The Artifact Schema
The standardized format, fields, and structure of proof artifacts. Published openly. Versioned formally. Adopted by certified platforms and recognized by verification authorities.
To establish and maintain a globally recognized standard for independently verifiable execution evidence in logistics — enabling disputes to be resolved on the basis of fact rather than narrative.
Logistics disputes consistently fail to resolve efficiently because the operational evidence required to settle them does not exist in a credible form. When cargo is lost, damaged, or contested, parties typically present screenshots, email chains, and operator-controlled logs — records that are challengeable, reconstructable, and routinely disputed under adversarial scrutiny.
The Evidence Protocol Foundation exists to address this at the infrastructure level: by defining what credible execution evidence looks like, how it is verified, and who may certify it. The Foundation does not produce evidence. It does not operate platforms. It does not adjudicate disputes. It governs the standard that allows others to do all three with confidence.
The EPF's mandate is narrow by design. A foundation that governs too much loses neutrality; a foundation that governs too little loses authority. The four areas below define the scope.
The standardized format, fields, and structure of proof artifacts. Published openly. Versioned formally. Adopted by certified platforms and recognized by verification authorities.
How artifacts are validated by independent third parties. Defined in the public protocol. Reproducible by any party with the published schema and a valid artifact.
Criteria for surveyors, auditors, and arbitration bodies recognized as Verification Authorities. Independent professional standing. Published listing. Revocable on conflict of interest.
The publicly accessible index of artifact fingerprints, accredited verifiers, and certified platforms. Real-time, freely searchable, no fee.
The Foundation's credibility rests on a deliberate separation of functions across independent entities. This separation is the structural mechanism that makes the standard credible to insurers, arbitration bodies, and regulators — none of whom would accept a standard controlled by the parties whose evidence it certifies.
Voting power is distributed across three member chambers so that no category of stakeholder can unilaterally shape the standard. Schema changes require a six-of-nine supermajority — no chamber alone holds enough seats to pass changes.
Cargo insurers, P&I clubs, arbitration bodies, commercial courts, regulators with logistics oversight, and development finance institutions. This chamber's endorsement makes the standard credible to financial and legal markets.
Cargo surveyors, marine loss adjusters, independent logistics auditors, port authorities with inspection mandates, and classification societies. Field-validates that the standard works in live investigations.
Technology platforms certified to produce compliant artifacts. Certification requires independent audit of cryptographic and timestamping architecture. Governs platform certification and ensures the standard is open, not exclusive.
The EPF does not yet exist as a legal entity. Its establishment is an explicit milestone in the easyblox seed round, with the Foundation becoming fully operational by Month 18. The timeline below shows where we are and what comes next.
The Foundation is currently in active outreach to organizations qualifying for Chamber A and Chamber B founding seats, and to development finance institutions considering co-grant participation. Inquiries about observer status, regulatory recognition, and academic partnership are also welcome.
The EPF's first standard is for logistics. The artifact schema, verifier registry, and compliance documentation specific to logistics will live at logistics.evidenceprotocol.org. The list below is an extract — additional industries will be added to the framework over time as the standard matures and demand emerges from new sectors.