INTEGRITY PATH
Document → SHA-256 → Commitment → Avalanche
The document digest is combined with secret verification material and anchored as a compact commitment.
DOCUMENT GATEWAY
Evidence stays off-chain.
Proof stays durable.
The Document Gateway is the presentation boundary for authorized evidence. WaterChain separates document persistence from the blockchain trust anchor.
Verified presentation. The gateway presents evidence without changing the underlying blockchain trust state. Verification always separates the on-chain credential from the off-chain file.
Two paths. One trust model.
PERSISTENCE PATH
Document → Storage / IPFS → CID → Gateway
The actual evidence remains in the off-chain data plane for controlled storage and retrieval.
BOUNDARY
Proof ≠ Data
A CID is an addressing and persistence reference. It is not, by itself, proof that an issuer authorized the credential.
Open a content reference
Gateway presentation does not change the historical blockchain commitment.