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LOCK Protocol — Initial Public Release

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@bramkanstein bramkanstein released this 18 May 07:21
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🚀 LOCK Protocol — Initial Public Release

I am proud to release the first public version of the LOCK protocol:
A Bitcoin-based access protocol for encrypted secrets — verifiable access through proof-of-work, not permission.

LOCK is a minimal, Bitcoin-native protocol that replaces traditional access control with cryptographic proof of ownership and energy expenditure. It enables access to encrypted secrets via Bitcoin transactions — no accounts, no passwords, no trusted servers.

🔐 What’s in This Release

This release includes the complete protocol specification:

  • ✅ Whitepaper:

    • WHITEPAPER.md — full design philosophy, mechanics, threat model, and use cases.

  • ✅ Specs (in /specs):

    • SEAL_FORMAT_SPEC.md: Secure, portable encrypted payloads
    • VAULT_METADATA_SPEC.md: Access rule schema (wallets, fees, time-locks)
    • POA_VALIDATION_RULES.md: Bitcoin TX-based unlock logic
    • KEY_DERIVATION.md: Metadata encryption via ECDH + HKDF
    • UNLOCK_COUNTER.md: Secure unlock limit enforcement
    • REBIND_GUIDE.md: Vault ownership handoff
    • CLIENT_COMPLIANCE.md: What compliant clients must enforce
    • WALLETS_README.md: PSBT, hardware wallet integration

  • ✅ Diagrams (in /diagrams):

    • vault_lifecycle.svg: Full lifecycle from seal to unseal
    • rebind_flow.svg: Secure vault transfer between wallets

🧠 What LOCK Introduces

1. Proof-of-Access (PoA)

Access is triggered by a Bitcoin transaction that meets cryptographic conditions — not by an identity provider.

2. Vault Binding

Secrets are sealed and cryptographically bound to a transaction. Ownership is proven by energy, not trust.

3. Sovereign Access Layer (SAL)

A stateless, serverless permission layer where wallets become keys and transactions become actions.

📎 Notes

  • ✅ LOCK is protocol-only — no dependencies, no smart contracts, no OP_RETURN.
  • 🔐 Security-critical features (e.g. unlock counters, RBF protection) are clearly scoped between protocol and client.
  • 📜 Licensed under MIT — use freely, fork, extend, or implement.

🛠️ What’s Next

  • A public CLI reference client (under development)
  • A formal audit and open test suite (coming soon)
  • Community contributions, extensions, and client implementations welcome

📣 Feedback & Discussion

Have thoughts? Ideas? Security questions?
Please open an issue or start a discussion.

LOCK is just getting started.
This is verifiable access — backed by Bitcoin, not permission.

🔓

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