# Manage land titles securely on blockchain

> The Brazilian real estate registry Cartório de Registro de Imóveis collaborated with technology provider Ubitquity to pilot the recording of property deeds on a blockchain platform. The initiative aimed to make property ownership tamper-proof and improve the transparency of public registry records. The solution was deployed as a parallel digital tracking system across the municipalities of Morro Redondo and Pelotas.

**Sector:** Tertiary sector · **Industry:** Government agencies and public administration · **Organisation:** Cartório de Registro de Imóveis (Brasilien), Ubiquity · **Maturity level:** Pilot

Canonical URL: https://www.sapientblock.com/en/use-cases/cartorio-de-registro-de-imoveis-landtitel-grundbuchdaten-manipulationssicher

## Documentation status

- **Project status:** Pilot
- **Evidence:** Evidence medium
- **Editorial review:** pending

## Description

The Brazilian land registry office Cartório de Registro de Imóveis, together with the startup Ubitquity, launched a pilot project to map property titles tamper-proof on a blockchain. In many parts of the world, registry authorities face the challenge of securing land registers against manipulation and forgery. By using distributed ledgers, a tamper-proof audit trail is created that strengthens the trust of citizens and businesses in proof of ownership.

The pilot project arose against the backdrop of complex challenges in property management and the risk of fraudulent manipulation of cadastral data in Brazil. Together with the US software provider Ubitquity, the Cartório de Registro de Imóveis implemented a parallel registry structure in the municipalities of Morro Redondo and Pelotas in the state of Rio Grande do Sul. Relevant metadata and encrypted proofs of property transfers were stored on the blockchain in addition to the traditional register. The aim was to mirror the integrity of existing official legal structures without immediately replacing existing legislation. The feasibility of the procedure was positively documented as a model for secure land administration in scientific papers by the International Federation of Surveyors (FIG) and specialist media.

## Benefits

- Accelerated due diligence in commercial property transactions
- Reduced legal risks in the mortgaging of land
- Greater security of private property against unlawful manipulation
- Increased traceability of land register changes
- Tamper-proof and permanent storage of proof of ownership
- Increased transparency in cadastral and notarisation processes
- Reduction of fraud risks in property transfers
- Relief from repetitive manual authenticity checks
- Complete document history for rapid case processing

## Challenges

- Requirement for standardised digital interfaces for banks and notaries
- Limited technical understanding among the general population of cryptographic ownership certificates
- Harmonisation of technology with existing national legal standards
- Complexity in integrating parallel systems into traditional administrative processes
- Training needs for staff in handling blockchain-supported recording tools

## Technology foundation

The solution is based on the specialised platform of the provider Ubitquity, which maps ownership and land register data encrypted on a distributed ledger architecture. Cryptographic checksums and immutable transaction histories ensure that entries in the land register cannot be manipulated or overwritten unnoticed afterwards.

## Sources

- [Blockchain, a Feasible Technology for Land Administration?](https://www.fig.net/resources/proceedings/fig_proceedings/fig2019/papers/ts01i/TS01I_seifert_mueller_10110.pdf)
- [Blockchain-based Ubitquity pilots with Brazil's land records bureau](https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/blockchain-based-ubitquity-pilots-brazils-land-records-bureau-1615518)
- [Blockchain Land Registry Tech Gets Test in Brazil](https://www.coindesk.com/markets/2017/04/05/blockchain-land-registry-tech-gets-test-in-brazil)
- [Land Registry Blockchain Testing Starts In Brazil](https://coingeek.com/land-registry-blockchain-testing-starts-brazil/)
- [Ubitquity launches real estate recordkeeping pilot in Brazil](https://blockchaintechnology-news.com/news/ubitquity-launches-real-estate-recordkeeping-pilot-brazil/)