Data Lifecycle

The data lifecycle in Encryptum is designed to ensure security, decentralization, and transparency throughout every stage of interaction with data. From the moment data is created to when it is retrieved, Encryptum offers a privacy-preserving and verifiable process built for both human users and AI-native systems.

Local Encryption

Before any data leaves the user’s device or system, it is encrypted locally using strong cryptographic algorithms. This guarantees:

• Complete data privacy from the outset

• Zero-knowledge storage, meaning storage providers and network participants cannot access or read the data

• Decryption is only possible by the user or authorized AI agents with the correct keys

This foundational step ensures that sensitive data remains secure, even in a distributed network environment.

Upload to IPFS

Once encrypted, the file is uploaded to the InterPlanetary File System (IPFS), a decentralized peer-to-peer storage network. At this stage:

• The encrypted file is split, hashed, and assigned a unique Content Identifier (CID)

• Files are redundantly stored across multiple IPFS nodes for resilience and availability

• The CID provides a permanent, verifiable reference to the stored data without exposing the content

Decentralized storage through IPFS ensures that data cannot be easily censored, lost, or modified.

Metadata Commitment via Smart Contracts

Following successful storage on IPFS, relevant metadata is committed to Encryptum’s smart contracts on the Ethereum blockchain. These smart contracts record:

• The CID of the encrypted file

• Ownership and access permissions

• Timestamp and verification logs

• Optional contextual relationships through integration with the Model Context Protocol (MCP)

This ensures that metadata is tamper-proof, publicly auditable, and directly linked to encrypted content in a secure and verifiable manner.

Data Retrieval from IPFS

When users or agents need to access stored data:

• They use the CID to locate the encrypted file across IPFS nodes

• The file is retrieved in its encrypted form via peer-to-peer connections

• Local decryption is performed using the correct private key to restore the original content

This process guarantees that data retrieval remains secure, transparent, and restricted to authorized access only.

Verification and Availability Monitoring

Encryptum includes a verification layer designed to ensure the ongoing availability and integrity of stored data. This layer supports:

• Routine validation that encrypted files remain accessible across the network

• Rechecking content hashes to ensure consistency with the original CID

• On-chain logging of file integrity status for long-term auditing

These checks reinforce the reliability and trustworthiness of Encryptum’s decentralized infrastructure.