⚠ Official Notice: www.ijisrt.com is the official website of the International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology (IJISRT) Journal for research paper submission and publication. Please beware of fake or duplicate websites using the IJISRT name.



Blockchain-Driven Decentralized Academic Certificate Management with Smart Contract-Based Verification


Authors : Monica D.; Dr. Malatesh S. H.

Volume/Issue : Volume 11 - 2026, Issue 8 - August


Google Scholar : https://tinyurl.com/4v99nnnr

Scribd : https://tinyurl.com/3dy57uee

DOI : https://doi.org/10.38124/ijisrt/26aug315

Note : A published paper may take 4-5 working days from the publication date to appear in PlumX Metrics, Semantic Scholar, and ResearchGate.


Abstract : The rapid growth of digital education and online recruitment has significantly increased the demand for reliable academic credential verification. Conventional certificate verification methods are often centralized, time-consuming, and susceptible to document forgery, unauthorized modification, and administrative delays. To address these challenges, this paper presents a Blockchain-Enabled Decentralized Framework for Secure Academic Certificate Issuance and Real-Time Verification. The proposed framework utilizes Ethereum blockchain technology through Solidity smart contracts to establish an immutable and transparent repository of certificate records, ensuring that issued credentials cannot be altered without detection. A SHA-256 cryptographic hashing mechanism is employed to generate unique digital fingerprints for each certificate, while Firebase Authentication and Cloud Firestore provide secure identity management and efficient off-chain metadata storage. The user interface is developed using React.js, enabling educational institutions to issue certificates and allowing employers, universities, and other stakeholders to verify credentials instantly through a simple web-based platform. During verification, the system recomputes the certificate hash and compares it with the blockchain record to detect tampering and validate authenticity in real time. Experimental evaluation on a local Ethereum network demonstrates reliable certificate issuance, rapid verification with sub-second response times, secure transaction handling, and effective resistance against certificate forgery. The proposed framework enhances transparency, trust, and operational efficiency while minimizing manual verification efforts. Furthermore, its modular architecture facilitates future migration to public blockchain networks and decentralized storage platforms, making it suitable for scalable deployment across educational institutions and digital credential ecosystems.

Keywords : Blockchain, Academic Certificate Verification, Smart Contracts, Ethereum, Solidity, React.js, Firebase, DigiRaksha Quantum Encryption Hasher (DREQH), Quantum-Resistant Hashing, SHA-256, Cryptographic Hashing, Decentralized Applications (DApps), Digital Credentials, Web3, Credential Authentication.

References :

  1. S. Nakamoto, Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System, 2008. [Online]. Available: https://bitcoin.org/bitcoin.pdf
  2. V. Buterin, Ethereum White Paper: A Next-Generation Smart Contract and Decentralized Application Platform, 2014. [Online]. Available: https://ethereum.org/en/whitepaper/
  3. A. Grech and A. F. Camilleri, Blockchain in Education, EUR 28778 EN, Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg, 2017.
  4. M. Turkanović, M. Hölbl, K. Košič, M. Heričko, and A. Kamišalić, "EduCTX: A Blockchain-Based Higher Education Credit Platform," IEEE Access, vol. 6, pp. 5112–5127, 2018, doi: 10.1109/ACCESS.2018.2789929.
  5. C. J. Mitchell, S. F. Al Shehri, and J. H. Park, "Blockcerts—An Open Infrastructure for Academic Credentials," MIT Media Lab, 2017. [Online]. Available: https://www.blockcerts.org/
  6. A. Alammary, S. Alhazmi, M. Almasri, and S. Gillani, "Blockchain-Based Applications in Education: A Systematic Review," Applied Sciences, vol. 9, no. 12, Art. no. 2400, 2019, doi: 10.3390/app9122400.
  7. M. Sharples and J. Domingue, "The Blockchain and Kudos: A Distributed System for Educational Record, Reputation and Reward," in Proc. European Conference on Technology Enhanced Learning (EC-TEL) Workshops, Lyon, France, 2016.
  8. K. Fan, Y. Ren, Y. Wang, H. Li, and Y. Yang, "Blockchain-Based Efficient Privacy Preserving and Data Sharing Scheme for Educational Systems," Future Generation Computer Systems, vol. 95, pp. 344–353, 2019, doi: 10.1016/j.future.2019.01.059.
  9. A. Kamišalić, M. Turkanović, K. Košič, M. Heričko, and A. Mrdović, "A Preliminary Review of Blockchain-Based Solutions in Higher Education," in Proc. 41st International Convention on Information and Communication Technology, Electronics and Microelectronics (MIPRO), 2018, pp. 1245–1250.
  10. NIST, Secure Hash Standard (SHS), FIPS PUB 180-4, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD, USA, Aug. 2015.
  11. G. Wood, Ethereum: A Secure Decentralised Generalised Transaction Ledger (Ethereum Yellow Paper), Version 2022. [Online]. Available: https://ethereum.github.io/yellowpaper/paper.pdf
  12. M. Crosby, P. Pattanayak, S. Verma, and V. Kalyanaraman, "Blockchain Technology: Beyond Bitcoin," Applied Innovation Review, no. 2, pp. 6–19, 2016.
  13. K. Christidis and M. Devetsikiotis, "Blockchains and Smart Contracts for the Internet of Things," IEEE Access, vol. 4, pp. 2292–2303, 2016, doi: 10.1109/ACCESS.2016.2566339.
  14. A. Reyna, C. Martín, J. Chen, E. Soler, and M. Díaz, "On Blockchain and Its Integration with IoT: Challenges and Opportunities," Future Generation Computer Systems, vol. 88, pp. 173–190, 2018, doi: 10.1016/j.future.2018.05.046.
  15. D. Yaga, P. Mell, N. Roby, and K. Scarfone, Blockchain Technology Overview, NISTIR 8202, National Institute of Standards and Technology, 2018.

The rapid growth of digital education and online recruitment has significantly increased the demand for reliable academic credential verification. Conventional certificate verification methods are often centralized, time-consuming, and susceptible to document forgery, unauthorized modification, and administrative delays. To address these challenges, this paper presents a Blockchain-Enabled Decentralized Framework for Secure Academic Certificate Issuance and Real-Time Verification. The proposed framework utilizes Ethereum blockchain technology through Solidity smart contracts to establish an immutable and transparent repository of certificate records, ensuring that issued credentials cannot be altered without detection. A SHA-256 cryptographic hashing mechanism is employed to generate unique digital fingerprints for each certificate, while Firebase Authentication and Cloud Firestore provide secure identity management and efficient off-chain metadata storage. The user interface is developed using React.js, enabling educational institutions to issue certificates and allowing employers, universities, and other stakeholders to verify credentials instantly through a simple web-based platform. During verification, the system recomputes the certificate hash and compares it with the blockchain record to detect tampering and validate authenticity in real time. Experimental evaluation on a local Ethereum network demonstrates reliable certificate issuance, rapid verification with sub-second response times, secure transaction handling, and effective resistance against certificate forgery. The proposed framework enhances transparency, trust, and operational efficiency while minimizing manual verification efforts. Furthermore, its modular architecture facilitates future migration to public blockchain networks and decentralized storage platforms, making it suitable for scalable deployment across educational institutions and digital credential ecosystems.

Keywords : Blockchain, Academic Certificate Verification, Smart Contracts, Ethereum, Solidity, React.js, Firebase, DigiRaksha Quantum Encryption Hasher (DREQH), Quantum-Resistant Hashing, SHA-256, Cryptographic Hashing, Decentralized Applications (DApps), Digital Credentials, Web3, Credential Authentication.

Paper Submission Last Date
31 - August - 2026

SUBMIT YOUR PAPER CALL FOR PAPERS
Video Explanation for Published paper

Never miss an update from Papermashup

Get notified about the latest tutorials and downloads.

Subscribe by Email

Get alerts directly into your inbox after each post and stay updated.
Subscribe
OR

Subscribe by RSS

Add our RSS to your feedreader to get regular updates from us.
Subscribe