What is Anchora? A Complete Guide to Blockchain Data Integrity

Introduction

In today's digital world, data integrity is everything. Whether you're storing financial records, medical documents, or legal contracts, you need proof that your data hasn't been tampered with. That's where Anchora comes in.

Anchora is an enterprise-grade blockchain-based verification platform that anchors your data in truth. Think of it as the Stripe of data integrity - simple APIs that handle all the complexity of blockchain, encryption, and cryptographic hashing behind the scenes.

What Makes Anchora Different?

Traditional APIs just store and retrieve data. They offer no proof of authenticity, can be modified without detection, and provide no immutable audit trail. Anchora changes everything.

The Three-Layer Architecture

Anchora provides three layers of data protection, each serving a specific purpose:

Layer 1: Encryption (Two-Way)

Your data is encrypted using AES-256-GCM with PBKDF2 key derivation - the same encryption standard used by governments and financial institutions. This layer allows secure storage and retrieval of your data.

• Mutable Data: Fields that can be updated (name, email, phone, address)
• Immutable Data: Fields that never change (SSN, passport number, credit card)

Layer 2: Hashing (One-Way)

SHA-256 hashes are generated for each field and the entire document. These hashes enable privacy-preserving search and verification without exposing the actual data.

• Field Hashes: Search by email, SSN, or any field without decryption
• Document Hash: Unique fingerprint of your data
• Duplicate Detection: Prevent duplicate records automatically

Layer 3: Blockchain (Immutable)

The document hash is anchored to the Polygon blockchain, creating a permanent, tamper-proof timestamp and audit trail.

• Transaction Hash: Permanent blockchain record
• Block Number: Exact timestamp when anchored
• Public Verification: Anyone can verify the proof

How It Works

Using Anchora is as simple as making an API call. Here's a complete example:

// Create an immutable record with encryption
const response = await fetch('https://api.anchora.io/v1/anchor/encrypted', {
  method: 'POST',
  headers: {
    'Authorization': 'Bearer YOUR_API_KEY',
    'Content-Type': 'application/json'
  },
  body: JSON.stringify({
    data: {
      name: "Alice Johnson",
      email: "alice@example.com",
      document_type: "contract",
      document_id: "CONTRACT-2026-001"
    },
    encryptionKey: "your-secure-key",
    hashFields: ["email", "document_id"]
  })
});

const result = await response.json();
console.log(result.anchor_id);    // anc_8x7k2m9n...
console.log(result.tx_hash);       // 0x3f8a...
console.log(result.block_number);  // 45678901

The Hybrid API Approach

Anchora uses a hybrid API approach that gives developers both flexibility for complex scenarios and simplicity for common use cases.

Convenience Endpoints

• /v1/anchor/encrypted - For sensitive data (PII, financial, medical) - Recommended
• /v1/anchor/plain - For public data that doesn't need encryption
• /v1/anchor/hash - For proof-of-existence only (no data storage)
• /v1/anchor/secure - For compliance requirements (HIPAA, PCI-DSS)
• /v1/anchor/batch - For bulk operations (10+ records)

Key Features

Real-World Use Cases

Anchora is designed for any application that needs tamper-proof data:

• Academic Credentials: Issue verifiable diplomas and transcripts
• Legal Documents: Timestamp contracts with immutable proof
• Healthcare Records: HIPAA-compliant patient data storage
• Supply Chain: Track product authenticity and provenance
• Financial Auditing: Create tamper-proof transaction logs
• Digital Signatures: Prove document signing timestamps

Getting Started

Ready to add data integrity to your application? Here's how to get started:

1. Get your API key - Sign up at anchora.io to get your free API key
2. Install the SDK - npm install @anchora/sdk
3. Anchor your first record - Use the code example above
4. Verify the proof - Check your transaction on Polygon explorer

# Install the Anchora SDK
npm install @anchora/sdk

# Or use yarn
yarn add @anchora/sdk

Conclusion

Anchora makes blockchain-based data integrity accessible to every developer. No need to understand blockchain internals, manage wallets, or worry about gas fees. Just call our API and we handle the rest.

Whether you're building a credential verification system, a legal document platform, or any application that needs tamper-proof data, Anchora provides the infrastructure you need to ship with confidence.