Abstract: A computer-implemented method of and a system for securely establishing control of a resource in a distributed ledger is disclosed. The distributed ledger comprises a first shard instantiated on one or more first processor(s) of a first system. The first shard is configured to respond to an instruction originating from a first party. The distributed ledger further comprises a second shard instantiated on one or more second processor(s) and configured to respond to an instruction originating from a second party. The method comprises creating, by means of the publishing of a record by the first system, the resource, wherein the publishing of the record occurs in response to an instruction originating from the first party, wherein the publishing of the record is to the first shard of the ledger, and wherein the publishing of the record establishes that control of the resource resides with the second party.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a cryptographic protocol, and a system for implementing said protocol, for providing overt ledger secured key escrow access to encrypted data. The invention uses a plurality of trustee systems, each holding a secret share of a secret, to validate requests for the secret from authorised third parties. When a valid request is made, each trustee system publishes its secret share to a ledger. The secret shares can be combined to reveal the encryption key only by the authorised third party. Requests for the encryption key, and the responses by the trustee systems, can be accessed by the owner of the encryption key to identify the requesting third party and to have proof that the key has been revealed to the third party.