Verifying on Polygonscan

What Is Polygonscan?

Polygonscan is the official block explorer for the Polygon blockchain — the same network TimeProof uses for timestamp anchoring. Think of it as a search engine for blockchain data. Every transaction ever recorded on Polygon is publicly viewable on Polygonscan.

This matters because Polygonscan is independent from TimeProof. When you verify a timestamp on Polygonscan, you’re confirming the proof exists on the actual blockchain — not just trusting TimeProof’s word.

Step-by-Step Verification

Step 1: Get the Transaction Hash

Find the transaction hash from your TimeProof certificate or dashboard. It looks like:

0x7f8a19c3b42e...d3e1f (66 characters total)

Step 2: Open Polygonscan

Navigate to polygonscan.com for mainnet or amoy.polygonscan.com for the Amoy testnet. Your certificate indicates which network was used.

Step 3: Search for the Transaction

Paste the transaction hash into the search bar at the top of the page. Polygonscan displays the full transaction details.

Step 4: Read the Transaction Details

The transaction page shows several key fields:

Field	What to Check
Status	Should show “Success” with a green checkmark
Block	The block number — click to see the block details
Timestamp	The exact UTC time the block was mined
From	The wallet that submitted the transaction (TimeProof’s anchor wallet)
To	The TimeProof smart contract address
Value	Should be 0 (timestamp transactions don’t transfer funds)
Input Data	The anchored hash data (Merkle root or file hash)

Step 5: Verify the Timestamp

Compare the Timestamp field on Polygonscan with the timestamp on your certificate. They should match (minor formatting differences are normal — both represent the same moment in UTC).

Step 6: Check the Input Data

Click “Click to see More” or “Decode Input Data” to view the data submitted to the smart contract. This contains the Merkle root (for batch timestamps) or individual file hash (for single-file timestamps).

For batch files, you’ll need to verify the Merkle proof to connect your specific file’s hash to the Merkle root shown in the input data.

Understanding the Transaction Page

Transaction Status

Status	Meaning
Success	Transaction confirmed and executed — your proof is recorded
Pending	Transaction submitted but not yet confirmed — wait a few seconds
Failed	Transaction reverted — this shouldn’t happen with timestamps

Gas Information

Polygonscan shows gas fees paid for the transaction. This is informational — you (the TimeProof user) never pay gas. TimeProof’s anchor wallet covers all gas costs.

Contract Interaction

The transaction interacts with TimeProof’s smart contract. Polygonscan may show the function called (e.g., anchor or batchAnchor) and the parameters. The key parameter is the hash or Merkle root being anchored.

Verifying the Smart Contract

For additional assurance, you can verify the TimeProof smart contract itself:

1. Click the To address on the transaction page
2. This opens the contract’s Polygonscan page
3. Click Contract → Read Contract to see the contract’s public functions
4. You can call verifyAnchor with a hash to check if it was anchored

The contract source code may be verified on Polygonscan (open source), meaning you can read the actual code that processes timestamps. This confirms the contract operates as described — no hidden logic.

Verifying Merkle Roots (Batch Timestamps)

For batch timestamps, the blockchain records a Merkle root — the top-level hash of a tree containing multiple file hashes. To verify your specific file is part of this batch:

1. Compute your file’s SHA-256 hash
2. Use the Merkle proof from your certificate (available in the JSON or LG package)
3. Walk the proof: starting from your file hash, combine with each proof element and hash the pair
4. The final result should match the Merkle root shown in the Polygonscan transaction data

This is a mathematical proof. If the Merkle proof walks correctly from your hash to the recorded root, your file was part of the batch — no matter how many other files were included.

Polygonscan vs. Running Your Own Node

Polygonscan is convenient but technically a third party. For maximum independence, you can query the blockchain directly:

• Use a JSON-RPC provider (Infura, Alchemy, or your own Polygon node)
• Call eth_getTransactionByHash with the transaction hash
• Verify the response data matches your certificate

This is rarely necessary — Polygonscan is widely trusted and used by the entire Polygon ecosystem. But the option exists for situations requiring absolute independence.

Common Polygonscan Questions

”The block timestamp is slightly different from my certificate”

Block timestamps represent when the block was mined, which may differ from when the transaction was submitted by a few seconds. For IT timestamps, the difference is minimal. For ST timestamps, the batch may include files submitted over several hours.

”I see multiple transactions from the same address”

TimeProof’s anchor wallet processes many timestamps. You’re looking at the right transaction if the transaction hash matches your certificate.

”The input data looks like gibberish”

Raw input data is hexadecimal-encoded. Click “Decode Input Data” to see the human-readable version. The Merkle root or hash should be recognizable as a 64-character hex string.

Related Guides

• Verifying a Timestamp — complete verification process
• Third-Party Verification — for lawyers and auditors
• Timestamp Certificates Explained — understanding your certificate
• Security Architecture — how the blockchain protects your proof