# T.R.A.C.E. Overview ## Tokenized Records for Artwork/Asset Certification and Evolution T.R.A.C.E. is a system of smart contracts and hardware to provide a digital Certificate of Authenticity (dCOA) backed by the blockchain for physical art or assets. T.R.A.C.E. is comprised of 4 different components that all work together in harmony. ### T.R.A.C.E. Chips * TRACE chips are cryptography-enabled chips that have an ethereum address and can sign messages, similar to wallets like Rainbow or Metamask. * The private key for each chip generated within the chip itself, which is a secure, tamper-proof element, and is never exposed during or after the manufacturing process. * Interaction with the chip is accomplished via NFC technology so an NFC enabled Android or iPhone XS and later is required. * The dCOA minted on the creator-owned contract is owned by the T.R.A.C.E. chip and can never be transferred from the chip by anyone other than the creator. In other words, the physical actually owns the its own dCOA. * For most artworks, chips can be securely fastened in a way that would result in visual indication if ever tampered with. * For textiles and garments, the chips can be embedded with embroidery, patches, sewn into a corner, and more. * For other materials, the chips can be pressed into vinyl, adhered to glass, hidden under a wood inlay, and more. ### T.R.A.C.E. Creator Contract * T.R.A.C.E. dCOAs are minted on sovereign, creator-owned T.R.A.C.E. contracts. * Functionality mirrors that of our ERC721TL creator contracts, but is tuned for T.R.A.C.E. * Batch Minting is removed * Synergy does not make sense in this application and instead metadata can be updated whenever needed. This is not a risk as the dCOA is not what holds value and all records are stored on-chain, regardless of metadata. * The creator can transfer a T.R.A.C.E. dCOA token whenever needed. This keeps the provenance chain intact in case a chip stops working for any reason. * There is no Blocklist functionality ### T.R.A.C.E. Records * T.R.A.C.E. chips are used to verify T.R.A.C.E. records, which are then inscribed permanently on the blockchain using [Story Inscriptions](/story-inscriptions/story-inscriptions-overview.md). * These records store information about the history and evolution of an artwork. Examples of record types include ownership history, sales, display details, alterations, and much more. See T.R.A.C.E. Record Schema for more details. * Creators also have the ability to add free-form records that add to the history of the piece as they see fit. * Records can be added by the creator or registered agents. * Registered agents must always validate the records by having the T.R.A.C.E. chip sign a message that is included with the on-chain inscription. * Creators can always add records without interacting with the chip. ### T.R.A.C.E. Registered Agents * T.R.A.C.E. Registered Agents are trusted third parties to validate the different records added to physical art. Some examples include, auction houses, galleries, museums, and more. * Creators can add their own registered agents for their T.R.A.C.E. contracts, which can include their estate, managers, and more. * Creators can also override any global agents and block them from verifying records on their T.R.A.C.E. contracts. --- # Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter: ``` GET https://docs.transientlabs.xyz/trace/t.r.a.c.e.-overview.md?ask= ``` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.