Glossary
Certificate of authenticity vs NFT
A COA proves a physical work is genuine; an NFT is a blockchain token — the two are not the same.
An NFT is a token recorded on a public blockchain, usually bought and sold, and often standing in for a digital item. A certificate of authenticity is a statement about a real artwork: who made it and that it is genuine. Buying a token is not the same as documenting a painting's history.
Attesian issues verifiable certificates and provenance for real works with no token, no wallet, and nothing to purchase in order to verify. It borrows the useful idea — tamper-evidence — from cryptography, while leaving out the speculation, the fees, and the friction.