Blockchain-supported, node ID-augmented digital record signature method

A method for authenticating digital records, comprising:

• receiving, in a core system, from each of at least one highest-level subordinate entity a respective, current highest-level combined output value that is formed as digital combinations of successively lower-level combined output values computed in subordinate entities as node values of a tree data structure having lowest level inputs formed as digital transformations of digital input records input by user-level entites;
• computing a current calendar value as a digital combination of the current highest-level combined output values, wherein the current highest-level combined output values encode at least one augmented node value computed in at least one of the subordinate entities as a digital combination of a corresponding one of the lower-level combined output values and a corresponding entity identifier;
• transmitting a signature vector to at least one of the user-level entities, said signature vector being associated with the corresponding digital input record and including recomputation parameters corresponding to sibling values in a recomputation path upward through the tree data structure, including the at least one entity identifier, such that an arbitrary subsequent test digital record is considered provisionally authenticated relative to the corresponding digital input record if, applying the corresponding digital transformation to the test digital record and, using the recomputation parameters the same current calendar value is attained as when it was originally computed with the corresponding digital input record forming the lowest level input;
• submitting a transaction to a blockchain, said transaction encoding at least the current calendar value;
• and
• associating each signature vector with data identifying which transaction in the blockchain it corresponds to, such that the arbitrary subsequent test digital record is considered fully authenticated relative to the corresponding digital input record if it is both provisionally authenticated and also its corresponding transaction is verified within the blockchain.