Verifi-Chain: A Credentials Verifier Using Blockchain and IPFS

Abstract

Submitting fake certificates is a common problem in Southeast Asia, which prevents qualified candidates from getting the jobs they deserve. When applying for a job, students must provide academic credentials as proof of their qualifications, acquired both inside and outside the classroom. Verifying academic documents before hiring is crucial to prevent fraud. Employing blockchain technology has the potential to address this issue. Blockchain provides an electronic certificate that is tamperproof and non-repudiable, making it difficult for students to manipulate their academic credentials. This paper presents a prototype for an academic credential verification model that leverages the security features of blockchain and InterPlanetary File System (IPFS). Certificates are temporarily stored in a database before being transferred to IPFS, where a unique hash code is generated using a hashing algorithm. This hash code serves as the certificate’s unique identity and is stored in the blockchain nodes. Companies can verify an applicant’s credentials by searching for the applicant and accessing their already verified certificates. Utilizing IPFS as a middleman storage platform lowers the expenses of directly storing massive data on the blockchain. To sum it up, the proposed solution would make the process of certificate verification more efficient, secure, and cost-effective. It would save time and resources that would otherwise be used to manually verify certificates.