Lab Name
Short Description
A protocol and reference implementation for Proof-of-Process (PoP) attestation — cryptographic verification that digital actions originated from human cognitive processes rather than synthetic generation, built on the IETF RATS framework.
Scope of Lab
Proof-of-Process provides a decentralized, privacy-preserving mechanism for attesting that digital actions were performed through genuine human cognitive effort. It achieves this through behavioral entropy analysis and hardware-backed evidence collection, without relying on centralized biometric databases or surveillance infrastructure.
The lab encompasses four areas: the core PoP attestation protocol, aligned with the IETF RATS architecture (RFC 9334) and its Attester, Verifier, and Relying Party roles; reference implementations for behavioral evidence capture in text composition environments, including keystroke dynamics, pause patterns, and editing trajectories; Verifier components that evaluate attestation evidence against human-process baselines; and integration patterns for C2PA content credentials and decentralized identity systems compatible with CAWG and DIF specifications.
This work addresses a critical gap in decentralized trust infrastructure. Existing identity and attestation frameworks can verify who performed an action but cannot verify whether a human cognitive process was involved in performing it. As AI-driven automation becomes capable of impersonating human activity across text, code, and media, Proof-of-Process provides Sybil resistance and human-presence verification. The project complements existing LFDT efforts in decentralized identity and verifiable credentials — such as Identus and the broader DIF ecosystem — by adding an “evidence of effort” layer beneath the identity layer.
Initial Committers
- https://github.com/dcondrey
Sponsor
Hart Montgomery (CTO, LFDT) has reviewed the initial proposal, directed the project to formal GitHub submission, and indicated interest in the underlying research.
The Trust Over IP (ToIP) Decentralized Trust Graph Working Group (DTGWG) is pleased to sponsor this work as a Proof of Process credential has significant value in the context of a decentralized trust graph, and can also be a component to a proof of personhood credential. DTGWG co-chair Drummond Reed has reviewed the proposal and recomnmends its inclusion as a LFDT Lab.
Pre-existing repository
The lab will use a new repository. Related prior work is available at https://github.com/WritersLogic/witnessd, which serves as the basis for the reference implementation to be contributed.