Blockchain evidence in court
Courts worldwide are recognizing blockchain timestamps as valid evidence. Understand the legal framework, landmark rulings, and how Bernstein certificates are built for admissibility.
What is blockchain evidence?
Blockchain evidence is a cryptographic proof that a specific digital file existed in a specific form at a specific point in time. By anchoring a file's unique fingerprint (hash) to an immutable public ledger, anyone can independently verify that the document has not been altered since certification.
Unlike traditional notarization or copyright registration, blockchain certification is instant, affordable, and globally verifiable. The evidence does not depend on any single institution — it is anchored to decentralized infrastructure that persists independently of any company or government.
For intellectual property disputes, this means you can prove prior art, establish authorship dates, document trade secrets, and demonstrate the evolution of creative work — all with mathematical certainty.
How courts evaluate blockchain evidence
Judges assess blockchain certificates using the same framework applied to any digital evidence, with three key considerations.
Authenticity & integrity
Courts verify that the blockchain record has not been tampered with. The cryptographic hash function and distributed consensus mechanism provide mathematical proof of integrity — far stronger than traditional document authentication.
Reliability of the system
Judges assess the blockchain platform's track record, governance, and security. Public blockchains like Bitcoin, with over 15 years of unbroken operation and thousands of nodes, satisfy reliability requirements more convincingly than private databases.
Link to the dispute
The certificate must be connected to the matter at hand. Bernstein certificates include the file hash, timestamp, and owner identity — establishing a clear chain linking the digital evidence to the party asserting their rights.
Legal recognition by jurisdiction
Blockchain evidence is gaining formal legal status across major economies. Here is the current landscape.
China
In June 2018, the Hangzhou Internet Court became the first court globally to accept blockchain-stored evidence. The Supreme People's Court formalized this in September 2018, authorizing all Internet Courts to accept blockchain-authenticated evidence. Three dedicated judicial blockchain platforms now operate in Hangzhou, Beijing, and Guangzhou.
European Union (eIDAS)
The EU eIDAS Regulation (No. 910/2014) establishes that electronic timestamps cannot be denied legal admissibility solely for being in electronic form. Qualified electronic timestamps enjoy a legal presumption of accuracy across all 27 EU member states. The eIDAS 2.0 update (2024) further integrates blockchain-based electronic ledgers.
United States
Federal Rules of Evidence 902(13) and 902(14), amended in 2017, allow self-authentication of electronic records — aligning with blockchain's cryptographic properties. Vermont (2016), Arizona, Illinois, and Delaware have enacted blockchain-specific legislation. In 2024, the Bitcoin Fog case set precedent for blockchain analytics as admissible evidence.
Italy
Law No. 12/2019 (Article 8-ter) explicitly grants blockchain timestamps the same legal effect as electronic timestamps under eIDAS. Italy was among the first countries to create a comprehensive legal framework for distributed ledger technologies applicable across all sectors.
France
In March 2025, the Tribunal Judiciaire de Marseille recognized blockchain timestamping as valid proof of copyright anteriority in a fashion design dispute — a European first. The court relied on blockchain records over traditional bailiff certification dates.
Germany & UK
German courts have confirmed crypto assets as attachable property rights (Berlin Court of Appeal, 2023). UK's Property (Digital Assets) Bill (2024) establishes digital assets as personal property. Both jurisdictions apply existing electronic evidence frameworks with growing blockchain-specific case law.
Triple-layer evidence anchoring
Bernstein is the only platform that simultaneously anchors your evidence on three independent trust platforms — creating the strongest possible proof.
Bitcoin blockchain
Your file's cryptographic hash is permanently recorded on the Bitcoin blockchain — the most secure, decentralized, and time-tested public ledger in existence. Over 15 years of unbroken operation across thousands of independent nodes worldwide.
EU Qualified Timestamp
Bernstein uses an EU Qualified Trust Service Provider under the eIDAS Regulation. These timestamps carry a legal presumption of accuracy across all 27 EU member states — the highest level of legal recognition for electronic timestamps in Europe.
China Timestamp Authority
A parallel timestamp is issued by a Chinese national timestamping authority, providing additional legal standing in the world's second-largest economy and its specialized Internet Court system.
Landmark court cases
Real rulings where blockchain evidence played a decisive role.
Hangzhou Internet Court (2018)
First court globally to validate blockchain as evidence storage. In a copyright infringement case, the court accepted Bitcoin-timestamped data as valid proof of existence, establishing the precedent that launched judicial blockchain adoption worldwide.
June 2018 — China
Italy Law 12/2019
Italy enacted Article 8-ter, granting blockchain timestamps the same legal effect as electronic timestamps under EU law. One of the first national laws to provide comprehensive legal recognition for distributed ledger technologies.
February 2019 — Italy
United States v. Sterlingov (2024)
The U.S. District Court for D.C. ruled that blockchain analytics (Chainalysis) meet evidentiary reliability standards under the Daubert framework. The court applied forensic evidence standards to blockchain records, strengthening the precedent for blockchain-based proof.
March 2024 — United States
Tribunal de Marseille (2025)
In a fashion design copyright dispute, the court recognized blockchain timestamping as valid proof of anteriority — a European first. The judges relied on blockchain records rather than traditional bailiff certification, signaling a shift toward digital evidence standards.
March 2025 — France
Why Bernstein evidence stands apart
Built specifically for legal admissibility, not just timestamping.
Presenting blockchain evidence in court
Practical guidance for attorneys and IP professionals.
Prepare clear explanations
Most judges are not blockchain experts. Use analogies: explain hashing as a digital fingerprint and the blockchain as a global, tamper-proof logbook. Bernstein certificates include human-readable summaries designed for this purpose.
Use a public, proven blockchain
Courts favor evidence anchored to well-established public blockchains. Bitcoin's 15+ years of unbroken operation and decentralized consensus provide the strongest foundation for reliability arguments.
Supplement with corroborating evidence
While blockchain proves existence and integrity, combine it with metadata, witness testimony, or internal records to establish the complete narrative of ownership and creation context.