Claim Lifecycle

Understanding the lifecycle of atomic claims provides insight into how verification progresses from initial submission to final proof generation and on-chain registration.

Submission Phase

The claim lifecycle begins when a claimant submits an atomic claim to the Swarm Network protocol. Submission occurs through the API or SDK, with the claimant providing claim structure, supporting evidence references, verification requirements, and privacy specifications. The protocol validates submission format, generates a unique claim identifier, and returns this identifier to the claimant for tracking.

During submission, the protocol performs preliminary checks to ensure the claim is well-formed and contains sufficient information for verification. Malformed claims are rejected with detailed error messages indicating what corrections are needed. Valid claims enter the verification queue and are assigned to appropriate validators based on claim type and requirements.

Decomposition Phase

For complex claims that contain multiple verifiable statements, the protocol performs automatic decomposition into atomic sub-claims. This decomposition uses natural language processing and semantic analysis to identify discrete facts within larger claim structures. Each sub-claim inherits privacy specifications and verification requirements from the parent claim while receiving its own unique identifier.

Decomposition enables more efficient verification by allowing different sub-claims to be processed in parallel by specialized validators. It also enables granular verification results, where some sub-claims may be verified while others are rejected or require additional evidence. Applications can reference specific verified sub-claims without needing access to the entire claim structure.

Verification Phase

The verification phase involves routing claims to appropriate validators, processing evidence, and reaching consensus on claim validity. This phase may take seconds for simple automated verifications or days for complex claims requiring extensive human review. The protocol provides real-time status updates as verification progresses, enabling claimants to monitor progress.

Verification proceeds through multiple stages including evidence collection, where validators gather and examine supporting evidence; analysis, where validators apply verification logic to assess claim validity; preliminary assessment, where individual validators generate initial verdicts; consensus formation, where multiple validator assessments are aggregated; and quality review, where high-stakes or disputed claims receive additional oversight.

Proof Generation Phase

Once verification reaches consensus, the protocol generates zero-knowledge proofs that demonstrate claim validity without exposing private data. Proof generation involves compiling verification results into cryptographic proofs using appropriate proof systems based on claim characteristics and intended use cases.

The proof generation process is computationally intensive, particularly for complex claims or proofs that must satisfy stringent privacy requirements. The protocol implements various optimizations including proof batching, recursive composition, and hardware acceleration to make proof generation practical for real-world applications. Generated proofs are compact and efficiently verifiable, enabling on-chain registration without excessive gas costs.

Registration Phase

The final phase involves registering generated proofs on blockchain networks, making them accessible to smart contracts and decentralized applications. Registration occurs through interactions with on-chain verification contracts that validate proof correctness and store verification results in queryable formats.

Once registered, proofs become permanently available for any application to reference. The protocol maintains indexes that enable efficient proof lookup by claim identifier, claimant address, or claim type. Applications can query these indexes to discover relevant verified claims and retrieve associated proofs for use in their logic.