Trust Boundary
ALX verification establishes specific protocol and cryptographic properties. Successful verification does not establish the accuracy, authority, or trustworthiness of Block content. Applications determine how verified properties contribute to trust decisions. Claims beyond those properties require additional evidence, trusted authorities, and application-defined policies.
Verification Claims
Verification mechanisms operate independently. Successful verification at one layer does not establish validity at another. Verification lists the operation behind each mechanism.
| Mechanism | Establishes | Does not establish |
|---|---|---|
| Block validation | The recorded contentHash and blockHash match the supplied content and normalized parent set under ALX rules. | Parent availability or Graph validity. |
| Graph verification | Status valid: every examined Block and declared relationship satisfies ALX rules within the Verification Context. | Any Graph claim when the status is incomplete or resource_limit_reached; anything about Blocks beyond maxDepth or about declared external parents. |
| Block Attestation verification | The holder of the attester's key signed the attestation digest for the stated blockHash, algorithm, and timestamp. | The signer's authority, authorization, or legal identity; that the signer-supplied timestamp is accurate. |
| Protocol Request verification | The signing account signed the stated action and payload hash under the stated domain, chain, nonce, and expiry. | Permission to perform the action. The application decides. |
| Merkle proof verification | A Block hash is included in the leaf collection represented by the supplied Merkle root hash. | Where the Merkle root hash was recorded, who selected it, or whether to trust it. |
| Blockchain commitment verification | The selected contract on the selected chain recorded the hash, with the recording address and block timestamp. | That the hash is a valid blockHash, that the Block is available, or that the recording address holds any authority. |
Excluded Claims
ALX verification does not establish:
- Factual accuracy or semantic truth
- Authorship or ownership
- Authorization or application intent
- Quality or safety
- Policy compliance or legal validity