Scratch tech is a technology that applies proof-of-work to digital art, i.e. creates multiple variations of an original art piece until the hash of a variation reaches a pre-specified target hash. We call this ‘scratching’

A hash is a sequence of digits that uniquely represents a document. A hash can be viewed as a cryptographic fingerprint of a document. You can hash any digital document (picture, word, video, etc)

Made by Bitcoin lovers, Scratch Tech leverages SHA-256. Scratching consists in iterating a process of creating variations of the original art piece and hashing the variations through SHA-256

No. Even though we were inspired by Bitcoin and the principle is to “bruteforce” SHA-256, the process of scratching is meant to reach a target hash specified by the artist, not a hash starting with a sequence of zeros. Besides, proof-of-work is applied to a .gif file, not a Merkle tree of Bitcoin transactions

Not yet, but this is clearly in the roadmap. It is possible to create Scratching pools, just like there are Bitcoin mining pools. It will need us to repurpose Bitcoin mining pool software

In .gif palette scratching, Scratch Tech iteratively creates variations through changes in the palette colors until one variation meets the target hash. In .gif pixel scratching, Scratch Tech iteratively creates variations through changes a few pixels of the image until one variation meets the target hash. At first, we focused on variations with changes unnoticeable to the human eye.

Scratch tech is currently working on massive scratch. Massive scratch is the opposite of current scratching techniques that are meant to be unnoticeable by a human. Unlike current scratch, massive scratch is about changing big parts of the art piece and through large color changes.
Dot scratch is also under creation, this is about adding an element to a well-known art piece so that the combination of the art piece and the added element yield a target hash

By applying proof-of-work to art pieces, artists can demonstrate that a high quantity of computing time was dedicated to create the piece of art, i.e. a literal proof of work. It either adds up to the time spent by the artist or replaces it in the case that the piece of art was computationally created. The more computing power applied to create an art piece, the higher its value.

Artists can use Scratch Tech to input data that will not tamper with the art itself (insert name, serial number, birth date, first owner data…). Artists can also play with it to hide secrets or subversive messages, or enrich past art with additional elements that will lead to the creation of a meaningful target hash.

No. Scratch Tech enables artists to create a custom version of an art piece before the art piece is minted. NFT minting is the process through which the artist can certify through a blockchain the antecedence and uniqueness of their art. NFT minting takes place after art scratching

A little bit of both today : Scratch Tech is initially a technology but we like to showcase this technology through artistic projects we love. In the long-term, Scratch Tech will become a tech company only… but a tech company for artists.

Yes. We created a few digital art pieces that you can watch on OpenSea : https://opensea.io/Scratch__Tech or in our Art section

Yes, we welcome all keen energies. So far, we opened a Twitter account to share information. Follow us at https://twitter.com/Scratch__Tech We also have a Discord community to share ideas and discuss the way forward : https://discord.gg/DkMpgCEz

Today, we sell our technology through our website. You need to log in, set your target hash and upload your art. Once your art is scratched with your target hash, we will alert you that it is ready for you. As it follows the principle of proof-of-work, the more digits you want in your hash, the more time it will take and the more expensive it will be

Yes. Instead of paying upfront for scratching through our website, artists can send us partnership proposals. The two benefits of partnerships for artists are that 1. there is no upfront payment for scratching (pieces are sold through our OpenSea account instead) and 2. artists can leverage the community of Scratch Tech

No. the first version of Scratch Tech is through SHA-256, therefore the only available digits are 0-9 and a-f. The only cheat you can make is through the replacement of letters by similar numbers (e.g. S replaced by 5 or small L replaced by 1). Full alphabet will be available in the future

In the SaaS version, you can set between 1 and 8 digits in your target hash. This is due to the fact that hashing for more digits becomes either too long or too expensive for artists. If you do want more digits in your target hash and are ok to wait, please send us a direct request and we will make a custom quote for you

In the SaaS version, you can scratch .gif files up to 10 MB. If you need to scratch a bigger .gif file, this is possible. Please send us a direct request and we will make a custom quote for you.

Currently, Scratch Tech only applies image proof-of-work to .gif files.