AIKernel Hash-Anchored Trust Layer (HATL): A Hybrid Symmetric Ledger with Hash-Based Public Anchors
Description
This technical note introduces the AIKernel Hash-Anchored Trust Layer (HATL), a hybrid trust architecture for Semantic Context Operating Systems and autonomous AI runtimes.
HATL separates the trust boundary into an inner high-frequency symmetric ledger and an outer publicly auditable anchoring layer. The inner layer uses HMAC-SHA-512 and HKDF-based forward ratcheting to bind ReplayLogs, execution outcomes, and capability states with low runtime overhead. The outer layer aggregates local ledger commitments into Merkle roots and periodically anchors them using hash-based public signature mechanisms such as LMS, XMSS, and SLH-DSA.
The report is distributed as a three-part technical package. Part I contains the full English manuscript and is the canonical version. Part II contains technical appendices, repository specifications, schemas, and reference implementation artifacts. Part III contains the Japanese companion translation.
This version incorporates review-driven clarifications on secure erasure in C# / .NET environments, fail-closed handling of indeterminate governance decisions, and future integration of zero-knowledge proof techniques for public anchor verification.
Documents are licensed under CC BY 4.0. Code, schemas, and contract specimens included in the appendices are provided under Apache-2.0.
Files
PART_I_Full_Manuscript.pdf
Additional details
Software
- Repository URL
- https://github.com/AIKernel-NET/AIKernel.Hatl
- Programming language
- C#
- Development Status
- Active
References
- National Institute of Standards and Technology. (2015). Secure Hash Standard (SHS). FIPS PUB 180-4. https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.FIPS.180-4
- National Institute of Standards and Technology. (2008). The Keyed-Hash Message Authentication Code (HMAC). FIPS PUB 198-1. https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.FIPS.198-1
- National Institute of Standards and Technology. (2024). Stateless Hash-Based Digital Signature Standard. FIPS PUB 205. https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.FIPS.205
- National Institute of Standards and Technology. (2020). Recommendation for Stateful Hash-Based Signature Schemes. NIST SP 800-208. https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.SP.800-208
- Krawczyk, H., & Eronen, P. (2010). HMAC-based Extract-and-Expand Key Derivation Function (HKDF). RFC 5869. https://doi.org/10.17487/RFC5869
- Huelsing, A., Butin, D., Gazdag, S.-L., Rijneveld, J., & Mohaisen, A. (2018). XMSS: eXtended Merkle Signature Scheme. RFC 8391. https://doi.org/10.17487/RFC8391
- McGrew, D., Curcio, M., & Fluhrer, S. (2019). Leighton-Micali Hash-Based Signatures. RFC 8554. https://doi.org/10.17487/RFC8554
- Merkle, R. C. (1989). A Certified Digital Signature. Advances in Cryptology — CRYPTO '89 Proceedings. https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-46766-1_15
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