Towards an IPFS-Blockchain based Authentication/Management System of Academic Certification in Western Balkans

Abstract

This paper presents an implementation which uses decentralized technologies such as blockchain and IPFS on the issuance and management of the academic certificates. The focus is on improving the actual process, as well as increasing integrity and trustworthiness of ownership of those certificates. The prototype we have developed is called BCert and its purpose is to add the certificates to blockchain network and to offer the possibility to verify them and make accessible to the potential stakeholders. It will also be used to verify that it is possible to upload a minimum of 32 certificates at one time and to evaluate speed of upload. BCert will aim to make the deployment and verification of those certificates quick, fast, secure, and efficient. It uses IPFS (Interplanetary File System) to have private logs and to increase efficiency. Additionally, based on the Technology Transfer concept, we predicted a model related to the launch of the technology to the market. The study was conducted online with 421 responses chosen randomly from several public and private universities in Albania and in Western Balkans.