Newsworthy — Verisart Launches Blockchain-Based Platform for Certifying Art

We’ve mentioned Verisart before, when it was in its pre-launch phase. But as of March 2, Verisart is now live. Anyone can download the app, but at present the service is in beta so access to the service is by invitation only.

Here’s the Verisart Press Release.

Verisart wants to be become a global registry for artwork and collectibles, and is taking steps to realize that goal by allowing artists to generate certificates of authenticity through the service that meet “the minimum requirements for international cultural documentation standards, linked open data policies and specifications of collections management systems and cataloging databases worldwide.” This is accomplished by the use of distributed ledger (blockchain) technology.

Establishing the provenance of artwork is a key underpinning for setting prices and for enabling trusted transactions, and Verisart’s platform is designed so that artists and
collectors will have instant and permanent certification of their works, plus access to free inventory management and a mobile viewing platform. Verisart at present is not intended as a marketplace, but rather as the secure ledger of works upon which marketplaces might be built out.

Verisart’s founder is Robert Norton, who was previously the CEO of Sedition Art and Saatchi Online and Managing Director of King.com North America. Robert will be speaking tomorrow on our Blockchain & The Arts panel — the event is sold out but we will be posting a video of the panel on this blog later this week.