[Home](index.html) The legal framework
The legal framework

# Built on federal evidence rules , not blockchain novelty.

The evidentiary case for a pre-loss sealed record rests on rules that have been in the Federal Rules of Evidence since 2017 — not on anything novel about cryptocurrency.

In short

In short: HomeCloneVault is designed to support authentication under FRE 901 and FRE 902(13)/(14). Its custody logs, attestation, file hashes, and public timestamps help identify what the record is and whether it changed; they never guarantee admissibility, which remains a court decision.

## How do custody and hashing play different roles?

Custody evidence explains who created and handled the record, while hashing tests whether a supplied file matches the sealed file. HomeCloneVault combines technician identity, GPS and UTC logs, device identifiers, co-signed attestation, SHA-256 values, and public-ledger timestamps because no single artifact answers every authentication question.

The blockchain anchor does not notarize a person, prove that every statement about a property is true, or compel a court to admit the material. It provides an independently checkable timestamp for a specific digital identifier. The broader record is designed to support authentication under FRE 901 and FRE 902(13)/(14); counsel still evaluates relevance, foundation, certification, and all other requirements in the actual proceeding.

- Review the raw file and its associated custody documentation.

- Calculate the file's SHA-256 identifier without altering the original.

- Compare that identifier with the values anchored to Bitcoin and Ethereum.

- Use the attestation and operating records to explain how the capture was produced.

This is educational information, not legal advice. Admissibility is always determined by the court, and HomeCloneVault never promises a claim or litigation outcome.

## Key terms

**Authentication**
The showing that evidence is what its proponent says it is.

**FRE 901**
The general federal rule governing authentication of evidence.

**FRE 902(13)/(14)**
Federal self-authentication provisions for certified electronic-process records and certified data copied from electronic devices, storage media, or files.

Educational information, not legal advice. This page explains the evidentiary concepts HomeCloneVault is built around. It is not a substitute for advice from your own attorney about your specific situation, and no outcome in any claim or proceeding is promised.

Quick answer

HomeCloneVault’s process is designed to support authentication under Federal Rule of Evidence 901 and the self-authentication provisions of FRE 902(13) and 902(14), which were added in 2017 for records generated by an electronic process. Chain-of-custody logging, technician attestation, and an independently verifiable blockchain timestamp are the components that support that framing. Admissibility is always determined by the court.

- [FRE 902(13) & (14)](#fre902)
- [FRE 901](#fre901)
- [The forensic moat](#moat)
- [What this is not](#limits)
- [FAQ](#faq)

## FRE 902(13) & 902(14) — self-authentication

Amended in 2017, [these rules](https://www.law.cornell.edu/rules/fre/rule_902) allow certain electronic records to be self-authenticated without a foundation witness. Rule 902(13) covers a certified record generated by an electronic process or system that produces an accurate result. Rule 902(14) covers certified data copied from an electronic device, storage medium, or file, where authenticity is established by digital identification such as a hash value.

This is the provision that makes cryptographic hashing evidentiarily interesting. A SHA-256 hash is a digital identifier: if the file matches the hash, it is the file the hash describes; if it does not match, something changed. Anchoring that hash to a public blockchain adds an independently checkable record of when the identifier existed.

## FRE 901 — authentication generally

[Rule 901](https://www.law.cornell.edu/rules/fre/rule_901) requires the proponent of evidence to produce enough support for a finding that the item is what they claim it is. It is a threshold, not a high bar — but it is a threshold that post-loss smartphone photos increasingly struggle with in an era of convincing synthetic imagery.

The HomeCloneVault record addresses it with converging artifacts rather than a single assertion: dispatch logs showing which certified technician attended, GPS coordinates placing them at the property, timestamps establishing sequence, device identifiers tying media to hardware, a co-signed on-site attestation, and a blockchain timestamp that no party controls.

| Rule 901 | Authentication — evidence sufficient to support a finding that the item is what it is claimed to be |
| --- | --- |
| Rule 902(13) | Self-authentication — certified records generated by an electronic process or system |
| Rule 902(14) | Self-authentication — certified data copied from an electronic device, identified by hash value |
| Amended | 2017 |
| HomeCloneVault framing | Designed to support authentication under these rules — never a guarantee of admissibility |

## The forensic moat: the raw file, not the viewer

The legal record is the raw point-cloud file hashed at the moment of capture. The interactive 3D model people navigate is a visualization layer — useful, but not the evidence.

This matters because any architecture that routes the legal record through a third-party cloud before hashing creates a chain-of-custody seam: an interval where the file was somewhere the provider cannot fully account for. Hashing on capture, before any upload, eliminates that interval.

“Now do I, as a judge, have to question a source of evidence that has traditionally been reliable? We're in a whole new frontier.”

— Judge Erica Yew, Santa Clara County Superior Court, California, to NBC News · as cited by the [National Center for State Courts](https://www.ncsc.org/resources-courts/ai-generated-evidence-threat-public-trust-courts), February 24, 2026

## What HomeCloneVault is not

- Not a guarantee of admissibility. Courts decide admissibility. The process is designed to support authentication; it cannot promise a ruling.

- Not a public adjuster. HomeCloneVault does not interpret policies, estimate claim values, or negotiate with carriers. In Florida, that work requires a license, and it belongs with licensed public adjusters and attorneys.

- Not a notary. A blockchain anchor is a cryptographic timestamp, not a notarial act.

- Not a promise about your claim. Documentation strengthens a factual record. It does not determine what a carrier or a court will do with it.

## Bring your attorney into the conversation.

Counsel and public adjusters are welcome to review the standard operating procedures before the January 2027 launch.

[Join the waitlist](contact.html)

## Frequently asked questions

### Does a blockchain seal guarantee my evidence is admissible?

No, and any vendor who tells you otherwise is overstating. Admissibility is decided by a court, considering authentication, relevance, and other rules together. The HomeCloneVault process is designed to support authentication — it does not and cannot guarantee an outcome.

### What is the difference between FRE 901 and FRE 902?

FRE 901 addresses authentication generally: producing evidence sufficient to support a finding that an item is what its proponent claims. FRE 902 lists categories of evidence that are self-authenticating, meaning extrinsic evidence of authenticity is not required. Subsections 902(13) and 902(14), added in 2017, cover certified records generated by an electronic process and certified data copied from an electronic device.

### Is a blockchain timestamp the same as a notarization?

No. HomeCloneVault does not provide notarial services and does not describe its seal as notarization. A blockchain anchor is a cryptographic timestamp: evidence that a specific file existed in a specific state at a specific time. That is a different thing from a notary attesting to an identity or a signature.

### Will HomeCloneVault support my attorney if a capture is challenged?

Documented standard operating procedures and technician records exist to support declarations and testimony, and the anchoring provider offers expert witness support if a capture is challenged. Your attorney directs the legal strategy; HomeCloneVault supplies and explains the record.

Page published July 29, 2026 · last revised September 14, 2026 . Statistics on this page carry their original source and publication date.