sealbot (Node)

Seal and timestamp anything on Bitcoin. Prove any file existed, unaltered — one command, public proof. For humans, backends, CI, and AI agents.

Three core verbs (hash-only, keyless, scriptable):

sealbot anchor release-v3.tar.gz            # timestamp ANY file -> writes .ots
sealbot anchor release-v3.tar.gz --publish  # ...and register a shareable public proof page
sealbot verify contract.sealed.pdf          # check a sealed PDF (exit 2 if tampered)
                                            #   or: verify release.tar.gz.ots  → refresh status
sealbot watch  /srv/invoices --once         # anchor every new/changed file in a folder

anchor hashes locally and sends only the 32-byte digest — the file never leaves the machine. Without --publish nothing is registered anywhere; the local .ots is your proof.

Advanced — keyed signing

Sealing a PDF as a business identity (X.509 / PAdES) is a separate, keyed concern — it needs the signing service and a bearer token (--token / SEALBOT_TOKEN):

sealbot seal  contract.pdf --org acme                    # seal a PDF with your CA
sealbot issue --id ci --cn "My CI" --profile code        # get a signing cert (key stays local)

Migrating: notarize is now anchor --publish; upgrade <f>.ots is now verify <f>.ots. The old verbs still run (with a one-line notice) so existing scripts keep working.

watch — turn a folder into an always-on notary

Point sealbot at a directory and it anchors (or seals) every new or changed file, skipping anything it has already recorded — the daemon form of the one-shot commands.

sealbot watch /srv/invoices                       # poll forever, anchor new/changed files
sealbot watch /srv/invoices --once                # single pass (cron-friendly)
sealbot watch /srv/contracts --mode seal --org acme   # seal PDFs as they land
sealbot watch ./release --mode publish --interval 30  # public proof page per artifact

• Non-destructive by default. anchor mode hashes each file locally (only the 32-byte digest leaves the machine) and writes a sibling <file>.ots — the original bytes are never touched. This is register-in-place: the proof lives beside the file, not baked into it.
• Idempotent. A .sealbot-state.json dotfile tracks size+mtime, so restarts and repeated --once runs never re-anchor unchanged files. Derived artifacts (.ots, .sealed.pdf) and dotfiles are skipped, so it never chases its own tail.
• Append-only audit log. Every action is a line in .sealbot-manifest.jsonl (ts, file, sha256, mode, state, proof).
• Modes: anchor (default, hash-only local .ots, any file) · publish (hash-only + public proof page) · seal (PDFs only, needs --org and the keyed service).

Run it under systemd/pm2 for a directory that's continuously notarised, or on a --once cron tick. Each .ots still verifies against Bitcoin with stock ots verify <file> — the proof stands on the public chain.

Install

npm i -g sealbot          # or: node cli/sealbot.mjs <cmd>

Requires Node ≥ 18. Point it at a service with --api <url> or SEALBOT_API (default http://127.0.0.1:8081).

What it is

• anchor works on any file. Anchoring is just timestamp(sha256(bytes)), so the same command proves the existence-and-date of software releases, datasets, audit logs, evidence, model weights, backups — not only PDFs.
• The open standard for sealing anything. Bitcoin timestamping via OpenTimestamps and an X.509 / PAdES seal, delivered as one thing anyone can verify: sealbot issues under a CA, exposes a friendly API, and publishes proof pages. Your .ots proof verifies against Bitcoin with stock ots verify — the proof stands on the public chain.
• Trust is self-anchored. Authenticity comes from the published root + the public transparency log + the blockchain — everything a verifier needs travels with the proof, so it checks anywhere, forever.

Exit codes

verify returns 0 when authentic and intact, 2 when unsealed or tampered — so it slots straight into a CI gate:

sealbot verify build/report.sealed.pdf || exit 1

Commands

Core — hash-only, keyless, agent-friendly:

| Command | Notes | |---|---| | anchor <file> [--publish] | hash-only; writes <file>.ots; --publish also registers a public proof page; any file | | verify <file> | a sealed PDF → checks seal + integrity; an .ots → refreshes its Bitcoin confirmation | | watch <dir> | continuously anchor / publish / seal new & changed files |

Advanced — keyed signing (needs the signing service + --token / SEALBOT_TOKEN):

| Command | Notes | |---|---| | seal <file.pdf> --org <slug> | seal a PDF as a business identity (X.509 / PAdES) | | issue --id <id> --cn "<subject>" | get a signing cert; the key is generated and kept locally |

Deprecated aliases (still run, with a one-line notice): notarize → anchor --publish; upgrade <f>.ots → verify <f>.ots.

Apache-2.0 licensed.