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 winner. That round is produced by an independent network on a fixed schedule, and nobody can predict its value in advance, including us. Once it publishes, the winning ticket follows from the arithmetic, and anyone can recompute it and reach the same answer.
The problem with "watch the video"
The usual approach in this market is a livestreamed draw. It beats nothing, but it still asks you to trust that the list being drawn from is the real one, that nothing was quietly re-run off camera, and that the randomiser was left alone.
None of that can be checked after the fact. You are trusting the operator, which is the one thing 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 decide it. This is the load-bearing part: picking a round that had already published would let someone choose a number they liked, so naming it beforehand is what makes the guarantee real.
- Reveal and recompute. When that round publishes, its random value combines with the entry list to produce the winning ticket. The maths is deterministic, so anyone who runs it lands on the same result.
Why we cannot rig it
The randomness comes from a public beacon run by an independent network, which puts out a fresh, unpredictable value on a fixed schedule. We do not operate it, cannot influence it, and cannot know the value ahead of time any more than you can.
That is the whole point. The guarantee does not rest on our honesty. It rests on the arithmetic.
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 have to take our word for a single step of it.
Common questions
What is a randomness beacon?
A public service, run by an independent network, that publishes a fresh 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 we choose it nobody knows what value it will produce, including us. Picking a round that had 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 available for good, so a result can be rechecked years later.