations for the Lockb0x Protocol are discussed in
   detail in the "Security Threat Models" section.  Implementers should
   review the threat scenarios and recommended mitigations, including
   the use of HSMs, multi-signature controls, canonicalization, and
   crypto-agility.  Additional risks may arise from improper
   implementation or integration with external systems.

14.  IANA Considerations

   This document makes no request of IANA.

15.  Normative References



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   [RFC2119]  Bradner, S., "Key words for use in RFCs to Indicate
              Requirement Levels", RFC 2119, 1997,
              <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc2119>.

   [RFC8174]  Leiba, B., "Ambiguity of Uppercase vs Lowercase in RFC
              2119 Key Words", RFC 8174, 2017,
              <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc8174>.

   [RFC6920]  IETF, "Named Information (ni) URI Scheme", RFC 6920, 2013,
              <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc6920>.

   [RFC8785]  Jones, M., "JSON Canonicalization Scheme (JCS)", RFC 8785,
              2020, <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc8785>.

   [RFC9562]  Leach, P., "Universally Unique IDentifiers (UUIDs)",
              RFC 9562, 2023, <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc9562>.

   [JSON-Schema]
              JSON Schema, "JSON Schema: A Media Type for Describing
              JSON Documents (Draft 7)", 2018, <https://json-schema.org/
              specification-links.html#draft-7>.

   [CAIP-2]   Chain Agnostic Standards Alliance, "CAIP-2: Blockchain ID
              Specification", 2020,
              <https://github.com/ChainAgnostic/CAIPs/blob/master/CAIPs/
              caip-2.md>.

Appendix A.  Document History

   Version -01: Revives the draft following expiration of version -00.
   No significant technical changes to the protocol were made in this
   version; it was submitted to maintain active status for ongoing
   discussion.

Appendix B.  Codex Entry JSON Schema

   This appendix contains the full JSON Schema for Codex Entries.  This
   schema is normative and defines required and optional fields, their
   types, and constraints.

           {
             "$schema": "http://json-schema.org/draft-07/schema#",
             "title": "Codex Entry",
             "type": "object",
             "properties": {
               "id": { "type": "string", "format": "uuid" },
               "version": { "type": "string" },
               "storage": {



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                 "type": "object",
                 "properties": {
                   "protocol": { "type": "string" },
                   "location": { "type": "string" },
                   "integrity_proof": { "type": "string" },
                   "jurisdiction": { "type": "string" }
                 },
                 "required": ["protocol", "integrity_proof"]
               },
               "encryption": {
                 "type": "object",
                 "properties": {
                   "alg": { "type": "string" },
                   "key_id": { "type": "string" },
                   "last_controlled_by": { "type": "string" }
                 }
               },
               "identity": {
                 "type": "object",
                 "properties": {
                   "org": { "type": "string" },
                   "process": { "type": "string" },
                   "artifact": { "type": "string" },
                   "subject": { "type": "string" }
                 },
                 "required": ["org", "process", "artifact"]
               },
               "anchor": {
                 "type": "object",
                 "properties": {
                   "chain": { "type": "string" },
                   "tx_hash": { "type": "string" },
                   "hash_alg": { "type": "string" }
                 },
                 "required": ["chain", "tx_hash", "hash_alg"]
               },
               "signatures": {
                 "type": "array",
                 "items": {
                   "type": "object",
                   "properties": {
                     "alg": { "type": "string" },
                     "kid": { "type": "string" },
                     "signature": { "type": "string" }
                   },
                   "required": ["alg", "signature"]
                 }
               },



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               "previous_id": { "type": "string", "format": "uuid" }
             },
             "required": [
               "id",
               "version",
               "storage",
               "identity",
               "anchor",
               "signatures"
             ]
           }

                   Figure 2: Codex Entry Full JSON Schema

Author's Address

   Steven Tomlinson
   Lockb0x LLC
   Email: contact@steventomlinson.dev
































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