Blockchain-Based Verifiable Credential System for Academic Transcripts

A decentralized, privacy-preserving platform for issuing, storing, and verifying academic credentials using blockchain and cryptography.

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📌 Overview

Academic credential verification is traditionally centralized, slow, and prone to forgery, with little to no privacy protection for students.
This project introduces a trustless, tamper-proof, and privacy-first credential verification system where academic transcripts are issued digitally, stored securely, and verified instantly without relying on intermediaries.

Using Blockchain, IPFS, Cryptography, and W3C Verifiable Credential standards, the system enables:

• Universities to issue authentic digital credentials
• Students to control and selectively disclose their data
• Employers to verify credentials instantly without contacting the issuing institution

Live Deployment: https://blockchain-academic-credential-system.onrender.com/
Prototype (UI-only): https://blockcred-frontend.onrender.com/

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🎯 Aim & Objectives

• Prevent academic certificate forgery
• Enable privacy-preserving verification via selective disclosure
• Decentralize transcript storage while maintaining integrity
• Provide instant, cryptographically verifiable proof of authenticity

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✨ Features

User Features

• Secure digital academic transcript issuance
• Student-owned credentials with full control
• Selective disclosure of academic data (e.g., GPA only)
• Instant credential verification for employers

System Features

• Permissioned blockchain for credential hash anchoring
• IPFS-based off-chain storage for transcripts
• Cryptographic signatures and hash verification
• W3C Verifiable Credential–aligned data model
• Role-based workflows for Issuer, Holder, and Verifier

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🧰 Tech Stack

• Frontend: HTML, CSS, JavaScript
• Backend: Python, Flask
• Database: SQLite / PostgreSQL
• Blockchain: Custom Permissioned Blockchain
• Storage: IPFS (with local fallback)
• Cryptography: RSA-2048, SHA-256, Merkle Proofs
• Testing: pytest
• Tools & Platforms: Docker, Render

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🏗️ Architecture / Workflow

1. University issues a digitally signed academic credential
2. Full transcript is stored on IPFS; its hash is recorded on the blockchain
3. Student receives and controls the credential
4. Student selectively discloses required data to a verifier
5. Employer verifies authenticity via blockchain, IPFS hash, and cryptographic signature

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📁 Project Structure

├── app/
│   ├── app.py              # Flask application entry
│   ├── auth.py             # Authentication & role guards
│   ├── models.py           # Database models
│
├── core/
│   ├── blockchain.py       # Permissioned blockchain logic
│   ├── credential_manager.py
│   ├── crypto_utils.py     # Cryptography & signatures
│   └── ipfs_client.py      # IPFS + local fallback storage
│
├── data/                   # Runtime JSON storage
├── static/                 # CSS & JavaScript
├── templates/              # Jinja2 HTML templates
├── tests/                  # Automated test suite
│
├── Dockerfile
├── requirements.txt
├── main.py
└── README.md

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⚙️ Installation & Setup

Prerequisites

• Python 3.x
• Docker (optional, for containerized deployment)

Setup Steps

1. Install dependencies using requirements.txt
2. Configure environment variables if required

Run Commands

• Start the Flask application:

  python main.py

• Run tests:

  pytest tests/

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▶️ Usage

• Universities log in to issue and sign academic credentials
• Students access and manage their credentials
• Employers verify credentials by submitting a Credential ID or proof
• Verification is performed instantly without contacting the university

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📸 Screenshots / Demo

To be added (Will be added soon...)

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📊 Results / Outcomes

• Tamper-proof academic credential issuance
• Elimination of fake certificates
• Instant verification without intermediaries
• Strong privacy guarantees through selective disclosure

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🔮 Future Enhancements

• DID registry integration
• Mobile credential wallet
• Zero-knowledge proof optimization
• Enterprise blockchain integration
• MPC-based privacy enhancements

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👥 Team Members

• SHASHI – Frontend Design, UI Integration, IPFS Handling
• UDAY – Backend Architecture, Blockchain Logic, Cryptography, Deployment
• TEJA VARSHITH – System Analysis, Test Case Design, Validation & Documentation

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🙏 Credits & Acknowledgements

We sincerely thank:

• 👨‍🏫 Dr. B. Thimma Reddy — Project Guide
• 👨‍🏫 Dr. G. Rajeswarappa — Faculty In-Charge, CST-A
• 👨‍🏫 Dr. K. Bala Chowdappa — Mentor
• G. Pulla Reddy Engineering College (Autonomous), Kurnool
• Open-source blockchain and cryptography communities
• W3C Verifiable Credentials specifications

for their continuous guidance, encouragement, and support throughout the successful completion of this project.

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📄 License

Developed as a B.Tech Final Year Project
v1.0.0 — Final Academic Submission