{
  "id": 16506375,
  "title": "I seal every NBA prediction before tip-off with SHA-256 and a public Git repo",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/25/i-seal-every-nba-prediction-before-tip-off-with-sha-256-and-a-public",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-25T18:21:59.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Dev.to",
    "slug": "dev-to",
    "url": "https://dev.to/ugur_4a11ebf0266058e5240b/i-seal-every-nba-prediction-before-tip-off-with-sha-256-and-a-public-git-repo-32k3"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "To ensure transparency and verifiability in NBA predictions, the author has developed a system where each pregame prediction is sealed with a SHA-256 fingerprint before tip-off. This fingerprint remains constant until the game ends, even if the underlying probabilities change. The seal is pushed to a public GitHub repository, with commit timestamps provided by GitHub rather than the individual. Each file includes a reference to the previous file's fingerprint, creating a chain of hashes that links every entry in chronological order. This structure allows anyone to verify the integrity of the prediction data by checking the hashes and ensuring the chain remains unbroken. Additionally, sensitive data is protected using a commit-reveal scheme, where the actual probabilities are hidden until after the game, revealed through a separate file that includes the original data, a secret salt, and the final game results. This system allows the prediction's credibility to be independently verified without trusting the author, using only standard Python libraries and publicly accessible resources.",
  "summary": "Every sports prediction account has a great record. That's the problem. Once the final score is in, anyone can say they called it, and the easy ways to fake a track record don't need a single lie you can point to: post the calls that came in, quietly delete the ones that didn't, nudge a number after the injury news, or write the \"prediction\" up after the game. I build Clutch , an NBA app that…",
  "key_points": [
    "Each pregame NBA prediction sealed with SHA-256 fingerprint",
    "Prediction data stored in public GitHub repository with commit timestamps",
    "Sensitive probabilities hidden until after game through commit-reveal scheme"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}