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Primary VDT Overview

What is a Primary VDT?​

A Primary Validated Data Token (Primary VDT) is a schema-driven Validated Data Token that represents a verified business record defined by your organization. Unlike identity-bound tokens such as IVDTs or OVDTs that are minted from KYC/KYB outcomes, Primary VDTs let you define custom attribute schemas through a Registry and programmatically create, update, search, and (for ERC-721 registries) transfer and burn tokenized records through the ChainIT REST API.

Each Primary VDT is anchored to a Registry — a reusable schema template that defines which attributes are required, searchable, shareable, and eligible for on-chain minting. When you create a Primary VDT, ChainIT validates your attribute values against that schema, persists an auditable ledger record, and optionally mints the result on-chain.

Why Primary VDTs?​

Primary VDTs give product and compliance teams a programmable way to tokenize structured business data without building custom blockchain or ledger infrastructure.

  • Schema-first design — define attributes once in a Registry, then reuse across every VDT instance
  • Full lifecycle control — create, update, list, filter, read, transfer, and burn through REST APIs
  • Audit-ready ledgers — every change is recorded with Who, What, When, and Where context
  • Optional on-chain minting — set options.mint: true on create or update when blockchain proof is required
  • Organization-scoped — all registries and VDTs are scoped to the authenticated organization

How Primary VDTs Relate to Other VDT Types​

VDT typeBound toTypical use
IVDTVerified individual (KYC)Customer identity anchor
OVDTVerified organization (KYB)Business identity anchor
Pactvera VDTCompleted agreement workflowContract and form execution proof
Primary VDTCustom registry schemaEmployee credentials, asset records, certificates, operational data tokens

Primary VDTs are organization-defined. Your compliance or operations team configures the Registry in the ChainIT admin panel; your integration calls the SDK APIs to create and manage instances.

Core Capabilities​

1. Registry-Driven Creation​

Select a Registry, supply attribute values keyed by schema slugs, and create a Primary VDT in a single API call. Attribute validation is enforced server-side against the active schema version.

2. Ledger Read & Search​

Retrieve the full ledger snapshot for a VDT (Who / What / When / Where context) or list and filter VDTs by registry and searchable attribute values.

3. Lifecycle Management (Registry-Type Dependent)​

Lifecycle rules branch on the registry's isDataVdt flag:

  • ERC-721 registries — create and update require options.mint: true. Minted tokens can be updated (re-minted), transferred (when transferable), or burned (when burnable).
  • DataVDT registries — create and update can run as drafts without minting. Once minted, the ledger is immutable (no further updates or re-mints). Burn and transfer are never supported.

4. Reference Linking​

Associate a Primary VDT with related Primary VDT records through referenceInfo, enabling linked credential or asset hierarchies within the same organization.

Who Uses Primary VDTs?​

Primary VDTs are designed for enterprises that need verifiable, structured records beyond standard KYC/KYB identity tokens:

  • HR and workforce platforms issuing employee credentials
  • Supply chain and asset management systems tokenizing product or equipment records
  • Compliance programs requiring auditable, schema-controlled data artifacts
  • Partner ecosystems sharing verifiable records between organizations (when transfer is enabled)

Key Advantages​

Programmable Trust Layer​

Embed verifiable records directly into your product workflows — no manual attestation or self-declared data.

Consistent Schema Enforcement​

Registries ensure every VDT instance conforms to the same attribute rules, reducing data quality and compliance gaps.

Scalable API Integration​

All lifecycle operations are exposed through M2M-scoped REST endpoints, making Primary VDTs suitable for high-volume programmatic use.

Transparent Audit Trail​

Ledger reads return the full 4W context for each VDT, supporting regulatory review and internal governance.