Free webp to jpg
EN
Image MIME Reference
FACTI

BlockFact Image

image/vnd.blockfact.facti
VS

Windows Icon (Legacy MIME)

image/x-icon
ICO

A complete technical comparison of BlockFact Image and Windows Icon (Legacy MIME) — covering compression, feature support, browser compatibility, magic bytes, and when to choose each format.

ICO wins on browser support

Feature Support

Feature FACTI ICO
Transparency (Alpha) Yes Yes
Animation Support ✕ No ✕ No
Progressive Loading ✕ No ✕ No
HDR Support Yes ✕ No
EXIF Metadata Yes ✕ No
ICC Color Profile Yes ✕ No
BlockFact Image
image/vnd.blockfact.facti
Extension
.facti
Container BlockFact Authenticated Container
Compression Container (Inherits payload compression, e.g., JPEG/PNG)
Algorithm
None (Pass-through to embedded payload)
Color Depth Inherited from payload
Developed by BlockFact
Released 2025
Magic Bytes
Unknown (Proprietary Container)
Full FACTI reference →
Windows Icon (Legacy MIME)
image/x-icon
Extension
.ico
Container ICO Directory Structure
Compression Uncompressed (DIB/BMP) / Deflate (Embedded PNG)
Algorithm
NoneDeflate (via PNG)
Color Depth 1-bit, 4-bit, 8-bit, 24-bit (True Color), 32-bit (RGBA)
Developed by Microsoft Corporation
Released 1985
Magic Bytes
00 00 01 00
Full ICO reference →

Browser Support Comparison

Browser FACTI ICO
Chrome Chrome
✕
✓ 1
Firefox Firefox
✕
✓ 1
Safari Safari
✕
✓ 1
Edge Edge
✕
✓ 12
IE IE (Legacy)
✕
✓
FACTI

FACTI Strengths

  • Provides undeniable, mathematically verifiable proof of a photo's origin (time, location, and device) via the StarkNet blockchain [1.3.1]
  • Privacy-first design utilizes zero-knowledge proofs (Groth16), meaning the actual image is never uploaded to a central server or blockchain
  • Invisible watermarking ensures that even if the image is screenshotted or cropped, tampering can be detected
Limitations
  • Lacks native rendering support in web browsers and standard image viewers, requiring specialized software to view
  • Requires blockchain registration at the moment of capture, making it incompatible with existing legacy photos
  • The proprietary nature of the container limits integration to environments supporting the BlockFact SDK
ICO

ICO Strengths

  • Universally supported by every web browser in existence for website favicons
  • Packs multiple resolutions into a single file, eliminating the need to serve different files for the taskbar vs. the desktop
  • Modern support for embedded PNGs (since Windows Vista) allows for excellent 32-bit transparency (alpha channels) and drastically reduced file sizes
Limitations
  • Internal file structure is convoluted due to decades of legacy cruft, such as the requirement for BMP data to lack a standard file header but double the height property for an archaic XOR/AND mask
  • Larger file size compared to a single optimized PNG or SVG, as it literally stores the same image multiple times at different scales
  • The MIME type landscape is highly fragmented (x-icon vs. vnd.microsoft.icon), causing occasional caching or strict-MIME validation errors on restrictive servers

When to choose which format

FACTI
Use FACTI when…
  • Journalism and Media Authentication
  • Legal and Insurance Evidence
  • AI Deepfake Prevention
  • Content Provenance and Authorship
ICO
Use ICO when…
  • Website Favicons (favicon.ico)
  • Windows Application Executable Icons (.exe)
  • Desktop Shortcut Icons

More comparisons

FACTI vs ACES → ICO vs ACES → FACTI vs APNG → ICO vs APNG → FACTI vs AVCI → ICO vs AVCI → FACTI vs AVCS → ICO vs AVCS → FACTI vs AVIF → ICO vs AVIF → All comparisons →
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