Methods, systems, and devices for managing digital assets

1 . A method of managing a digital asset, the digital asset having a private key and a corresponding public key, the method comprising:

forming a first payload, the first payload including:

the public key of the digital asset or a corresponding public address for the public key of the digital asset; and

performing a proof of ownership setup process for an owner of the digital asset, the proof of ownership setup process including:

generating a proof of ownership hash, the proof of ownership hash generated by hashing at least the first payload; and

signing, using the private key of the digital asset, the proof of ownership hash to arrive at a signed proof of ownership hash.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first payload further includes an owner identifier, the owner identifier being a unique identifier for use in identifying the owner of the digital asset.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein one or more of the following apply:

the owner identifier includes a legal entity identifier (LEI); and/or

the owner identifier includes a legal name of the owner of the digital asset.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first payload further includes one or more of the following:

a date and/or time stamp;

when the first payload includes the public address, an identification of a format of the public address;

an identification of a hashing algorithm used to generate the proof of ownership hash; and/or

an identification of a signature algorithm used to sign the proof of ownership hash.

5 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising performing, after performing the proof of ownership setup process, a proof of ownership verification process, the proof of ownership verification process for determining whether an entity is an owner of the digital asset, the proof of ownership verification process comprising:

obtaining the public key of the digital asset;

obtaining the signed proof of ownership hash;

identifying an entity identifier for the entity, the entity identifier being a unique identifier for use in identifying the entity;

generating an entity hash, the entity hash generated by hashing at least:

the public key of the digital asset or a corresponding public address for the public key of the digital asset; and

the entity identifier;

deriving the proof of ownership hash from the signed proof of ownership hash, the deriving including decrypting, using the public key of the digital asset, the signed proof of ownership hash;

comparing the generated entity hash to the derived proof of ownership hash; and

responsive to a determination that the entity hash matches the proof of ownership hash, returning a confirmation that the entity is the owner of the digital asset.

6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein prior to generating the entity hash:

identifying a hashing algorithm used to generate the proof of ownership hash; and

using the identified hashing algorithm to generate the entity hash.

7 . A method of managing a digital asset, the digital asset having a private key and a corresponding public key, the method comprising:

identifying a first payload, the first payload including:

the public key of the digital asset or a corresponding public address for the public key of the digital asset;

identifying a second payload, the second payload including:

a public key of an authorized custodian of the digital asset or a corresponding public address for the public key of the authorized custodian of the digital asset; and/or

a custodian identifier, the custodian identifier being a unique identifier for use in identifying the authorized custodian of the digital asset;

identifying a proof of ownership hash for the digital asset and/or a signed proof of ownership hash for the digital asset;

performing a proof of management setup process for the custodian of the digital asset, the proof of management setup process including:

generating a proof of management hash, the proof of management hash generated by hashing at least one or more of the following:

the first payload;

the second payload;

the proof of ownership hash; and/or

the signed proof of ownership hash; and

signing, by the authorized custodian of the digital asset, the proof of management hash to arrive at a signed proof of management hash.

8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein one or more of the following apply:

the proof of ownership hash is a hash generated by hashing at least the first payload;

the signed proof of ownership hash is obtained by signing, using the private key of the digital asset, the proof of ownership hash; and/or

the first payload includes an owner identifier, the owner identifier being a unique identifier for use in identifying an owner of the digital asset.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein one or more of the following apply:

the owner identifier includes a legal entity identifier (LEI); and/or

the owner identifier includes a legal name of the owner of the digital asset.

10 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising performing, after performing the proof of management setup process, a proof of management verification process, the proof of management verification process for determining whether an entity is the authorized custodian of the digital asset, the proof of management verification process comprising:

obtaining the public key of the authorized custodian of the digital asset;

obtaining the signed proof of management hash;

identifying an entity identifier for the entity, the entity identifier being a unique identifier for use in identifying the entity;

generating an entity hash, the entity hash generated by hashing at least one or more of the following:

the first payload;

one or more of the following:

a public key of the entity or a corresponding public address for the public key of the entity; and/or

the entity identifier;

a hash of at least the first payload; and/or

a signed hash of at least the first payload; and

deriving the proof of management hash from the signed proof of management hash, the deriving including decrypting, using the public key of the authorized custodian of the digital asset, the signed proof of management hash;

comparing the generated entity hash to the derived proof of management hash; and

responsive to a determination that the entity hash matches the proof of management hash, returning a confirmation that the entity is the authorized custodian of the digital asset.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein prior to generating the entity hash:

identifying a hashing algorithm used to generate the proof of management hash; and

using the identified hashing algorithm to generate the entity hash.

12 . A method of managing a digital asset, the digital asset having a private key and a corresponding public component, the method comprising:

forming a first payload, the first payload including:

the public component of the digital asset; and

an owner identifier, the owner identifier being a unique identifier for use in identifying the owner of the digital asset; and

performing a proof of ownership setup process for the owner of the digital asset, the proof of ownership setup process including:

generating a proof of ownership result, the proof of ownership result generated by performing a cryptographic primitive on at least the first payload; and

signing, using the private key of the digital asset, the proof of ownership result to arrive at a signed proof of ownership result.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein one or more of the following apply:

the owner identifier includes a legal entity identifier (LEI); and/or

the owner identifier includes a legal name of the owner of the digital asset.

14 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the first payload further includes one or more of the following:

a date and/or time stamp;

when the first payload includes a public address, an identification of a format of the public address;

an identification of a hashing algorithm used to generate the proof of ownership hash; and/or

an identification of a signature algorithm used to sign the proof of ownership hash.

15 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising performing, after performing the proof of ownership setup process, a proof of ownership verification process, the proof of ownership verification process for determining whether an entity is an owner of the digital asset, the proof of ownership verification process comprising:

obtaining a public key of the digital asset;

obtaining the signed proof of ownership result;

identifying an entity identifier for the entity, the entity identifier being a unique identifier for use in identifying the entity;

generating an entity hash, the entity hash generated by hashing at least:

the public key of the digital asset or a corresponding public address for the public key of the digital asset; and

the entity identifier;

deriving the proof of ownership result from the signed proof of ownership result, the deriving including decrypting, using the public key of the digital asset, the signed proof of ownership result;

comparing the generated entity hash to the derived proof of ownership result; and

responsive to a determination that the entity hash matches the proof of ownership result, returning a confirmation that the entity is the owner of the digital asset.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein prior to generating the entity hash:

identifying a hashing algorithm used to generate the proof of ownership result; and

using the identified hashing algorithm to generate the entity hash.