How we prove our draws are fair
Grand Draws uses a commit-and-reveal draw tied to a public randomness beacon. Before entries close we publish a commitment to the entry list and name the future beacon round that will decide the result. When that round is published — by an independent network, on a fixed schedule, and unpredictable to everyone including us — the winning ticket follows arithmetically. Anyone can recompute it and get the same answer.
The problem with "watch the video"
The standard in this market is a livestreamed draw. It is better than nothing, but it asks you to trust that the list being drawn from is the real one, that nothing was re-run off camera, and that the randomiser was not steered.
None of that is verifiable after the fact. You are trusting the operator, which is exactly what a fairness guarantee is supposed to remove.
What we do instead
Three steps, each of which closes off a way to cheat:
- Commit. Before entries close we publish a cryptographic fingerprint of the entry list. Change a single entry afterwards and the fingerprint no longer matches.
- Name the round in advance. We state which future beacon round will be used. This is the load-bearing part: choosing a round that has already been published would let someone pick a favourable number, so naming it beforehand is what makes the guarantee real.
- Reveal and recompute. When that round publishes, the random value combines with the entry list to produce the winning ticket. The maths is deterministic, so anyone running it gets the same result.
Why we cannot rig it
The randomness comes from a public beacon operated by an independent network, producing a new unpredictable value on a fixed schedule. We do not run it, cannot influence it, and cannot know the value in advance any more than you can.
That is the whole point. Our own honesty is not what the guarantee rests on — the arithmetic is.
Check one yourself
The draw checker takes a competition's commitment, its beacon round and its entry count, fetches the beacon value live, and recomputes the winner in front of you. You do not need to take our word for any step of it.
Common questions
What is a randomness beacon?
A public service run by an independent network that publishes a new unpredictable random value on a fixed schedule. Anyone can read it and nobody can predict or alter it in advance.
What stops you picking a favourable beacon round?
The round is named before entries close, so at the moment of choosing it nobody — including us — knows what value it will produce. Naming a round that has already published would void the guarantee, which is why the order matters.
Can I verify a draw after it has happened?
Yes, at any time. The commitment, the round and the entry count are all published, and the beacon value stays permanently available, so the result can be rechecked years later.