```{eval-rst}
.. _reference-platform-proofs:
```

# Platform Proofs

Platform proofs are an important part of Dash Platform's trust model. A proof is a self-contained
cryptographic object that lets anyone verify a piece of platform state is authentic and was
agreed upon by the validator network -- without trusting whoever supplied the data.

The most common way to obtain a proof is to request one over [DAPI](../explanations/dapi.md): set
the optional `"prove": true` parameter on a [Platform gRPC
endpoint](../reference/dapi-endpoints-platform-endpoints.md) and the response carries a `Proof`
message instead of the plain result. A proof does not depend on how it was retrieved, though --
it can be verified independently by any party that holds it.

For the concepts behind proofs -- the two-layer GroveDB + consensus trust model, the verification
flow, what can be proven, and asset lock proofs -- see [Proofs](../explanations/proofs.md).

## Proof structure

A `Proof` is a single unified [GroveDB](https://github.com/dashpay/grovedb) proof plus the
consensus signature that authenticates it. It has six fields:

| Field | Type | Description |
| - | - | - |
| `grovedbProof` | Bytes (base64) | The GroveDB proof for the requested data. An opaque blob that a verifier decodes to recover the data and the state root hash. |
| `quorumHash` | Bytes (base64) | Hash of the validator quorum that signed the state. |
| `signature` | Bytes (base64) | BLS threshold signature over the signed block, proving the quorum agreed on this state. |
| `round` | Integer | Consensus round the block was finalized in. |
| `blockIdHash` | Bytes (base64) | Hash of the block ID the proof is anchored to. |
| `quorumType` | Integer | Type of the quorum that produced the signature. |

```json
{
  "proof": {
    "grovedbProof": "APsA/wGQtKE8gXoPHBaBJWO/39M63DsnEkx4Lah9...",
    "quorumHash": "AAAAN0ggLzkGuHl7bJM48baKuEs/b3rhSMSF5kIw14g=",
    "signature": "oc8EMH7WkoZhv06iPvP4HjTlleaRLOfDRvWg30hjXL3z83DpNigk1/8mZwC1jrEDFymkkftcoE+DcPhZu/R8wlP2yxWcWo+605lLqU/FIb29nOt0q6hUbuX+eZL39mdb",
    "round": 0,
    "blockIdHash": "Eq24v2aaWwDXN41oCmduKOYnDRsvoAJwDk8BEHZRDaU=",
    "quorumType": 6
  }
}
```

## Verifying proofs

Clients do not parse proofs manually. Verification is performed by the
`rs-drive-proof-verifier` crate, which checks the quorum's BLS threshold signature (the
Tenderdash consensus half) and decodes the unified `grovedbProof` to recover the requested data
and the state root hash. This logic is exposed to JavaScript and browser clients through the
`wasm-drive-verify` package, so the SDKs verify proofs automatically whenever one is requested.

See the [Proofs](../explanations/proofs.md) explanation for the step-by-step verification flow.

## Proof internals

The `grovedbProof` value is an opaque binary blob. Its byte-level format -- the stack-based proof
operators, node types, absence proofs, the V0/V1 proof formats, and the verification algorithm --
is documented in the [GroveDB Proof System
documentation](https://dashpay.github.io/grovedb/proof-system.html). Clients that use an SDK do
not need to work at this level.

## Related topics

- [Proofs](../explanations/proofs.md) -- the conceptual trust model, verification flow, and asset lock proofs
- [Platform gRPC endpoints](../reference/dapi-endpoints-platform-endpoints.md) -- the `prove` parameter and example responses
- [GroveDB Proof System](https://dashpay.github.io/grovedb/proof-system.html) -- proof format and verification internals