A new documentary shows how bitcoin, beyond its role as digital money, played a crucial role in verifying Guatemala’s most recent presidential election.
The documentary, titled “Immutable democracy,” delves into the innovative use of OpenTimestamps, a tool developed by bitcoin Core developer Peter Todd and implemented by Guatemalan tech startup Simple Proof.
OpenTimestamps uses cryptographic timestamps on the bitcoin blockchain, ensuring the immutability of key documents related to the country’s elections. This approach, which leverages hash functions and decentralized blockchain technology, provides a strong defense against fraud and manipulation.
“The reason why bitcoin is useful for elections… is because all these communities have a common goal, which is the truth. We can use the same system that is good at helping people get to the truth,” Todd said in the video.
The documentary explains the intricacies of OpenTimestamps and details how it cryptographically marks data on the bitcoin blockchain. By pinning information to a specific block, the tool ensures that tens of thousands of network nodes can independently verify the existence and timing of the timestamp.
Guatemala, plagued by a history of political corruption, adopted Simple Proof’s Immutable Backup solution to strengthen the electoral process.
Rafael Cordón, co-founder of Simple Proof, highlighted the application of OpenTimestamps to record document proofs on the bitcoin blockchain in an inviolable manner. This method not only protects official election documents but also protects against artificial intelligence and misinformation.
Citizens of Guatemala now have access to an exclusive web portal that allows them to verify proof of time for each record used in the elections. While the setup does not guarantee the validity of each sheet, it provides transparency by allowing citizens to independently verify when each tally sheet was time-stamped.
This transparency becomes crucial to identify potential anomalies, such as sheets with timestamps significantly later than the expected deadline.
“The only acceptable choice is something that anyone can verify and be part of that process, and the beauty of the role is (giving it) integrity, it just takes a lot of eyes from a lot of observers,” Todd added. .
The documentary emphasizes the role of bitcoin and OpenTimestamps in dispelling accusations of election fraud. Following the unexpected victory of President-elect Bernardo Arévalo, allegations of fraud led to intense scrutiny.
bitcoin‘s role in this context extends beyond its original design as peer-to-peer electronic money, offering a model for how greater transparency and accountability can be brought to elections around the world.
