https://example.com/tags/specification/SpecificationHugoBlox Kit (https://hugoblox.com)en-usWed, 01 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000https://example.com/media/icon_hu_da05098ef60dc2e7.pnghttps://example.com/tags/specification/https://example.com/blog/paper-published/Wed, 01 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000https://example.com/blog/paper-published/<p>We&rsquo;re pleased to share the publication of <em>Toward Decentralized Trust and Verifiable Content on the Web</em>, the paper that lays out the technical foundation for the HTMLTrust project.</p> <h2 id="abstract">Abstract</h2> <blockquote class="border-l-4 border-neutral-300 dark:border-neutral-600 pl-4 italic text-neutral-600 dark:text-neutral-400 my-6"> <p>We propose a decentralized, standards-aligned framework for embedding cryptographic trust directly into HTML content. Using a new <code>&lt;signed-section&gt;</code> element, content creators and publishing platforms can sign semantically meaningful regions of web pages and include identity-linked metadata in-band. Signatures are validated using public key infrastructure (PKI) such as DIDs, and can be enhanced with third-party endorsements submitted to optional, federated trust directories. We introduce a simple canonicalization method for content normalization and outline how browsers and CMS systems can support user-configured web-of-trust policies for live content validation. Unlike blockchain-based or DRM-centric systems, our approach is lightweight, browser-compatible, and web-native — designed to scale across publishing workflows, civic media, and knowledge networks.</p> </blockquote> <h2 id="key-contributions">Key contributions</h2> <ol> <li>A proposed <code>&lt;signed-section&gt;</code> HTML element for encapsulating signed regions of a page</li> <li>A canonicalization algorithm for consistent content normalization</li> <li>A trust model supporting both direct signature verification and third-party endorsements</li> <li>Integration paths for browsers and content management systems</li> </ol> <h2 id="reference-implementations">Reference implementations</h2> <p>Alongside the paper, we&rsquo;ve published reference implementations:</p> <ul> <li><strong> </strong> — Node.js + MongoDB API for author management, content signing, verification, and reputation tracking</li> <li><strong> </strong> — Chrome extension for client-side signature validation</li> <li><strong> </strong> — WordPress plugin and Hugo integration for server-side content signing</li> <li><strong> </strong> — JavaScript, Go, and PHP implementations, all passing the same conformance suite</li> </ul> <h2 id="read-the-paper">Read the paper</h2> <p>The paper and its LaTeX source are available in the repository.</p> <p>We welcome feedback and contributions. Visit the to get involved, or reach out at .</p>