Smart Contracts

Smart Contract Architecture

Youseddit utilizes a suite of smart contracts to manage the verification, ownership, and licensing of journalistic content while maintaining GDPR compliance through a hybrid on-chain/off-chain approach.

Core Contracts

The smart contract architecture consists of the following primary components:

Evidence Record Contract

The foundation of the YouSeddit platform, this contract manages the cryptographic proofs of email content:

• Records hashes linking quote snippets to their source emails
• Stores IPFS pointers to encrypted off-chain content
• Manages publication authorization status
• Provides verification mechanisms for publishers and readers

License Management Contract

Controls the licensing and monetization of verified content:

• Manages licensing terms and pricing
• Handles royalty distributions to content owners
• Enforces licensing restrictions based on publication status
• Tracks usage and expiration dates

Publisher Registry Contract

Maintains a registry of authorized publishers:

• Verifies publisher identities
• Tracks licensing agreements
• Manages domain authorization for content display
• Handles subscription models for frequent publishers

Technical Design Principles

The YouSeddit smart contract architecture follows these key principles:

1. GDPR Compliance: Sensitive content remains encrypted off-chain, with only cryptographic hashes and metadata stored on-chain

2. Data Minimization: Contracts store only essential verification information and access controls

3. Verification-First: All contracts prioritize immutable verification paths for content authenticity

4. Decentralized Ownership: Content owners maintain control over their data through cryptographic key ownership

5. Interoperability: Contracts implement standard interfaces for broader ecosystem integration

Deployment Strategy

The smart contracts are deployed on Polygon (PoS) for:

• Cost-effective transaction fees
• High throughput
• EVM compatibility
• Robust developer tooling
• Environmental sustainability

Security Measures

All smart contracts undergo:

• Formal verification testing
• Independent security audits
• Rate-limiting protections
• Proxy patterns for upgradability
• Event monitoring for suspicious activity