With SORA 2’s release, we’ve crossed a threshold: AI-generated video avatars are now indistinguishable from real people. This is incredible technology, but it creates an urgent problem for content creators.
The Core Problem
OpenAI has built-in controls to prevent unauthorized avatar (cameo) creation, which is responsible and necessary. But realistically:
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Other providers will launch similar models without these restrictions
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Open-source alternatives will emerge with no censorship layer
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Scammers can already create perfect deepfakes of anyone for impersonation/scams
Traditional verification (blue checks, platform badges) doesn’t scale to this. Creators need a way to prove “this content actually came from me” that doesn’t rely on trusting any single platform or authority.
A Blockchain-Based Approach
I’ve been exploring a trustless verification system using public blockchain. Here’s the concept:
Setup (one-time):
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Creator announces a crypto wallet address publicly on verified social media (Twitter, Instagram, YouTube)
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Example post: “Starting [date], all my authentic content will be registered from wallet: UQAbc123…”
For each piece of content:
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Generate cryptographic hash (fingerprint) of the content file
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Register that hash on the blockchain from the announced wallet (~$0.03-0.05 transaction fee)
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Optionally add verification markers:
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Visible watermark (wallet address + QR code)
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Verification link in description/comments
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Or nothing—keep as emergency backup for disputes
- Publish content across all platforms
Note: The blockchain registration exists regardless of visible markers. Anyone can verify by generating the hash and checking the blockchain. However, visible markers train your audience to expect verification, making unmarked content suspicious over time.
Verification (by audience):
If content has watermark/QR code or verification link:
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Scan QR code or click link → opens the specific proof page
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View complete proof details:
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Content hash and blockchain registration
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Timestamp of registration
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Wallet address used
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Verified social accounts linked to this wallet (Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, etc.)
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Direct blockchain transaction link
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No upload needed—just viewing the existing proof
If verifying suspicious content without markers:
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Visit verification platform manually
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Enter creator’s announced wallet address
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Upload the suspicious content file
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System generates hash and searches blockchain for that wallet
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Hash found = authentic | 
Hash not found = fake/unregistered -
If found, see the proof page with linked social accounts
Why social account linking matters:
The proof page shows which verified social accounts are connected to the wallet. This creates a chain of trust: verified social identity → announced wallet → blockchain registrations. Even if someone steals content and registers it, they can’t link your verified social accounts to their wallet.
Why This Might Work
Trustless: No central authority to trust. Blockchain is public and immutable. Even if the tool provider disappears, registrations remain forever verifiable.
Cryptographically secure: Scammers can’t register from the creator’s wallet (they don’t have the private keys). If they copy the watermark onto fake content, verification fails because the hash will be different.
Forward-looking: Works for content registered AFTER the wallet announcement. Prevents future impersonation rather than proving past ownership.
Platform-agnostic: Doesn’t matter if content spreads to TikTok, Twitter, Telegram, or platforms that don’t exist yet. The blockchain registration is the source of truth.
Limitations I’m Aware Of
Audience participation required: Most people won’t check. You’re relying on 10-20% of engaged fans to verify and alert others.
Doesn’t prevent deepfakes: It doesn’t stop fakes from being created, just provides a mechanism to verify authenticity.
Race condition: If someone steals your content and registers it BEFORE you announce your wallet, there’s no blockchain-based way to prove who’s real. Registration must happen before public distribution.
Crypto friction: Requires creators to be comfortable with crypto wallets, which is a significant barrier for many.
Not legal proof: Blockchain registration alone doesn’t constitute legal proof of ownership or creation.
Technical Implementation (TON Blockchain)
I’m prototyping this on TON blockchain specifically because:
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Transaction comments can contain the content hash (data + payment linked in one transaction)
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Fast and cheap (~$0.05 per registration)
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Public and verifiable by anyone
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Integrated with Telegram (large creator base)
What I’m Building
I’m developing an open-source proof-of-concept for this system. The goal is to validate whether creators would actually use this and if audiences can be trained to verify.
github/mmalakhov777/MARKA
Current features:
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Wallet connection and authentication
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Content hash generation (SHA-256)
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Blockchain registration with proof storage
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Watermark generation with QR codes
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Public verification pages
Questions for the Community
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Is this approach fundamentally sound? What am I missing from a cryptographic or security perspective?
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Would YOU actually use this as a creator? Is the crypto wallet friction too high?
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Audience education: How do you train audiences to check watermarks when most people won’t? Is 10-20% verification rate enough for community-based fake detection?
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Alternative approaches: Are there better ways to solve this that don’t require blockchain? I chose blockchain for trustlessness, but maybe there’s a simpler solution.
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Legal considerations: Could this type of registration be admissible as supporting evidence in legal cases? Or is it only useful for community-based verification?
Thoughts? What breaks this system? What am I underestimating?