Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about provenance-certified shares
A Provenance-Wrapped Share (PWS) is a next-generation digital asset that connects real equities to a programmable token on Ethereum. In traditional systems like DTCC, all shares are pooled together and the original ownership history is erased. A PWS does the opposite. It preserves and proves the full chain of custody for a specific batch of shares, for example shares that were once held by a founder, early employee or VIP.
Each PWS is created as an ERC-1155 token. This gives us the ability to issue different classes of provenance-backed items, such as unique originals, limited series and collector editions, while keeping minting efficient and metadata flexible.
A PWS also includes an ERC-1400 style compliance layer. ERC-1400 is the framework used for regulated digital securities and it allows us to ensure that each PWS follows the same rules as the underlying equity. This includes:
- one-to-one backing by real shares held with a qualified custodian
- transfers only between verified and approved holders
- enforcement of jurisdiction rules
- support for lockups, redemptions and regulatory actions
- alignment between on-chain balances and the real-world share register
The result is simple. ERC-1155 provides the collectible and programmable layer. ERC-1400 provides the compliance and regulatory layer. Combined, they make provenance verifiable, transferable and valuable.
For more about how this fits into our vision, visit the Mission section on the About page.