Abstract: Apparatus and methods for utilizing non-fungible tokens (“NFTs”) as universal digital identification are provided. A user may be assigned an NFT on a distributed ledger attesting to the user's identity. The user may request to be authenticated. The user may be prompted to transfer the NFT to a smart contract on the distributed ledger. An authentication program may check the NFT and the NFT's history on the ledger to determine that the NFT belongs to the user. When the NFT belongs to the user, the authentication program may authenticate the user. The smart contract may transfer the NFT back to the user, so that the user may use the NFT again to be authenticated.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for reverse identification and authentication are provided. The apparatus and methods may include a server receiving a request from a user device to authenticate an entity, forming a communication channel between the entity and the user device, requesting the entity provide authentication credentials, and authenticating the entity. When the entity is authenticated, the server may notify the user through the authentication channel, a mobile device application, or another method. An entity may proactively authenticate itself to a user through the central server, in anticipation of a communication between the entity and user.

Abstract: A method for reducing a storage of duplicated documents is provided. Methods may include hashing each document stored in the centralized data repository by executing a hashing algorithm on the document, outputting a hash-value and adding the hash-value and a hash pointer to a hash table. Methods may further include crawling the hash table to identify duplicate hash-values. For each hash-value recorded on the hash table two or more times, methods may include combining two or more duplicate hash-values into a cluster and for each cluster identifying, on the hash table, a unique hash-value. For the unique hash-value, methods may include maintaining the unique hash-value on the hash table and maintaining the document corresponding to the unique hash-value in the memory address. For each remaining duplicate hash-value stored in the cluster, deleting the corresponding document from the memory address and store the reference pointer at the memory address.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for utilizing non-fungible tokens (“NFTs”) as universal digital identification are provided. A user may be assigned an NFT on a distributed ledger attesting to the user's identity. The user may request to be authenticated. The user may be prompted to transfer the NFT to a smart contract on the distributed ledger. An authentication program may check the NFT and the NFT's history on the ledger to determine that the NFT belongs to the user. When the NFT belongs to the user, the authentication program may authenticate the user. The smart contract may transfer the NFT back to the user, so that the user may use the NFT again to be authenticated.

Abstract: A method for reducing a storage of duplicated documents is provided. Methods may include hashing each document stored in the centralized data repository by executing a hashing algorithm on the document, outputting a hash-value and adding the hash-value and a hash pointer to a hash table. Methods may further include crawling the hash table to identify duplicate hash-values. For each hash-value recorded on the hash table two or more times, methods may include combining two or more duplicate hash-values into a cluster and for each cluster identifying, on the hash table, a unique hash-value. For the unique hash-value, methods may include maintaining the unique hash-value on the hash table and maintaining the document corresponding to the unique hash-value in the memory address. For each remaining duplicate hash-value stored in the cluster, deleting the corresponding document from the memory address and store the reference pointer at the memory address.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for reverse identification and authentication are provided. The apparatus and methods may include a server receiving a request from a user device to authenticate an entity, forming a communication channel between the entity and the user device, requesting the entity provide authentication credentials, and authenticating the entity. When the entity is authenticated, the server may notify the user through the authentication channel, a mobile device application, or another method. An entity may proactively authenticate itself to a user through the central server, in anticipation of a communication between the entity and user.