Blockchain Powered Art Authentication

At least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium for automatically authenticating physical artwork by a computer system with scans using blockchain security over a data communication network, the at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing computer executable instructions that, when loaded into computer memory and executed by at least one processor of a computing device, cause the computing device to perform the following steps:

• creating, by a first computing device associated with a first party, a first scan of an original physical artwork owned by the first party, by scanning the original physical artwork according to scan instructions, wherein the scan instructions specify at least one frequency of electromagnetic radiation used to create the first scan, and coordinates representing at least one limited subset of the original physical artwork used to create the first scan;
• encrypting the first scan of the physical artwork created by scanning the physical artwork according to the scan instructions;
• encrypting the scan instructions used to create the first scan;
• storing the encrypted first scan of the physical artwork created by scanning the physical artwork according to the scan instructions, and the encrypted scan instructions used to create the first scan;
• transmitting, by the first computing device to a blockchain server, the encrypted first scan of the physical artwork created by scanning the physical artwork according to the scan instructions, the encrypted scan instructions used to create the first scan, and a request to add an entry to a blockchain, such that the entry added to the blockchain is associated with the first party and comprises a smart contract and the encrypted first scan of the physical artwork created by scanning the physical artwork according to the scan instructions and the encrypted scan instructions used to create the first scan;
• wherein, in response to a subsequent request to authenticate a physical artwork to be verified as being the original physical artwork:
• the added entry to the blockchain is accessed to retrieve the encrypted first scan of physical artwork created by scanning the physical artwork according to scan instructions, and the encrypted scan instructions used to create the first scan;
• the smart contract is automatically executed to automatically decrypt the encrypted first scan of the physical artwork created by scanning the physical artwork according to the scan instructions and the encrypted scan instructions used to create the first scan;
• a second scan is received from a second party, the second scan being created by scanning a physical artwork to be verified according to the scan instructions, using the at least one frequency of electromagnetic radiation specified by the scan instructions, and scanning at least one limited subset of the physical artwork to be verified as indicated by the coordinates specified by the scan instructions, wherein the at least one limited subset of the physical artwork to be verified in the second scan corresponds to the at least one limited subset of the original physical artwork included in the first scan;
• the physical artwork to be verified is verified by determining whether the first scan matches the second scan, to determine whether the physical artwork to be verified is the original physical artwork;
• and
• verification results are output;
• responsive to the verification results confirming that the first scan matches the second scan, transmitting a control signal indicating to proceed, by the first computing device to the blockchain server, such that authentication of ownership of the original physical artwork is transferred from the first party to the second party on the blockchain.

A first computing device for automatically authenticating physical artwork with scans using blockchain security over a data communication network, the first computing device comprising:

• at least one processor;
• a network interface, communicatively coupled to the at least one processor and to the data communication network;
• and
• a memory, communicatively coupled to the at least one processor and storing program code that when executed by the at least one processor causes the first computing device to execute the following steps:
• creating, by the first computing device associated with the first party, a first scan of an original physical artwork owned by the first party, by scanning the original physical artwork according to scan instructions, wherein the scan instructions specify at least one frequency of electromagnetic radiation used to create the first scan, and coordinates representing at least one limited subset of the original physical artwork used to create the first scan;
• encrypting the first scan of the physical artwork created by scanning the physical artwork according to the scan instructions;
• encrypting the scan instructions used to create the first scan;
• storing the encrypted first scan of the physical artwork created by scanning the physical artwork according to the scan instructions, and the encrypted scan instructions used to create the first scan;
• transmitting, by the first computing device to a blockchain server, the encrypted first scan of the physical artwork created by scanning the physical artwork according to the scan instructions, the encrypted scan instructions used to create the first scan, and a request to add an entry to a blockchain, such that the entry added to the blockchain is associated with the first party and comprises a smart contract and the encrypted first scan of the physical artwork created by scanning the physical artwork according to the scan instructions and the encrypted scan instructions used to create the first scan;
• wherein, in response to a subsequent request to authenticate a physical artwork to be verified as being the original physical artwork:
• the added entry to the blockchain is accessed to retrieve the encrypted first scan of physical artwork created by scanning the physical artwork according to scan instructions, and the encrypted scan instructions used to create the first scan;
• the smart contract is automatically executed to automatically decrypt the encrypted first scan of the physical artwork created by scanning the physical artwork according to the scan instructions and the encrypted scan instructions used to create the first scan;
• a second scan is received from a second party, the second scan being created by scanning a physical artwork to be verified according to the scan instructions, using the at least one frequency of electromagnetic radiation specified by the scan instructions, and scanning at least one limited subset of the physical artwork to be verified as indicated by the coordinates specified by the scan instructions, wherein the at least one limited subset of the physical artwork to be verified in the second scan corresponds to the at least one limited subset of the original physical artwork included in the first scan;
• the physical artwork to be verified is verified by determining whether the first scan matches the second scan, to determine whether the physical artwork to be verified is the original physical artwork;
• and
• verification results are output;
• responsive to the verification results confirming that the first scan matches the second scan, transmitting a control signal indicating to proceed, by the first computing device to the blockchain server, such that authentication of ownership of the original physical artwork is transferred from the first party to the second party on the blockchain.