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WIPO PROOF alternatives. The service closed in 2022. What to do with old tokens, and what to use now.
Clicking opens the TimeBinder app. Files are hashed locally on your computer; nothing is uploaded or stored by TimeBinder.
WIPO PROOF was the World Intellectual Property Organization’s digital timestamping service. It let anyone create a dated digital fingerprint of a file, which made it popular with inventors, designers and companies protecting trade secrets. The service is closed, so people who used it, or who find it in older guides, need another option.
Your files never leave your computer. With TimeBinder, each file is hashed locally on your own device. Nothing is uploaded or stored by TimeBinder.
Is WIPO PROOF still available?
Short answer: no. WIPO stopped generating new WIPO PROOF tokens on 31 January 2022 and formally discontinued the service on 1 February 2022. Existing tokens remain valid. The closest technical replacement is an RFC 3161 time-stamp from a trusted Time Stamping Authority; for a record that doesn’t depend on any single authority, use a blockchain timestamp such as TimeBinder or OpenTimestamps.
Source: WIPO PROOF (Discontinued) on wipo.int, checked 29 October 2026.
WIPO PROOF isn’t the only service to close. See proof services that have closed for what happened to other services’ records.
What is TimeBinder? TimeBinder is a blockchain timestamping service. It shows that a digital file existed no later than a specific time, and that it still matches its fingerprint, by anchoring the file’s SHA-256 fingerprint to the Bitcoin blockchain. Files are hashed in your browser and never uploaded, and each TimeBind comes with a Proof of Time Certificate that can be checked later. It does not prove who created a file or that its contents are true.
Need just one, fast, with no plan? Buy 3 Tokens for US$15, no plan needed, and use them for one ASAP TimeBind, which puts your files in their own Bitcoin transaction, broadcast straight away. Prefer to wait? A Pooled TimeBind uses 1 Token: US$5 on its own, or the Free plan’s 1 Token a month (the Free plan is $0). It is usually recorded within 24 to 48 hours, and often sooner, depending on Bitcoin network activity. A TimeBind shows your file existed no later than the recorded time; it doesn’t show who created it or that its contents are true. See plans and pricing
What happened to WIPO PROOF
- It launched in May 2020 as a pilot.
- WIPO member states decided at the October 2021 General Assembly to discontinue it, citing a fast-changing market and a re-evaluation of the business case.
- Token generation ended on 31 January 2022 and the service was formally discontinued on 1 February 2022.
- WIPO says existing tokens remain valid indefinitely. It committed to support existing customers for five years. The Intellectual Property Office of Singapore says the storage and verification services and the premium certificate service “will still remain available for five years until 31 January 2027”. WIPO’s own pages give no end date.
If you already have WIPO PROOF tokens
- Find each token file and the exact original file it was made from. The token is useless without the unaltered original.
- Download WIPO’s certificate authority chain and timestamping authority certificate from the WIPO PROOF page and store them with your tokens, so you can verify later even if the page changes.
- Check each token now using WIPO’s published OpenSSL instructions, and note the result.
- Keep everything in at least two places. Don’t open and re-save the originals: any change, even metadata, means the file no longer matches its token.
The alternatives
| Option | What it gives you | Good fit for |
|---|---|---|
| RFC 3161 time-stamp from a Time Stamping Authority | A signed token with the file hash and the time, checkable with the TSA certificate. In the EU, qualified time stamps carry a legal presumption under eIDAS. | The closest technical match to WIPO PROOF, especially in the EU |
| Blockchain timestamp (TimeBinder, OpenTimestamps) | The file hash recorded on the Bitcoin blockchain. OpenTimestamps proofs and ASAP TimeBinds can be checked without trusting one authority’s certificate; Pooled TimeBinds are verified through TimeBinder. | Creators, inventors and teams who want an independent record and a readable certificate |
| Notary | A notary certifies what was presented on a date. Usually tied to paper or a described document, not file bytes. | Signed statements, formal declarations |
| Registration (copyright, design, patent) | A legal right or a public record with legal effects, depending on the system. | Finished works and inventions you intend to enforce |
| Trade secret records | Dated internal records under access control. A timestamp of each record helps show what you held and when. | Formulas, processes, source code you keep confidential |
Where TimeBinder fits
- Like WIPO PROOF, only a hash is used. Your file is hashed in your browser and never uploaded, which suits confidential and unpublished material.
- The record doesn’t depend on TimeBinder staying in business: an ASAP TimeBind gets its own Bitcoin transaction, so it can be checked against the public ledger. Pooled TimeBinds are grouped and verified through TimeBinder.
- You get a Proof of Time Certificate you can share with an examiner, investor or court.
- If you need an EU qualified time stamp, use a qualified TSA as well. See RFC 3161 vs blockchain timestamps.
How to timestamp a file with TimeBinder
Three steps. Submitting takes a few minutes; a Pooled TimeBind is usually recorded within 24 to 48 hours, and often sooner, depending on Bitcoin network activity, and ASAP is faster.
Drop your files
Add up to 10 files per TimeBind. Any file type and size works.
invention-notes.pdf · formula.xlsxHashed on your computer
Your browser works out a unique SHA-256 fingerprint for each file. Nothing is uploaded. The files never leave your device and TimeBinder never stores them.
fingerprint 9f2c…41ab · file stays with youSealed to Bitcoin
The fingerprints are anchored to the Bitcoin blockchain: ASAP (your own transaction, sent straight away) or Pooled (usually recorded within 24 to 48 hours, and often sooner, depending on Bitcoin network activity). You get a Proof of Time Certificate, a PDF with a QR code and the Bitcoin transaction ID.
✓ sealed · certificate ready
What a TimeBind shows, and what it doesn’t
What it shows
- That this exact file existed no later than the time recorded on the Bitcoin blockchain
- That a file shown later still matches its fingerprint: the same file gives the same fingerprint, and any edit gives a different one
- A record kept outside your own systems: an ASAP TimeBind can be checked on the Bitcoin blockchain without relying on TimeBinder, and a Pooled TimeBind is verified through TimeBinder
What it doesn’t show
- Who created, wrote or signed the file
- That the contents are true or accurate
- How a court or other decision-maker will treat it: that depends on the jurisdiction and the rules that apply. It isn’t legal advice
Frequently asked questions
Is WIPO PROOF still available?
No. WIPO stopped generating new WIPO PROOF tokens on 31 January 2022 and formally discontinued the service on 1 February 2022, after member states reviewed the pilot that launched in May 2020.
Are my old WIPO PROOF tokens still valid?
WIPO says all WIPO PROOF tokens remain valid indefinitely and can be verified with equivalent timestamping tools or open-source utilities. You need the unaltered original file and its token.
How do I verify a WIPO PROOF token?
WIPO’s page gives instructions using OpenSSL with WIPO’s certificate authority chain and timestamping certificate, which you can download from wipo.int. Save those certificates with your tokens now so you can check them later without depending on any website.
What is the closest replacement for WIPO PROOF?
For the same kind of record, an RFC 3161 time-stamp from a trusted Time Stamping Authority (in the EU, a qualified one) is the closest technical match. If you want a record that does not depend on any single authority, a blockchain-anchored timestamp such as TimeBinder or OpenTimestamps is the other main option.
Is my file uploaded to TimeBinder?
No. Like WIPO PROOF, only a hash is used. Your browser calculates it and the file stays on your device.
Related guides
- How to prove you invented something firstFor inventors
- Invention recordsTimestamping confidential records
- TimeBinder vs OpenTimestampsOpenTimestamps alternative
- RFC 3161 vs blockchain timestampWho you trust, precision, eIDAS
- All comparisonsEvery way to prove when a file existed
- Prove your draft historyFor authors facing AI accusations
Open TimeBinder and timestamp your records
Here’s what you’ll do next:
- Open the app and sign in with email or Google.
- Add your files. They stay on your computer.
- Seal them and download your Proof of Time certificates.
The Free plan is $0 and includes 1 Token a month. See pricing