Logo
ScienceStack
Table of Contents
Fetching ...
Sign In

ShikkhaChain: A Blockchain-Powered Academic Credential Verification System for Bangladesh

Ahsan Farabi, Israt Khandaker, Jayed Ahsan, Ibrahim Khalil Shanto, Nusrat Jahan, Md Jarif Khan

TL;DR

ShikkhaChain addresses credential fraud in Bangladesh by deploying a blockchain-based credential verification system that combines Ethereum smart contracts with IPFS storage and a QR-enabled DApp. The approach introduces role-based governance across government, regulators, institutions, and the public, enabling secure issuance, verification, and on-chain revocation with on-chain audit trails. A functional Goerli prototype demonstrates end-to-end certificate lifecycles, real-time verification, and tamper-resistant data integrity, outperforming prior systems in governance granularity and revocation support. The work highlights the potential for national-scale trusted credential ecosystems while outlining production-focused enhancements, such as Layer-2 deployment, privacy-preserving proofs, and interoperability with e-governance systems to realize scalable, trustworthy academic credentialing.

Abstract

Academic credential fraud threatens educational integrity, especially in developing countries like Bangladesh, where verification methods are primarily manual and inefficient. To address this challenge, we present ShikkhaChain, a blockchain-powered certificate management platform designed to securely issue, verify, and revoke academic credentials in a decentralized and tamper-proof manner. Built on Ethereum smart contracts and utilizing IPFS for off-chain storage, the platform offers a transparent, scalable solution accessible through a React-based DApp with MetaMask integration. ShikkhaChain enables role-based access for governments, regulators, institutions, and public verifiers, allowing QR-based validation and on-chain revocation tracking. Our prototype demonstrates enhanced trust, reduced verification time, and improved international credibility for Bangladeshi degrees, promoting a more reliable academic and employment ecosystem.

ShikkhaChain: A Blockchain-Powered Academic Credential Verification System for Bangladesh

TL;DR

ShikkhaChain addresses credential fraud in Bangladesh by deploying a blockchain-based credential verification system that combines Ethereum smart contracts with IPFS storage and a QR-enabled DApp. The approach introduces role-based governance across government, regulators, institutions, and the public, enabling secure issuance, verification, and on-chain revocation with on-chain audit trails. A functional Goerli prototype demonstrates end-to-end certificate lifecycles, real-time verification, and tamper-resistant data integrity, outperforming prior systems in governance granularity and revocation support. The work highlights the potential for national-scale trusted credential ecosystems while outlining production-focused enhancements, such as Layer-2 deployment, privacy-preserving proofs, and interoperability with e-governance systems to realize scalable, trustworthy academic credentialing.

Abstract

Academic credential fraud threatens educational integrity, especially in developing countries like Bangladesh, where verification methods are primarily manual and inefficient. To address this challenge, we present ShikkhaChain, a blockchain-powered certificate management platform designed to securely issue, verify, and revoke academic credentials in a decentralized and tamper-proof manner. Built on Ethereum smart contracts and utilizing IPFS for off-chain storage, the platform offers a transparent, scalable solution accessible through a React-based DApp with MetaMask integration. ShikkhaChain enables role-based access for governments, regulators, institutions, and public verifiers, allowing QR-based validation and on-chain revocation tracking. Our prototype demonstrates enhanced trust, reduced verification time, and improved international credibility for Bangladeshi degrees, promoting a more reliable academic and employment ecosystem.

Paper Structure

This paper contains 18 sections, 2 figures, 1 table.

Table of Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. Related Work
  3. Credential Verification and Academic Trust
  4. Systematic Reviews and Global Implementations
  5. Decentralization, IPFS, and Data Provenance
  6. Smart Contracts, Revocation, and Role-Based Access
  7. System Architecture and Design
  8. Stakeholder Roles
  9. System Layers
  10. Smart Contract Design
  11. Verification Process
  12. Results and Comparative Analysis
  13. Functional Outcomes
  14. Comparative Feature Analysis
  15. Performance Insights
  16. ...and 3 more sections

Figures (2)

  • Figure 1: Layered system architecture of ShikkhaChain, illustrating stakeholder roles, blockchain/IPFS integration, and modular access layers.
  • Figure 2: Workflow of certificate issuance and verification in ShikkhaChain. Institutions issue credentials, which are stored on IPFS and linked on-chain, while verifiers confirm authenticity through the DApp.