Method for transferring documents

Abstract

A method for executing a contract document includes receiving or preparing, by a platform, the contract document; minting, by the platform, a contract document NFT associated with the contract document; transferring, by the platform, the contract document NFT to a first client; transferring the contract document NFT from the first client to a second client; and transferring the contract document NFT to the platform, thereby completing execution of the contract document. Transfer of the contract document NFT from the platform to the first client, and to the second client causes ownership information for the contract document NFT to be updated on a blockchain to reflect the ownership transfer.

Description

METHOD FOR TRANSFERRING DOCUMENTSCROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)

[0001] This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 596,371 filed November 6, 2023, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The present disclosure relates to a method for transferring documents, and more particularly, to a method for transferring and managing documents such as contract documents more securely and reliably.RELATED ART

[0003] Contracts have long been used to formalize promises between parties. Traditionally, the contract formation has been conducted offline, posing inconvenience and resource waste associated with offline processes as well as risks such as the potential loss of paper documents. Recently, there has been a growing trend towards simple individual contracts that do not involve lawyers, intermediaries, or notaries. This shift has created a need for more efficient, accessible, and secure methods of contract formation and management, reflecting the broader move towards digital solutions in various aspects of life.SUMMARY

[0004] As part of the digital transformation for the contract formation and management, non- fungible tokens (NFTs) are proposed as a potential solution. NFTs serve as a form of asset verification. Commercially available NFT services, such as NFTCamera™, are designed to facilitate the verification of NFTs through both on-chain and off-chain processes. These services help determine whether NFTs are genuine. However, NFTs are susceptible to risks such as digital duplication or forgery, commonly referred to as scams.

[0005] Aspects of the present disclosure address these susceptibility issues of the NFTs. By utilizing the methods of the present disclosure, these inherent scam issues can be addressed through rigorous verification, thereby enhancing the integrity of the NFT ecosystem. This verified ecosystem can then be more seamlessly integrated with the real world, providing a more secure and trustworthy environment for digital assets.

[0006] According to an aspect of the present disclosure, a method for executing a contract document may include receiving or preparing, by a platform, a contract document; minting, by the platform, a contract document non-fungible token (NFT) associated with the contract document; transferring, by the platform, the contract document NFT to a first client; transferring the contract document NFT from the first client to a second client; and transferring the contract document NFT to the platform, thereby completing execution of the contract document. The following features may be included individually or in any combination.

[0007] Each step of said transferring may cause ownership information for the contract document NFT to be updated on a blockchain. In some embodiments, the blockchain may be a public blockchain. In some embodiments, the blockchain may be a private blockchain.

[0008] The method may further include checking, by the platform, information contained in the contract document NFT prior to transferring the contract document NFT to the first client. Further, prior to transferring the contract document NFT, each of the first client and the second client may be required to check the contract document NFT.

[0009] In some embodiments, the platform may store the contract document in a storage provided at the platform.

[0010] The contract document NFT may contain partial or entire contents of the contract document.

[0011] Further, prior to said transferring the contract document NFT to the platform, the contract document NFT may be transferred from the second client to a third client.

[0012] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a method for authenticating a certificate may include receiving or preparing, by a platform, a certification document; minting,by the platform, a certification non-fungible token (NFT) associated with the certification document; transferring, by the platform, the certification NFT to a first client, wherein the first client is a certifying entity; and transferring the certification NFT from the first client to a second client, thereby providing authentication of a predetermined set of rights associated with the certification document to the second client. The following features may be included individually or in any combination.

[0013] In some embodiments, the method may include causing the certification NFT to be transferred from the second client to the first client or to the platform in response to one or more predetermined conditions being satisfied. The one or more predetermined conditions may include arrival of a predetermined date or expiration of a predetermined period.

[0014] Each step of said transferring may cause ownership information for the certification NFT to be updated on a blockchain. In some embodiments, the blockchain may be a public blockchain. In some embodiments, the blockchain may be a private blockchain.

[0015] The method may further include checking, by the platform, information contained in the certification NFT prior to transferring the certification NFT to the first client.

[0016] Further, the platform may store the certification document in a storage provided at the platform. The certification document stored at the storage may be publicly disclosed.

[0017] The certification NFT may contain partial or entire contents of the certification document.

[0018] The method may further include transferring the certification NFT from the second client to a third client, thereby providing authentication of the predetermined set of rights associated with the certification document to the third client.

[0019] Notably, the present disclosure is not limited to the combination of the elements as listed above and may be implemented in any combination of the elements as described herein. Other aspects of the disclosure are disclosed herein.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] A brief description of each drawing is provided to help with a more sufficient understanding of the drawings used in the detailed description of the present disclosure.

[0021] FIG. 1 depicts the network of parties associated with contract formation and execution according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0022] FIG. 2 illustrates a process of executing a contract document according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0023] FIG. 3 illustrates the flow of documents and NFTs according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0024] FIG. 4 illustrates an example of a client transferring the contract document NFT from their wallet according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure; and

[0025] FIG. 5 depicts the conduct of executing the contract document by transferring ownership of the document NFT from a first client's address to a second client's address.

[0026] It should be understood that the above-referenced drawings are not necessarily to scale, presenting a somewhat simplified representation of various preferred features illustrative of the basic principles of the disclosure. The specific design features of the present disclosure, including, for example, specific dimensions, orientations, locations, and shapes, will be determined in part by the particular intended application and use environment.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] Advantages and features of the present disclosure and a method of achieving the same will become apparent with reference to the accompanying drawings and exemplary embodiments described below in detail. However, the present disclosure is not limited to the exemplary embodiments described herein and may be embodied in variations and modifications. The exemplary embodiments are provided merely to allow one of ordinary skill in the art to understand the scope of the present disclosure, which will be defined by the scope of the claims. Accordingly, in some embodiments, well-known operations of a process, well-known structures,and well-known technologies will not be described in detail to avoid obscuring the present disclosure. Throughout the specification, the same reference numerals refer to the same elements.

[0028] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the disclosure. As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms "comprises" and / or "comprising," when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof. As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0029] Unless specifically stated or obvious from context, as used herein, the term "about" is understood as within a range of normal tolerance in the art, for example within 2 standard deviations of the mean. "About" can be understood as within 10%, 9%, 8%, 7%, 6%, 5%, 4%, 3%, 2%, 1%, 0.5%, 0.1%, 0.05%, or 0.01% of the stated value. Unless otherwise clear from the context, all numerical values provided herein are modified by the term "about."

[0030] Aspects of the present disclosure provide methods for forming a contract, and storing and managing the contract document more securely and reliably. By moving the stage of contracts online, contracts can be formed more simply and conveniently, and the contents of the contract are stored on each individual's device and blockchain, minimizing the risk of loss. Additionally, since the service manages the process of contract formation, each party's voluntary commitment to the contract terms and conditions can be proven and evidenced digitally, even without the involvement of intermediaries such as lawyers and notaries. If notarization is necessary, however, the contract can be maintained by involving a notary.

[0031] Through blockchain-based NFTs, the progress of the contract may be shared, and each contracting party can more easily check the authenticity of the contents of the contract document using a hash. Accordingly, contracts can be formed more reliably. Additionally, since the contract is provided in a form that can prove ownership by utilizing NFT technologies, it canalso be used for simple contracts (e.g., a one-way contract) that verify qualifications, certifications, or rights. The ownership and transfer of certificates can be proven more reliably.

[0032] The term "platform," as used herein, may refer to a service provider that provides a service described in the present disclosure. The platform may serve as an indirect associate of a contract. The platform may be generally responsible for creating and managing contract document NFTs on behalf of clients, and may guide the clients through the process of contract formation and execution. As such, the platform may also be responsible for initiating and completing the transfer process.

[0033] The term "client," as used herein, may refer to a party directly associated with the contract. The number of clients is not limited. In other words, the methods of the present disclosure may be applied to multi-party contracts. For example, even though the present disclosure may mention a first client and a second client, substantially the same procedure may be expanded to include a third client, a fourth client, and so on, without loss of generality. The clients may bear an obligation to check, sign, and transfer the contract document NFT in order to complete the contract formation.

[0034] The term "contract document," as used herein, may refer to a document that specifies certain legally enforceable rights and obligations pertaining to two or more parties. By way of example, a contract document may involve the transfer of goods, services, money, or promise to transfer any of those at a future time. According to the present disclosure, the contract document may be prepared by the contracting parties or may be provided as a standardized template by the service platform. The users (e.g., clients) may be allowed to alter the standard template based on the actually agreed terms and conditions. The service platform may require the parties to enter certain terms of the contract and may generate a legal document based on the information input by the clients. Throughout the disclosure, "contract document" may be interchangeably used with "document." As such, even when the disclosure and claims recite "contract document," it may generally refer to any document, which may or may not contain contents relating to a legal contract. Further, the term "contract" in the present disclosure is not limited to a legally enforceable contract. Any document that is intended to be memorialized by two or more parties to prove its originality and / or truthfulness may be herein referred to as a contract document. Byway of example, the contract document may include a computer readable text file, a binary file generated by any word- processing software, a Portable Document Format (PDF) document, an image file representing a written or printed document, an audio file that contains an oral contract, a video file that contains a written or printed document and / or an oral contract, or any combinations thereof.

[0035] The term "contract document NFT" or "contract NFT" or "document NFT" or "certification NFT," as interchangeably used herein, may refer to a non-fungible token (NFT), which is issued (i.e., "minted") with metadata associated with the contract document. By way of non-limiting example, ERC-721 or ERC-1155 protocols, which are incorporated herein by reference, may be used to mint an NFT. The NFT associated with the contract document may or may not contain the actual contents of the contract document therein.

[0036] The term "transfer," as used herein, may mean more than simply delivering a document. Rather, "transfer" may be understood in the context of cryptocurrency transactions or ownership transfer of NFTs. As such, transfer of ownership may involve several steps to ensure the transaction is secure and correctly recorded on the blockchain. First, the transferring party may need to access their digital wallet where the document NFT is stored. The transferring party may be required to log into their wallet, navigate to the section that displays their NFTs, select the specific document NFT that the transferring party wishes to transfer. Subsequently, the transferring party may initiate the transfer by clicking on the transfer option. The transferring party may then be prompted to enter the receiving party's wallet address. After entering the receiving party's address, the transferring party may be required to review the transaction details, including any associated "gas fees." Gas fees are the transaction costs required to process and validate the transfer on the blockchain. To confirm the transaction, the transferring party may be required to sign with their private key. This step ensures that the transaction is authorized and secure. Once confirmed, the transaction may be broadcast to the blockchain network. Finally, the transferring party may verify the transfer by checking the recipient's wallet to ensure the document NFT has been successfully transferred. This process ensures that the ownership of the document NFT is securely and transparently transferred to the new owner. Transfer may be performed one-way regardless of the number of clients. It may be performed under the premisethat the contents of the contract documents have been confirmed. Thus, the contents of the documents may be checked prior to signing.

[0037] Herein, the term "private key" may be understood in the context of a public key infrastructure (PKI) where a public - private key pair is used for asymmetric encryption, based on, for example, Public-Key Cryptography Standards (PKCS), which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0038] The term "storage," as used herein, may refer to where the actual contents of the contract documents are stored. Documents may be stored with different access rights depending on the level of public disclosure set for the particular contract documents. Even after the transfer process, the contract documents stored in the storage cannot be falsified, modified, or moved.

[0039] The term "blockchain," as used herein, may refer to where the NFTs are stored in connection with the actual contents of the contract documents along with the entire history of ownership transfers. Since the actual contents of the contract documents may not be stored directly in the blockchain, the information about the NFTs may be disclosed. As a result of the parties "signing" and transferring the contract document NFT, such an action may result in the change of ownership of the document NFT, and the complete history of ownership changes may be stored in the blockchain.

[0040] Hereinbelow, the process of forming and executing a contract, according to embodiments of the present disclosure, will be described referring to FIGS. 1-5.

[0041] FIG. 1 depicts the network of parties associated with a contract according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, FIG. 2 illustrates a process of executing a contract document according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, FIG. 3 illustrates the flow of documents and NFTs according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, FIG. 4 illustrates an example of a client transferring the contract document NFT from their wallet according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, and FIG. 5 depicts the conduct of executing the contract document by transferring ownership of the document NFT from a first client's address to a second client's address.

[0042] Referring to FIGS. 1-5, the method according to the present disclosure may begin with creating a document, for example a contract document 20, which may be prepared in any form of digital content, such as a contract or certificate (SI 00). Once the document 20 is created, it may be uploaded to a platform 10, and the platform 10 may receive the document 20 (S200). In some embodiments, the platform 10 may generate a contract document 20 for the parties (i.e., clients). In such embodiments, the platform 10 may provide templates suitable for various situations, allowing the clients to choose the basic form. Clients may enter specific terms and / or modify the template based on the terms agreed upon by the parties. Subsequently, the service platform 10 may create a final contract document 20.

[0043] Upon receiving or preparing the contract document 20, the platform 10 may mint a non- fungible token (NFT) 30 associated with the document 20 (S300). The contract document NFT 30 may include metadata associated with the contract document 20. In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 3, the metadata may include a reference to the contract document 20. By way of example, the contract document NFT 30 may include a hash that is representative of the document 20. Additionally or alternatively, the contract document NFT 30 may include partial or entire contents of the contract document 20. In some embodiments, the platform 10 may check the received contract document 20 for any errors or inconsistencies before minting the NFT 30. The contract document NFT 30 may serve as a unique digital representation of the document 20, ensuring its authenticity. Therefore, after the document 20 has been issued as an NFT 30, its contents may not be altered. Additionally, after the contract document NFT 30 is minted, the platform 10 may check the information contained within the NFT 30 to ensure its accuracy and integrity (S400).

[0044] Subsequently, the platform 10 may transfer the contract document NFT 30 to a first client 100 (S500). For this step, the platform 10 may require at least one client to enter all necessary parties to the contract and to identify the addresses for their NFT wallets. In some cases, the first client 100 may initiate the transfer by providing the address for their own NFT wallet. In response, the platform 10 may transfer the contract document NFT 30, which has been issued for the contract document 20, to the first client 100. By this transfer, the ownership of the NFT may be transferred from the platform 10 to the first client 100, and the corresponding transaction may be recorded on the blockchain.

[0045] The first client 100 may receive the document NFT 30 that is transferred to their NFT wallet, and subsequently, may check the validity of the contract document NFT 30. After checking, the first client 100 may transfer it to a second client 200 (S600). In some implementations, the first client 100 may be required to designate the second client 200 and provide the NFT wallet address of the second client 200. In some implementations, the platform 10 may provide the information of the second client 200, based on the contents of the contract documents 20. In order to transfer the contract document NFT 30, the first client 100 may log into their wallet, navigate to the section that displays their NFTs, select the specific contract document NFT 30 to be transferred. Subsequently, the first client 100 may initiate the transfer by, for example, clicking on the transfer option, often represented by an icon such as a gift, an arrow, or the like. In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 4, the transfer option may be represented by a "sign" button 2100.

[0046] At this point, the first client 100 may be prompted to enter the wallet address of the second client 200. Herein, the first client 100 may enter the wallet address of the second client 200 by the actual address or by identifying an alias that points to the actual wallet address of the second client 200. After entering the address of the second client 200, the first client 100 may be allowed to review the transaction details. To confirm the transaction, the first client 100 may be required to sign with their private key. By way of example, once the first client 100 clicks the "sign" button 2100 (FIG. 4), the device 2000 may prompt the first client 100 to enter their private key or any equivalents thereof that enable the use of their private key. In some embodiments, the first client 100 may confirm the transaction using biometric authentication. Once confirmed (i.e., signed by the private key of the first client 100), the transaction may be broadcast to the blockchain network. Finally, the first client 100 may verify the transfer by checking the wallet of the second client 200 to ensure the contract document NFT 30 has been successfully transferred (S700).

[0047] The second client 200 may receive the contract document NFT 30 that is transferred to their NFT wallet, and subsequently, may check the validity of the contract document NFT 30. After checking, the second client 200 may transfer it back to the platform 10 (S800). In use cases where more than two contracting parties are involved, the second client 200 may transfer the contract document NFT 30 to a third client 300; the third client 300 may check and sign, andthen transfer the contract document NFT 300 to a fourth client 400, and so on. Up to an N-th client 500, N being any natural number, may be involved in the contract formation according to the present disclosure.

[0048] In order to transfer the contract document NFT 30 back to the platform 10, the second client 200 may log into their wallet, navigate to the section that displays their NFTs, select the specific contract document NFT 30 to be transferred. Subsequently, the second client 200 may initiate the transfer by, for example, clicking on the transfer option. At this point, the second client 200 may be prompted to enter the wallet address of the platform 10. Alternatively, the platform 10 may automatically designate the document NFT 30 to be transferred back to the platform 10. The second client 200 may be allowed to review the transaction details. To confirm the transaction, the second client 200 may be required to sign with their private key. By way of example, once the second client 200 clicks the "sign" button (similar to the first client's screen shown in FIG. 4), the device may prompt the second client 200 to enter their private key or any equivalents thereof that enable the use of their private key. In some embodiments, the second client 200 may confirm the transaction using biometric authentication. Once confirmed (i.e., signed by the private key of the second client 200), the transaction may be broadcast to the blockchain network. Optionally, the second client 200 may verify the transfer by checking the wallet of the platform 10 to ensure that the contract document NFT 30 has been successfully transferred (S900).

[0049] Thereafter, the platform 10 may store it securely and manage the contract document NFT 30 (SI 000). This may involve the platform 10 periodically or randomly checking the blockchain network to ensure that the transaction history for the contract document NFT 30 is maintained intact. Since the storage is done on a blockchain, a decentralized ledger may ensure security, immutability, and transparency of the contract document NFT 30. The blockchain storage may provide a tamper-proof record of the NFT's history and ownership, thereby reliably and publicly managing the contract document 20 executed by the involved clients. Herein, the blockchain may be a public blockchain or a private blockchain.

[0050] Additionally, the platform 10 may store the original contract document 20 in a storage provided on the platform side (S310), ensuring that the document 20 is accessible and secure.This storage solution may be implemented as a cloud-based service or a dedicated server, depending on the platform's infrastructure. The combination of blockchain storage for the contract document NFT 30 and secure storage for the contract document 20 ensures comprehensive protection and accessibility for both the digital asset and its representation.

[0051] In some embodiments, the platform 10 may further transfer the document NFT to a party acting as a notary 40 (SI 100, FIG. 3). The notarizing party 40 may investigate the transaction history of the document NFT 30 and authenticate that the contract has been properly executed by each party.

[0052] Use Case - Sales Contract

[0053] Under the sales contract scenario, the first client may be a vendor of goods or services, and the second client may be a consumer. The parties may orally or otherwise agree on details of the contract to be executed, such as quantity of goods, description of service, price, delivery due date, and payment due date. After the contract document has been finalized by the parties, the platform may initiate minting a contract document NFT associated with the contract document.

[0054] Thereafter, the platform may transfer the contract document NFT to the vendor (i.e., first client). After checking the contract document NFT as well as the contract document itself, the vendor may properly transfer ownership of the contract document NFT to the consumer (i.e., second client). As described above, the act of transferring the contract document NFT may be deemed as an act of "executing" or "signing" the contract by the vendor.

[0055] Subsequently, the consumer may also check the contract document NFT as well as the contract document itself, and then the consumer may properly transfer ownership of the contract document NFT to the platform. Similarly, the act of transferring the contract document NFT to the platform may be deemed as an act of "executing" or "signing" the contract by the consumer.

[0056] Once the contract document NFT is returned to the platform, that is, once the ownership of the contract document NFT returns to the platform, the contract may be deemed to have been fully executed.

[0057] Under this use case, the act of transferring the contract document NFT by the vendor to the consumer may be understood as an offer. The act of transferring the contract document NFT by the consumer to the platform may be understood as an acceptance.

[0058] Use Case - Certification

[0059] Under the certification scenario, the first client may be a certifying entity or organization, and the second client may be a person or entity that is to be certified. The certification is not limited to any particular type. By way of example, the certification may prove that the person has completed a required course, or passed a required test, or otherwise completed requirements necessary to be qualified. The certification may grant a predetermined right, or a predetermined set of rights to the person.

[0060] The certifying organization may prepare a certification document, indicating the subject of the certification and other necessary information regarding the certification, such as the name of the person to be certified, the name of the certifying organization, a serial number or a unique number of the certification, date of the certification, expiration date of the certification, and the like. After verifying that the person indeed has been qualified, the certifying organization may send the certification document to the platform such that the platform may issue a certification document NFT associated with the certification document. In some embodiments, the certifying organization itself may act as the platform.

[0061] Thereafter, the certification NFT may be transferred from the platform to the certifying organization. The certifying organization may then transfer the certification NFT to the person being certified. The act of transferring the certification NFT by the certifying organization to the person being certified may be deemed as an act of "signing" the certificate by the certifying organization.

[0062] Under this use case, the person being certified may not transfer the certification NFT back to the platform. Instead, the person may keep the certification NFT under their ownership.

[0063] In some embodiments, if the certification has an expiration date or a renewal date, the smart contract for the NFT may be configured to cause the certification NFT to be automatically transferred to the platform or the certifying organization on a predetermined date, therebyrevoking the ownership of the certification NFT from the person. Once the renewal process has been completed, the certification NFT may be transferred back to the person with a new expiration date assigned.

[0064] In some embodiments, similar to the contract case, the certification may be further transferred to another person or entity. By way of example, the certified person may license the certification to another person. In such embodiments, the original certified person may transfer the certification NFT to a third party, thereby conveying or assigning the set of rights granted by the certification to the third party. Such a license agreement or sublease may have its own expiration date as well.

[0065] As set forth herein, the subject matter of the present disclosure provides methods for executing, storing, and managing documents. The present disclosure addresses the susceptibility issues associated with NFTs. By implementing the methods described herein, inherent scam risks can be mitigated through rigorous verification processes as well as the reliable asset transfer schemes in the context of cryptocurrency and NFTs.

[0066] Furthermore, by handling contracts digitally, the process of executing a contract becomes simpler and more convenient, with contract contents stored on individual devices and / or on a platform server and its proof registered on the blockchain. This minimizes the risk of loss or alteration. Additionally, the service platform manages the documents impartially and fairly, enabling basic contracts to be made more conveniently.

[0067] The embodiments of the present disclosure described above may be implemented in the form of program instructions that can be executed by various computer components such as a processor and recorded on a non-transitory computer-readable recording medium. The computer-readable recording medium may include program instructions, data files, data structures, etc., alone or in combination. The program instructions recorded on the non- transitory computer-readable recording medium may be those specially designed and configured for the present disclosure or may be those known to one having ordinary skill in the art of computer software and available for use. Examples of the computer-readable recording medium include magnetic media such as hard disks, floppy disks, and magnetic tapes; optical recording media such as CD-ROMs and DVDs; magneto-optical media such as floptical disks; andhardware devices specially configured to store and execute program instructions such as ROMs, RAMs, and flash memories. Examples of the program instructions include not only machine language codes generated by a compiler but also high-level language codes that can be executed by a computer using an interpreter, etc. The hardware devices may be configured to operate as one or more software modules to perform processing according to the present disclosure, and vice versa.

[0068] Hereinabove, although the present disclosure is described by specific matters such as concrete components, and the like, the exemplary embodiments and the drawings are provided merely to assist in the entire understanding of the present disclosure. Therefore, the present disclosure is not limited to the exemplary embodiments described herein. Various modifications and changes can be made by a person of ordinary skill in the art to which the present disclosure pertains. The spirit of the present disclosure should not be limited to the above-described exemplary embodiments, and the following claims as well as all technical spirits modified equally or equivalently to the claims should be interpreted to fall within the scope and spirit of the disclosure.

Claims

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1. A method comprising: receiving or preparing, by a platform, a contract document; minting, by the platform, a contract document non-fungible token (NFT) associated with the contract document; transferring, by the platform, the contract document NFT to a first client; transferring the contract document NFT from the first client to a second client; and transferring the contract document NFT to the platform, thereby completing execution of the contract document.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said transferring causes ownership information for the contract document NFT to be updated on a blockchain.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the blockchain is a public blockchain.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the blockchain is a private blockchain.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising: checking, by the platform, information contained in the contract document NFT prior to transferring the contract document NFT to the first client.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein, prior to transferring the contract document NFT, each of the first client and the second client is required to check the contract document NFT.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the platform stores the contract document in a storage provided at the platform.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the contract document NFT contains partial or entire contents of the contract document.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising, prior to said transferring the contract document NFT to the platform: transferring the contract document NFT from the second client to a third client.

10. A method comprising: receiving or preparing, by a platform, a certification document; minting, by the platform, a certification non-fungible token (NFT) associated with the certification document; transferring, by the platform, the certification NFT to a first client, wherein the first client is a certifying entity; and transferring the certification NFT from the first client to a second client, thereby providing authentication of a predetermined set of rights associated with the certification document to the second client.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising: causing the certification NFT to be transferred from the second client to the first client or to the platform in response to one or more predetermined conditions being satisfied.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the one or more predetermined conditions include arrival of a predetermined date or expiration of a predetermined period.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein said transferring causes ownership information for the certification NFT to be updated on a blockchain.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the blockchain is a public blockchain.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the blockchain is a private blockchain.

16. The method of claim 10, further comprising: checking, by the platform, information contained in the certification NFT prior to transferring the certification NFT to the first client.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the platform stores the certification document in a storage provided at the platform.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the certification document stored at the storage is publicly disclosed.

19. The method of claim 10, wherein the certification NFT contains partial or entire contents of the certification document.

20. The method of claim 10, further comprising: transferring the certification NFT from the second client to a third client, thereby providing authentication of the predetermined set of rights associated with the certification document to the third client.

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