How it works
From card to provenance page.
Every card on WATCHER goes through a structured enrollment process. Here's exactly what happens, and what each piece of data means.
Enrollment
The card name, set, year, number, edition, and grader cert number are entered manually. For graded cards, the record links to the grading company's public cert page so anyone can cross-check it.
PSA · BGS · CGC · SGCA high-resolution photograph of the card or slab is uploaded and stored securely. The exact image bytes are fingerprinted (SHA-256) into the record, and the photo appears on the provenance page and in share previews.
Photo fingerprint · SHA-256A card is enrolled from a photo (owner-attested). The owner then mints a free holographic Certified seal in one tap — a signed, serial-numbered certificate shown on their profile and card page, downloadable to share. Physical tamper-evident stickers arrive in V2.
Photo · Certified sealAny known prior sales are recorded with date, price, verification tier, and evidence URL. Each sale is marked third-party verified (auction house, eBay) or owner-attested — never more than the evidence supports. Prices can be redacted at the seller's request.
Third-party · Owner attestedThe card is assigned to a WATCHER account. The owner can choose to display their real name or remain anonymous. Anonymous owners are shown a generated identifier like 'Anonymous Owner #7841'.
Named or anonymousA unique record ID is generated and the page goes live instantly at its permanent URL, /c/[token_hash]. Every event is signed and hash-chained so it can't be quietly edited later. On-chain anchoring is on the roadmap — see Transparency.
Signed · append-onlyThe Provenance Page
Every enrolled card gets a permanent URL at /c/[token_hash]. The page is designed to answer the buyer's three questions within 8 seconds without scrolling.
A single badge with four possible states: Authenticated, Stale, Disputed, or Burned. This is the most prominent element on the page. A buyer should be able to read it at a glance on a phone screen.
Shows whether the card is photo-enrolled (owner-attested) and whether it carries a free digital Certified seal (holographic, signed serial). Physical sticker binding is a V2 add-on.
All recorded transactions in reverse chronological order, with verification tier indicators (green for on-chain, blue for third-party, amber for owner-attested) and direct links to evidence.
Every authentication event is logged: grade verification, fingerprint registration, sticker activation. 'Last verified' is shown prominently with a relative timestamp.
Owner display name, trust score, member tenure, owned card count, and verified sale count.
Collapsed by default. Expands to show the contract address, token ID, chain, fingerprint hash, and enrollment block — all in monospace, all linkable to BaseScan.
Verdict States
The record is live, no open disputes exist, and the last verification activity is recent (within 90 days).
No verification activity in over 90 days. The record is still valid, but a photo re-verification is recommended before a high-value transaction.
An open dispute exists against this card's provenance record. The dispute details and evidence are visible on the page. Do not proceed with a transaction until the dispute is resolved.
The owner of record reported this card stolen. It appears in the public stolen registry, and it can't be transferred or sealed while the flag is live. The report stays on the chain permanently — even after the owner marks it recovered. Reports are owner attestations, not law-enforcement findings.
The owner attested that the physical card was destroyed or lost. Irreversible — the token can never be transferred again.
Sale Verification Tiers
Each sale event carries a verification tier indicating how the transaction was confirmed.
Reserved for sales settled on-chain once WATCHER anchoring ships (see Transparency). No sales carry this tier today.
The sale is evidenced by an external record: an auction house result (PWCC, Goldin, Heritage), an eBay listing, or a TCGPlayer transaction. An evidence URL is required.
The current owner has recorded the sale from memory or personal records. No external evidence is required but none is provided. Lowest verification confidence — use judgment.
On-chain Anchoring
Each enrolled card is anchored to Base (EVM chain ID 8453) via a non-transferable provenance token. Base was chosen for its low fees, EVM compatibility, and Coinbase backing, which reduces counterparty risk on the chain itself.
The token is minted gaslessly using meta-transactions — the collector never touches a seed phrase or manages a wallet. The token records the enrollment block, the fingerprint hash, and the token hash that maps to the public URL.
All contract addresses and token IDs are displayed in raw form on the provenance page with direct links to BaseScan. The record is public and immutable regardless of whether WATCHER continues to operate.
Disputes
Any WATCHER account holder can raise a dispute against a card's provenance record. Disputes require a stated reason and supporting evidence. While a dispute is open, the card's verdict badge shows DISPUTED and the dispute details are visible on the page.
Disputes are resolved by the WATCHER admin team. Outcomes are: upheld (record corrected, card may be burned), denied (record stands), or escalated (referred to a third party).