Setara Network
India's Sovereign Document Blockchain
Abstract
Setara is a sovereign, purpose-built blockchain for document management, designed and built in India. It enables organizations to register, store, and verify documents on an immutable ledger without the complexity of tokens, wallets, or cryptocurrency. Built on the Cosmos SDK with CometBFT consensus, Setara offers enterprise-grade reliability with consumer-grade simplicity.
The Problem
India's digital infrastructure is rapidly growing, but document verification remains fragmented and trust-dependent:
Certificate fraud costs Indian universities and employers billions annually
Document verification requires manual processes, taking days or weeks
No unified system exists for cross-organizational document trust
Existing blockchain solutions require token management, making them impractical for non-technical organizations
Centralized databases are single points of failure and susceptible to tampering
The Setara Solution
Setara is a permissionless read, permissioned write blockchain:
Read: Anyone
Verify any document on the network without authentication
Write: Orgs Only
Only registered organizations can register documents
No Tokens
Billing in fiat (INR) via credit system — no crypto complexity
Self-Hosted
Each organization runs their own validator node + IPFS storage
Design Principles
Simplicity over sophistication — Minimal components, one-command deployment
Fiat-first — Credits in INR, no token economics or trading
Organization-centric — Built for institutions, not individuals
Sovereign — Designed for Indian regulatory requirements
Open source — Transparent and auditable
Architecture
Chain Layer
Setara is built on:
Cosmos SDK v0.53
Modular blockchain framework
CometBFT
Byzantine fault-tolerant consensus
Proof of Authority
Organizations become validators
The chain has two custom modules:
x/document
RegisterDocument— Store hash, IPFS CID, metadata, recipientVerifyDocument— Emit verification eventDocumentByHash— O(1) lookup via secondary index
x/organization
RegisterOrganization— Register org on-chain with admin address- Access control — Only org admins can register documents
Storage Layer
On-chain: document_hash | ipfs_cid | metadata | issuer | recipient | timestamp
IPFS: actual files (certificates, PDFs, images)
Per-org: each org runs its own IPFS node → data sovereigntyAPI Layer
REST API server handling organization registration, credit-based billing, document submission, and public verification.
POST /api/v1/register # Self-service org registration
POST /api/v1/me/documents # Register document (deducts credits)
GET /api/v1/verify?hash=... # Public verification
GET /api/v1/me/wallet # Check credit balanceInfrastructure
| Component | Hosted By | Technology |
|---|---|---|
| Seed / Sentry nodes | Setara | setarad |
| API Server | Setara | Go + SQLite |
| Block Explorer | Setara | Ping.pub |
| Admin Panel | Setara | Web (Tailwind) |
| Validator Node | Each Org | setarad (Docker) |
| IPFS Node | Each Org | Kubo (Docker) |
Consensus & Validators
Setara uses a Proof of Authority model:
Validators
Each registered org runs a validator node
No Staking
Validators are trusted organizations, not token holders
Zero Gas
Transactions are free at the chain level
Instant Finality
CometBFT provides immediate block finality
Validator Requirements
| Requirement | Specification |
|---|---|
| Identity | Registered organization with verified identity |
| Server | 2 CPU, 4GB RAM, 100GB SSD minimum |
| Network | Stable internet connection |
| Setup | Docker Compose — one-command deployment |
Billing Model
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Signup bonus | 5,000 credits (free) |
| Document registration | 1 credit (default, configurable per org) |
| Credit rate | Denominated in INR (configurable) |
| Validator node | Free (testnet), pricing TBD (mainnet) |
Flow
1. Organization registers via API → receives 5,000 free credits
2. Each document registration deducts credits from wallet
3. Super admin manages wallet top-ups (fiat via Razorpay)
4. Per-org configurable pricing for enterprise clientsNetworks
setara-testnet-1
- Development and testing
- 5,000 free credits on signup
- Data may be reset periodically
- Open for all organizations
setara-1
- Production network
- Paid credits (after free tier)
- Permanent, immutable data
- Validator onboarding required
Use Cases
Sports Certificates
Krida e Pramaan: Competition certificates on-chain. Athletes and employers verify instantly.
Academic Credentials
Tamper-proof degree certificates. Employers verify without contacting the university.
Government Documents
Land records, identity proofs, official documents with immutable audit trails.
Corporate Compliance
Audit trails, legal documents stored immutably for regulatory requirements.
Healthcare Records
Patient records with verifiable provenance and privacy-preserving hash storage.
Supply Chain
Certificate of origin and provenance tracking for goods.
Roadmap
Security
CometBFT consensus — Byzantine fault-tolerant up to 1/3 malicious validators
Access control — Only org admins can write, enforced at chain level via keeper interfaces
No tokens — No economic attack surface — no MEV, no front-running, no token manipulation
IPFS content addressing — Documents are immutable by CID — tamper-proof by design
API key authentication — Per-org API keys with super admin oversight and constant-time comparison
Deterministic IDs — SHA-256 based ID generation prevents enumeration attacks
Conclusion
Setara makes blockchain practical for Indian organizations by removing the complexity of tokens and cryptocurrency while preserving the guarantees of decentralization, immutability, and trustless verification. It is designed to be the document trust layer for India.
SETARA NETWORK
setara.network
Built with pride in India.