Byte prefix
The reserved single byte prepended to data before SHA-256 hashing for domain separation; every hashed object kind in Truestamp has its own registered prefix (0x00 Merkle leaf, 0x01 internal node, 0x11 item claims, 0x61 proof signing payload), enumerated in the byte-prefix registry.
Overview
A byte prefix is a single reserved byte that Truestamp places in front of data before hashing it with SHA-256, so the preimage is always prefix_byte || data. Each kind of hashed object has its own registered prefix value: 0x00 for a Merkle leaf, 0x01 for a Merkle internal node, 0x11 for item claims, 0x61 for the proof signing payload, among others. The prefix is what implements domain separation: the same bytes hashed under two different prefixes produce two unrelated fingerprints. The complete table of reserved prefixes is a long-lived contract, and a prefix, once assigned, is never reused for a different purpose. A verifier reproducing any Truestamp hash must take the prefix from the byte-prefix registry; the mechanism itself is explained in domain-separated hashing.