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The Hidden State

Between commitment and revelation, data exists in a unique state: provably real but provably inaccessible.

What "Hidden" Means Here​

In most systems, "hidden" means data exists but access is restricted. The data is there; you just cannot see it.

In Ghost Protocol, "hidden" means something different. The commitment is visible, but the data that gave rise to it does not exist on-chain. There is nothing to find because nothing was stored.

This is not data at rest. It is data that has left a cryptographic fingerprint but no body.

What Observers Can See​

Anyone can observe:

  • That a commitment exists
  • When the commitment was made (block timestamp)
  • The position of the commitment in the sequence

Anyone cannot determine:

  • What the commitment represents
  • Who made the commitment
  • Whether the commitment will ever be revealed
  • Whether the commitment has already been revealed (until it is)

The commitment sits in the hidden state, perfectly visible but completely opaque.

What Happens During This Phase​

While a commitment is hidden, several things are true simultaneously:

The value is real. If the commitment represents value, that value exists. It can be transferred to another party by sharing the secret. The blockchain does not need to know.

The data is inaccessible. No amount of computation can extract the data from the commitment alone. The mathematical barrier is absolute.

The holder has options. The person who knows the secret can choose to reveal now, reveal later, or never reveal. This choice cannot be forced or observed.

Time passes without consequence. There is no expiration. A commitment made today can be revealed in a year, a decade, or never. The passage of time does not weaken or strengthen the commitment.

The Power of Waiting​

The hidden state enables strategies that are impossible in transparent systems:

Strategic timing. You can commit to information and reveal it only when conditions are favorable.

Conditional transfer. You can give someone the secret to a commitment without anyone knowing a transfer occurred.

Proof of patience. You can demonstrate that you had certain information at a certain time by revealing an old commitment.

Option value. The commitment itself has value because it represents the option to reveal.

None of these strategies leak information during the hidden state. From the outside, all commitments look identical: opaque 256-bit values with no distinguishing features.

Duration​

There is no minimum or maximum duration for the hidden state. A commitment can be revealed in the same block it was created, or it can remain hidden indefinitely.

The system does not care how long you wait. It does not remind you, nag you, or expire your commitment. The hidden state is stable and patient.