3.4 Confirming Data Ownership

To confirm data ownership on the blockchain, one must complete a transaction or data signature using the UTXO defined in this protocol. Blockchain miners and off-chain services like indexes and wallets verify data ownership by examining these signatures. The UTXO system ensures the chronological order of transactions, preventing double spending. Offering the option to use either a data or transaction signature allows for third-party payment of transaction fees. If there is no data signature, the signer of the transaction is considered the data owner.

Steps to confirm data ownership are as follows:

1. If there is a data signature, verify the owner's data signature by extracting and checking it against the owner's public key HASH. If the verification succeeds, ownership is attributed to the public key's holder. A failed verification indicates an unauthorized transaction.
2. If a data signature is absent, the public key used to unlock the transaction designates the owner of the data.