Learn · Topic 7 of 10
On-Chain Rights
The rights assertion is signed into the same Merkle tree as the image hash — tamper with one and you break both.
What it is
Each Bitcoin Kali piece carries a rights assertion as a DataDescriptor
in its contentmultimap, stored
under the series1.rights label
(iMkRBt9sEbrXLxYLxo6s9CgaGEfTeJQf5i). The
text is approximately 1500 bytes of plain English stating that the
current holder of the identity receives all transferable property
rights in the underlying image.
Crucially, the rights text is the fifth leaf of the six-leaf MMR that the curator signed. It sits alongside the name, description, attributes, image hash, and delivery info. Modifying the rights text changes the MMR root and invalidates the curator's signature — the rights assertion and the image provenance are cryptographically bound together.
Why it matters
Rights travel with identity control. When the identity's primary addresses change hands, the new controller inherits the rights assertion automatically. No separate legal instrument, no escrow service, no intermediary. The on-chain state is the rights record.
This is a demonstration of capability, not a legal opinion. The rights text itself includes a disclaimer acknowledging that on-chain rights assertions are a new pattern and recommends holders consult their own counsel. But the mechanism — a signed, immutable, publicly-verifiable rights statement bound to a transferable identity — is general-purpose.
Licenses, warranties, terms of service, evidence certifications — any assertion that needs to be (a) publicly verifiable, (b) bound to a specific asset, and (c) tamper-evident can use this pattern. The signature ensures nobody can change the terms after the fact.
Worked example
The rights assertion for Destroyer of Fiat opens with:
"This artwork is part of the Bitcoin Kali Series 1, a limited set of
seven (7) original digital works created by the curator and registered
as Verus identities under the bitcoins@ namespace. The
current holder of this NFT's Verus identity — that is, the party in
control of the identity's primary authority at any given time — is
hereby granted all transferable property rights in the underlying
image that the curator is lawfully able to convey..." - label
iMkRBt9sEbrXLxYLxo6s9CgaGEfTeJQf5i(series1.rights)- type
- Message DataDescriptor,
text/plain, flags: 96 - MMR leaf
- Leaf 5 of 6 in the curator's signed data tree
The same rights text appears in all 7 pieces' CMMs. Each is
independently signed by the curator and independently verifiable via verifysignature.