# Signatures on Blockchain

**Handwritten signatures** have served as a legally binding certificates for centuries, but the digital age required digital means of signing documents. **Electronic signatures** emerged to represent consent digitally (e.g. visual representations of signatures, or simply clicking an “I accept” button).\
However, electronic signatures do not provide a high guarantee of proof of identity for the signer or for the validity of the document. To solve this problem, **digital signatures** were adopted, which use cryptographic technology to better confirm the document signature is from a particular signer.<br>

In the past years, most governments have adapted their legislations to recognize the legal integrity of digital signatures (e.g.: UETA and ESIGN Act in the USA, eIDAS in the EU/UK).

### &#x20;<a href="#toc154155852" id="toc154155852"></a>


---

# Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation

If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter:

```
GET https://docs.teranode.group/teranode-sign/overview/signatures-on-blockchain.md?ask=<question>
```

The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.