CRESSENTIAL: REVOLUTIONIZING ACADEMIC RECORDS

MANAGEMENT WITH BLOCKCHAIN-BASED ISSUANCE AND

VERIFICATION SYSTEM USING SMART CONTRACT

A Capstone Project Presented to

The Undergraduate Program
College of Technology
Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree

Bachelor of Science in Information Technology

By
De Guzman, Julius Bryan B.
Engco, Barveily Joanabeth V.
Grefiel, Dharlene I.

Prof. Mark Anthony S. Mercado

July 2023
 APPROVAL SHEET
The project hereto titled:

CRESSENTIAL: REVOLUTIONIZING ACADEMIC RECORDS

MANAGEMENT WITH BLOCKCHAIN-BASED ISSUANCE AND
VERIFICATION SYSTEM USING SMART CONTRACT

prepared and submitted by Barveily Joanabeth V. Engco, Dharlene I. Grefiel, Renee

Alynn D. Maglonzo, Hanna Nicole S. Paraiso, and Jomina Crista D. Soler in partial
fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Bachelor of Science in Information
Technology has been examined and is recommended for acceptance and approval for
ORAL EXAMINATION.

___________________________
Prof. Jake M. Libed, DIT
System Integration and Architecture Coordinator

PANEL OF EXAMINERS

Approved by the Committee on Oral Examination

with a grade of _________ on _______.

________________________
Prof. Ariel Antwaun Rolando C. Sison
Chairman

________________________ _________________________
Prof. Raymund M. Dioses Prof. Marilou B. Mangrobang
Member Member

________________________
Prof. Jake M. Libed, DIT
System Integration and Architecture Adviser

Accepted and approved in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of
Bachelor of Science in Information Technology.

_______________________ _______________________
Prof. Criselle J. Centeno Engr. Juan C. Tallara, Jr.
Chairperson Dean
Information Technology Department College of Engineering
ABSTRACT
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The researchers would like to express their heartfelt gratitude and appreciation to
the following good-hearted people, who in one way or another, helped in the completion
of this study.

The CET-Graduate Program would like to thank Ms. Diana Jane Saya for helping
us format this thesis manuscript for the undergraduate and graduate program of the
College of Engineering and Technology.

The pattern of the manuscript was from the Chemical Engineering Department of
De La Salle University.

Our sincerest thanks to the teachers in PLM-IT Department for their support,
comments, recommendation and professional guidance throughout making the project..

Our heartfelt thanks to PLM-IT teachers, especially to Dr. Jake Libed for their
help, encouragement and assistance to complete this study.

Our deepest gratitude for our family and relatives for all the support financially
and emotionally.

Our genuine thanks to the respondents who answered with all their heart and
honesty.

Our sincere thanks to everyone in one way of another who supported his project
work, may God bless them.

Above all, our thankfulness and gratefulness to God for the strength, courage, and
wisdom He provided to complete this project. It was a lengthy journey which would not
have been possible without Him.

To God be All the Glory!

 TABLE OF CONTENTS

APPROVAL SHEET ii
TABLE OF CONTENTS iii

INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Study 1
1.2 Statement of the Problems 3
1.3 Objectives 4
1.3.1 General Objectives 4
1.3.2 Specific Objectives 4
1.4 Scope and Limitation
1.4.1 Scope 5
1.4.2 Limitations
SYSTEM ANALYSIS
2.1 Conceptual Framework 7
2.2 Related Literatures 9
2.3 Related Studies 33
2.4 Operational Definition of Terms 46
THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
3.1 System Design 48
3.1.1 System Flowchart 48
3.1.2 Context Diagram 49
3.1.3 System Architecture 52
3.2 System Development 53
3.3 System Hardware and Software 57
3.4 Instrument Used 58
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION x
4.1 Results x
4.2 Evaluation x
CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS x
5.1. Summary of Findings x
5.2. Conclusions x
5.3. Recommendations x
LIST OF REFERENCES 59
APPENDICES 71
3.1.1.1 Appendix A 71
LIST OF FIGURES
LIST OF TABLES
 Chapter One

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study

Academic credentials serve as evidence of one's qualifications and are crucial in

today’s workforce. Upon completion of a learning program, organizations typically award
learners with degrees or certificates to document their accomplishments. Inevitably, a
significant percentage of employees desire these certifications without undergoing actual
training. According to Career Builder's research, 75% of employers reported seeing at
least one candidate with a false degree (Kshetri, 2018). This situation is fraught with
unforeseeable risks, as fake degrees could help a great number of individuals obtain
employment that exceeds their actual qualifications.

Nowadays, it takes only a couple of hours to forge paper-based documents to

generate replicas of authentic or official copies. In the worst-case scenario, in the
absence of a security mechanism, fraudulent reproductions of digital-based credentials
can be produced at an alarming pace. An article in 2021 mentioned the existence of
'Recto University, a diploma mill in the Philippines that offers unverifiable fake
documents that provide international recognition and the potential for rapid degree
acquisition and employment (RNspeak, 2021). This raises concerns regarding the
potential for individuals with fraudulent credentials to attain influential positions in
government and academic institutions.

While it is simple to forge credentials almost instantly, establishing their

authenticity is a bigger challenge. According to ShareAble (2020), due to school
closures or inefficient degree-posting processes, education verification can take weeks
to complete. Due to its disadvantages, including its time-consuming nature, some
employers opt not to conduct education verification. Similarly, a media organization
describes the difficulties and laborious work involved in verifying the academic
credentials of certain politicians (Arenas & Fernandez, 2018). Institutions and
employers should therefore consider instituting additional verification measures or
utilizing technology solutions to streamline the process and ensure the authenticity of
candidates' academic credentials.

There are numerous security risks associated with academic record management.
In particular, theft by unauthorized users without permission who have access to
sensitive data can impair educational institutions (McHugh, 2019). According to Rajeev
(2021), conventional methods for storing and transmitting academic records raise
concerns about data breaches and unauthorized access, putting sensitive information at
risk.

Blockchain, based on a report by the World Economic Forum, can address the
aforementioned problems. Blockchain is a distributed, secure, and tamper-resistant
ledger that records all transactions. Using blockchain, credentials can be
cryptographically hashed to generate a unique identifier that is linked to the certification
itself. It can then be stored on a blockchain registry, providing a secure, tamper-proof,
verifiable record that is accessible in real-time to anyone with an internet connection
(World Economic Forum, 2021). In addition, blockchain can be used to establish an
immutable record of all legitimate degrees, diplomas, and licenses, ensuring that these
documents cannot be altered or duplicated (Bohnke, 2022). This ensures that once a
record has been issued, it cannot be altered and will always be authentic.

The proposed system, Cressential, provides a solution to the problems of

credential forgery and the requirement for efficient and secure academic record
management. Cressential is a blockchain-based platform that employs smart contract
technology to provide an immutable and secure ledger for digital academic records. It
allows for the issuance and validation of credentials, ensuring their authenticity and
lowering the risk of fraud. By leveraging blockchain's immutability and transparency,
Cressential provides a streamlined and efficient method for educational institutions and
employers to verify academic credentials, thereby enhancing workforce trust and
integrity.
1.2 Statement of the Problem

1.2.1 Insufficiency in authenticating and verifying academic records:

Traditional approaches to verifying academic records are prone to errors and vulnerable
to fraudulent submissions, hindering third-party verifiers’ ability to validate credentials
effectively.
1.2.2 Inefficient and time-consuming verification process: The
time-consuming and labor-intensive nature of conventional methods for verifying
educational records results in delays in acquiring and authenticating credentials,
negatively impacting the hiring process and operational efficiency for employers and
other external entities.

1.2.3 Difficulty in ensuring non-repudiation in the electronic signature

process for academic requirements: Standard methods face challenges in establishing
a strong non-repudiation mechanism for electronic signatures utilized in academic
requirements (e.g., scholarships, course registrations, academic document submissions,
etc.), thereby increasing doubts about the legitimacy and credibility of electronically
signed documents.
1.3 Objective of the Study
1.3.1 General Objective

This study aims to revolutionize academic record management by utilizing

blockchain technology and smart contracts to develop an efficient, secure, and
tamper-proof system for issuing, verifying, and keeping academic records.

1.3.2 Specific Objectives

1.3.2.1 Develop a blockchain-based system for issuing and verifying

academic records: This seeks to design and implement a system utilizing
blockchain technology to securely issue and verify academic records while
providing transparency, immutability, and decentralization.

1.3.2.2 Create smart contracts to automate the process of issuance and

verification: The system aims to automate the process of generating and
verifying academic records through smart contracts, thereby reducing manual
labor and increasing efficiency for both educational institutions and third-party
verifiers.

1.3.2.3 Integrate Digital Signature Request and Timestamping: This

seeks to integrate digital signatures and timestamps into signed documents to
mitigate disputes and ensure accountability in electronic transactions. This
reinforces the non-repudiation aspect and increases trust in the validity of digitally
signed documents.
1.4 Significance of the Study

This research seeks to develop a Blockchain-based Academic Records Issuance

and Verification System using Smart Contract that would be a great contribution, highly
significant, and beneficial in the following ways:

Educational institutions: Implementing a blockchain-based system for

academic records improves data security, facilitates administrative processes, and
enhances institutional reputation by providing verifiable and tamper-proof academic
records.

Employers: The study provides employers with a dependable and efficient

method for verifying academic credentials, thereby reducing hiring risks, assuring
accurate candidate evaluation, and improving the efficiency of the recruitment process.

Registrars: Cressential will provide major advantages to registrars by

streamlining and automating the record-keeping and verification processes, thereby
reducing manual labor, minimizing errors, and saving valuable time and resources.

Regulatory Organizations and Accreditation Organizations: The system

simplifies the process of verifying credentials for regulatory organizations and
accreditation organizations, fostering greater confidence and enabling effective
oversight of educational institutions.

Students and Graduates: The use of blockchain technology ensures the

security and authenticity of academic records, allowing students and graduates to readily
access and share verified records, thereby enhancing their employability and fostering
confidence in their credentials.

Third-Party Verification Services: They may connect with the system for
accessing secure and transparent verified records, offering trusted credentials validation
services to employers and educational institutions.

Future Researchers: The study provides a foundation and valuable insights for
future researchers to investigate and build upon, advancing the understanding and
development of blockchain-based systems for academic record administration, thereby
fostering continuous innovation in the field.

1.5 Scope and Limitations

1.5.1 Scope

The aim of the proposed system is to provide a system that prioritizes the
following agenda and features, based on these objectives:

● To design and implement Cressential, an IFPS (Interplanetary File

System) and blockchain-based system for issuing and verifying academic
records. This integrates blockchain technology and smart contracts, and
the proposed system will consist of an administration interface, a student
academic record access interface, and a verification portal.
● With the use of blockchain technology and the InterPlanetary File System
(IPFS), this feature makes it possible to maintain and save academic
information securely. Documents issued within IFPS could be set with an
expiration date to ensure data privacy and compliance. While the
blockchain offers an immutable and transparent ledger for logging and
validating document transactions, IPFS assures decentralized,
tamper-resistant data storage.
● The administrative portal, which is the registrar interface, enables
authorized staff (such as registrars and administrators) to effectively
handle academic records. This feature offers access control, record
monitoring, document verification, and digital signature issuing
functionalities.
● With the help of this system, students can safely submit their academic
papers to the platform, protecting the security and integrity of their data.
Several document formats should be supported by the system, and
cryptographic procedures are employed to secure the contents both during
transmission and storage.
 ● A thorough verification process for academic records is implemented by
this feature. Via cross-referencing with the blockchain ledger and using
cryptographic signatures, it entails confirming the legitimacy of submitted
documents. This guarantees that the records are authentic and haven't been
changed after they were issued.
● This function creates a distinctive cryptographic hash for each uploaded
document in order to guarantee data integrity and immutability. The
document's legitimacy is confirmed, and illegal alterations are prevented,
by the hash being anchored to the blockchain and producing a permanent
record.
● Smart contracts are used to validate and automate particular procedures,
such updating academic records or confirming course completion. These
self-executing contracts offer transparency and do away with middlemen.
● The registrar can provide digital signatures using this capability, ensuring
that the documents cannot be revoked. To prevent rejection of
participation in the signing process, signatures are securely recorded on
the blockchain and cryptographically linked to the identities of the signers.
● A timestamping feature built into the system keeps track of the precise
moment a document is submitted or signed. The blockchain then stores
this timestamp, creating an auditable trail of document activity and
guaranteeing transparency.

1.5.2 Limitations

This study will primarily focus on the development and implementation of

Cressential for academic records management, with a particular emphasis on the most
frequently requested credentials—the Transcript of Records (TORs) and diplomas. This
also includes requests for signed documents, such as scholarship requirements,
certificates of grades, and certificates of enrollment. The study will not address the
integration of Cressential with educational institutions' or employers' existing systems or
databases. The scope of the study will be limited to the perspectives and participation of
graduating college students and undergraduates, the office of the registrar, and
employers as essential stakeholders in the academic record management process. Other
parties or entities engaged in the ecosystem as a whole, such as government regulatory
bodies, will not be fully considered. While the system is developed to automate
processes, the time to upload and sign documents heavily rely on the registrar’s
promptness. The usage of IPFS hash within the system does not grant access to all
documents whilst its limited access on a specific requested document. The provided
pricing for the gas fees in this study is subject to variations in value due to the volatility
of ethereum. While data security and integrity will be addressed through the use of
blockchain technology, the study will not address other cybersecurity or privacy issues
associated with academic record management.
 Chapter Two

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

2.1 Related Literature

Blockchain will bring profound social impact to the Philippines: nChain’s Stefan
Matthews

In terms of Web3 and blockchain adoption, the Philippines has been a global
forerunner. In order to boost the nation's economy, President Ferdinand Bongbong
Marcos Jr. has been urging the use of cutting-edge technology, such as blockchain.
Provincial governments have also advanced significantly, with Bataan being a leader in
the field (Kaaru, 2023).

Future of banking unfolds with AI, blockchain

An article by TDT (2023) reports that traditional banks may reach more
consumers, verify their financial capacity, and minimize losses by utilizing data
traceability features when blockchain and AI are combined. By incorporating blockchain
technology, digital banks are given new opportunities to meet the financial demands of
people and small business owners in a seamless and effective manner.

Dapp Industry Report 2022

According to Gherghelas (2023), Decentralized applications (dApps) provide

security, privacy, and transparency through a novel architectural approach that uses
blockchain's distributed ledger technology. The acceptance of dApps across many industries
and the expansion of web3 are driven by their potential to alter industries and empower
consumers, even though developing dApps offers challenges in comprehending blockchain
technology, defining their purpose, and gaining funding.

The Process of Creating Decentralized Apps (dApps)

A rise in the variety of active wallets and the adoption of blockchain technology by
conventional sectors in 2022 both demonstrated the dapp market's impressive resilience and
growth. Despite difficulties like changes in the cryptocurrency market and security breaches,
the industry's ongoing innovation and acceptance of decentralized technologies point to a
bright future for web3 and dApps (Chicov, 2023).

What is InterPlanetary File System (IPFS)?

Musharraf (2023) defines the InterPlanetary File System (IPFS) as a decentralized,

distributed storage system that enables data to be stored over a network of nodes rather than
centralized servers. It presents advantages including increased dependability, accessibility,
and censorship resistance, making it a compelling choice for the long-term viability of the
internet and data storage.

Decentralized Applications (dApps): Definition, Uses, Pros and Cons

Digital apps that operate on a blockchain or peer-to-peer network without being under
the jurisdiction of a single authority are known as decentralized applications (dApps). They
have benefits including user privacy, resistance to censorship, and flexible alternatives for
development, but they have difficulties with scale, user interface design, and making code
changes (Frankenfield, 2023).

Introduction to DApps

Based on an article by minimalsm (2023), decentralized applications (dapps)

deployed over a decentralized peer-to-peer network like Ethereum provide many benefits,
including complete data integrity, anonymity, and zero downtime. The drawbacks of dapp
development, such as maintenance challenges, performance overhead, network congestion,
and potential complexity in user experience and centralization, must be properly considered
and handled by developers if they are to successfully adopt it.

What Is IPFS?

The existing centralized structure of the internet, where a few large firms manage a
disproportionate quantity of traffic and data, has serious consequences, such as data privacy
violations and vulnerability to outages or security breaches. By delivering higher
performance in terms of speed, decentralization, security through immutability and individual
hash codes for files, as well as overall network efficiency, IPFS offers a decentralized
alternative that addresses these challenges. Users can benefit from quicker connectivity,
enhanced data security, and improved accessibility with less reliable internet connections by
implementing IPFS (Lama & Ryan Glenn, 2023).

InterPlanetary File System

Omkarchalke (2022) describes IPFS (InterPlanetary File System) as a peer-to-peer

content-addressed file system that gets beyond HTTP's drawbacks and ensures data
permanence. It is based on ideas like Distributed Hash Table, BitSwap, and MerkleDag.
Instead of using IP addressing, it makes use of content addressing, which allows for effective
data replication and retrieval throughout the network. IPFS offers a decentralized and
effective substitute for established data exchange protocols like HTTP since each node is
motivated to offer storage and real-time media streaming capabilities.

How Do Employers Verify College Degrees?

Educational background checks are crucial for employers to verify an applicant's

qualifications. This involves confirming attendance dates and the legitimacy of claimed
degrees. Verification can be done through schools, third-party companies, or by
requesting diplomas and transcripts. Employers may also directly contact educational
institutions or use third-party verification services. By conducting thorough background
checks, employers can make informed decisions and ensure the accuracy of an
applicant's educational history (Herrity, 2022).

Different Types of Security In Records Management

The article by McHugh (2022) reveals that paper-based record management

poses numerous security risks that must be addressed by organizations. Theft and
misuse of information by employees, as well as the risk of fire, flood, and natural
disasters, are major concerns.
How Lying on Your Resume Will Get You in Trouble

It is not technically illegal to lie on a resume, as Fowler (2022) pointed out,

because resumes are not official documents. However, if a diploma or other legal
documents are falsified, this could lead to prosecution for document falsification.

Everything you need to know about university transcript

Based on Worldwide Transcripts (2022), individuals may apply for a transcript

by visiting the university campus in person or by submitting an application through the
respective university's website. However, it is not recommended to visit the campus in
person due to the potential time-consuming process and the possibility of errors
resulting in application processing delays.

Identifying ‘fake’ education credentials to ensure the right skills

According to the report by AuthBridge Research Services Pvt. Ltd. (2022),

concerns have been expressed regarding the need for effective education verification
processes to combat the prevalence of forged academic credentials in job applications.
Initiatives such as automating alumni records and digitally verifying academic degrees
are being implemented to combat cybercrimes related to educational fraud and prevent
the spread of false degrees.

Guide On Blockchain-Based Certificate Authentication System

By providing enhanced security, trust, and immutability, blockchain technology

offers a solution to the problem of counterfeit certificates. Using blockchain for digital
certificates guarantees their authenticity and prevents tampering. It offers transparency,
provenance, and decentralized data storage, making it applicable to a variety of
industries, including education and healthcare. Blockchain-based certificates are readily
verifiable without the involvement of the issuer, allowing for frictionless and
trustworthy verification processes (Admin, 2022).
An Analysis Of Multiple Case Studies On The Advantages Of Blockchain For
Digital Certificates

According to this analysis by Admin (2022), the University of Nicosia, MIT,

Sony Global Education, and Southern New Hampshire University have implemented
blockchain-based certificate issuance and verification systems. These systems provide
employers and educational institutions with increased security, tamper-proof records,
and straightforward verification. Using blockchain technology, OpenCerts and Learning
Machine guarantee the authenticity and integrity of educational certificates, thereby
making them a reliable and trustworthy form of evidence of qualifications and
accomplishments.

How to Store Files on the Blockchain Using IPFS

Adebayo (2022) pointed out that storing large files directly on the blockchain can be
prohibitively expensive and negatively impact performance due to increased access latency.
It is more advisable to store files off-chain on external servers or databases, such as IPFS,
MongoDB, or Oracle, and store only the hashIDs on the blockchain as metadata for efficient
and cost-effective data management.

What Is IPFS, Is It a Blockchain

The InterPlanetary File System (IPFS) is a distributed and decentralized network

created to improve utility applications, re-decentralize the web, and secure data. IPFS uses
content-addressing, which enables users to access information based on its content rather
than its location, in contrast to the location-based addressing scheme now used on the
internet. IPFS performs numerous functions and has advantages in terms of security,
privacy, and scalability, while usually being linked to blockchain technology. This makes it
a desirable alternative for a variety of applications, particularly as interest in
decentralization and data storage increases (Admin, 2022).
Why digital signatures are essential for blockchains

In an article by Coinbase (2022), it was mentioned that digital signatures are

essential for blockchains because they provide authentication and ensure that the rightful
owner of the funds has approved transactions by cryptographically linking an identity to a
message. Blockchains can preserve security, prohibit illegal access, and enable quick and
reliable transaction verification across the network by using digital signatures.

Blockchain technology should be the backbone of an e-signature solution

The article by Healthcare IT News (2022) illustrates how cryptographic hashing
methods are used to produce distinct fingerprints for content in order to address it in
decentralized protocols like IPFS. The idea of Merkle DAGs is also introduced, which
enable a tamper-proof and deduplicated data structure, improving file sharing and
verification in decentralized networks.

What is a dApp? All You Need to Know

Simplilearn (2022) pointed out that decentralized applications, or dApps, operate on

blockchain or peer-to-peer networks with no central authority. They have advantages,
including improved security, cost-effectiveness, and reliability, but have maintenance and
user interface design issues.

What are Decentralized Apps (dApps) in Blockchain?

Open-source software applications known as decentralized applications (dApps) run

on decentralized peer-to-peer networks like blockchain. They provide benefits like fault
tolerance, data integrity, and privacy but have issues with performance overhead and user
experience (GeeksforGeeks, 2022).

What Is a Cryptographic Hash Function?

Data checksums are created using methods called cryptographic hash functions
(CHFs), which offer a mechanism to confirm the authenticity of the data. Although CHFs
are intended to be irreversible, potential flaws like collisions and rainbow tables highlight
the significance of employing strong passwords for improved security (Fisher, 2022).
SHA 256 Algorithm Explained by a Cyber Security Consultant

According to Thakkar (2022), data integrity verification and authentication use the
potent cryptographic hashing algorithm SHA-256. It provides a safe means to safeguard
data from manipulation and assure its authenticity by converting it into fixed-length,
irreversible hash values.

What Is Nonrepudiation And Why Is It Important?

Cummings (2022) highlighted that nonrepudiation techniques, like digital

signatures, ensure that parties cannot retract their actions by providing evidence of the data's
origin, legitimacy, and integrity. Secure envelopes and digital signatures, which safeguard
messages based on secret keys that are shared by communication partners, may prevent
repudiation assaults.

5 Ways To Use IPFS For File Sharing and Storage

The Filebase Team (2022) highlights the use of unique content identifiers
(CIDs), which offer authenticity assurance and downtime resistance, by IPFS, a
decentralized, highly effective file storage technology, to make data accessible to the
general public. It finds use in the Web3 ecosystem and Web2 initiatives, allowing the
sharing of authenticated documents and the reliable storage of public data through services
like Filebase.

What Is IPFS?

La Capra (2022) emphasized in her article that IPFS is regarded as a highly secure
approach to storing digital assets like NFTs since data hashes are kept on users' computers
rather than centralized servers, reducing the risk of a single point of failure. It is a
dependable and resilient storage option because of its decentralized design, which improves
security by dispersing data throughout a network of nodes.
How Does IPFS Work? Why Use IPFS?

Using content addressing, a directed acyclic graph (DAG), and a distributed hash
table (DHT), IPFS is a decentralized peer-to-peer file storage protocol that enables access to
files via specific content identifiers (CIDs). In comparison with traditional HTTP
centralized storage, it offers benefits including faster and safer data transmission, lower
storage costs, and the potential to one day completely change how data is transmitted over
the internet (Admin, 2022).

How to use IPFS: the backbone of Web3

According to Hayward (2021), by avoiding centralized points of failure and internet

restrictions, IPFS is a decentralized, peer-to-peer file-sharing network and open-source
Web3 service that seeks to maintain content accessibility. It divides files into smaller pieces,
assigns a special hash to identify them, and disperses them over numerous computers all
over the world. The use of IPFS for backing up digital files, such as NFTs, has also sparked
the creation of related companies like Filecoin and Web3.storage, which are advancing
Web3 development and decentralized software.

Blockchain and InterPlanetary File System (IPFS)

By storing data hashes on IPFS and including immutable links into blockchain
transactions, IPFS and blockchain integration provide a way to deal with massive volumes
of data. This method is a promising one for decentralized and safe data storage because it
minimizes the size of the blockchain, enhances performance, and increases data security and
immutability (Grubor, 2021).

Hashing explained: Why it’s your best bet to protect stored passwords

According to Constantin (2021), while encryption is reversible and used for secure
data storage, hashing is a one-way cryptographic procedure that is used to verify data
integrity and authenticity. Hashing is chosen over encryption when storing passwords to
safeguard user data and prevent plaintext passwords from being revealed in the event of a
breach.
Understanding Hashing in Cryptography

Data integrity and authentication are provided through hashing, a cryptographic

technique that transforms data into a fixed-length text string or hash value. Hashing, which
is irreversible, unlike encryption, is the best method for securely storing passwords and
ensuring the accuracy of data (Lalithnarayan, 2021).

Diploma verification: challenges and consequences

Increasingly prevalent diploma forgery has been made simpler by digital

technologies. According to a 2018 study conducted by the Florian Mantione Institute,
68% of resumes were discovered to contain false information. In 29% of cases of fraud,
the applicant presented a different diploma than the one they actually held. Diploma
forgery can harm the reputation of the university or institution in question, as well as the
education system as a whole (Credentials, 2021)

Education and Degree Verification for Employment – Why it Matters.

Verifying the academic credentials of applicants can be time-consuming because

it requires contacting each institution listed on the applicant's resume, which can take
weeks or even longer depending on the verification method you choose (Sarwar, 2021).

Public Governance of the Blockchain Revolution and Its Implications for Social
Finance: A Comparative Analysis

The commentary by Paladini et al. (2021) highlights the rapid growth of

blockchain technology and its potential to power numerous applications, especially in
the Internet of Things (IoT) sector. It recognizes the early problems encountered by
Bitcoin and the Dark Web, which alerted users to the inherent risks of blockchain
technology. The greatest difficulty lies in reconciling and integrating blockchain
technology with existing regulatory frameworks to safeguard citizen rights and public
interests, but solutions exist and political will is essential for adopting the technology in
an inclusive and forward-looking manner.
Woman pretends to be summa cum laude from UP, becomes guest speaker in
school graduation

Kathleen Joy Ravelo Poblete presented herself fraudulently as a graduate of the

University of the Philippines (UP) Manila's Summa Cum Laude program, as detailed in
the article by Admin (2021). Poblete was able to become a guest speaker at a virtual
graduation ceremony in Dasmarias, Cavite, professing to possess a Bachelor of Arts in
Political Science from UP Manila. She also fabricated the dean's lister recognition, the
Juris Doctor's honor, and the Best in Research award. The UP Manila Department of
Social Sciences disavowed any association with Poblete. This incident highlights the
problem of academic credential fraud and the need for preventative measures.

CSC warns gov’t employees: Submission of fake credentials an offense of 'serious

dishonesty'

The article by Luci-Atienza (2021) warns government employees in the

Philippines about the serious offense of submitting fake academic credentials. The Civil
Service Commission defines this as "serious dishonesty," encompassing the
concealment or distortion of truth with intent to defraud. Violators face dismissal,
eligibility cancellation, and perpetual disqualification from public office. Less serious
offenses result in suspension or dismissal, depending on the severity. This information is
pertinent for understanding the consequences of falsifying credentials in the country.

Blockchain and recordkeeping: Editorial

Lemieux (2021) stated that cryptography provides immutability, reliability, and

secure transactions in DLT record systems, demonstrating its value. The inability to
verify real-world events and guarantee the authenticity of manually entered records is,
however, a vulnerability. Challenges associated with interoperability, human-centered
design, and usable security require additional consideration.
A blockchain-based framework for secure educational credentials

Blockchain technology provides revolutionary capabilities for recording

transactions on a decentralized ledger, providing educational institutions with secure
data storage, exchange, and networking. As a transformative tool, blockchain has the
potential to transform traditional systems such as credentialing and copyright rights,
fostering responsible change and creating a brand-new world for current students while
also serving as a foundational technology for future applications in the years to come
(Alam, 2021).

What’s really happening when you add a file to IPFS?

The article by Farmer (2020) explains how cryptographic hashing algorithms are
used in decentralized protocols like IPFS to produce distinctive fingerprints for material
when addressing it. This makes it possible for the content to be effectively retrieved on the
decentralized web and to remain immutable, offering a tamper-proof and safe method of
finding and obtaining data.

Benefits of Taking a Diploma Program

Diploma programs are regarded as a valuable option for individuals seeking

affordable and fast skill acquisition for employment purposes. They provide a
specialized curriculum tailored to specific disciplines, allowing students to acquire the
essential knowledge and skills for success in their chosen careers (Informatics
Philippines, 2020).

Singapore Jails Filipina for faking diploma records

It was reported in an article by Adel (2020), Noriza Dancel De Luna, a citizen of

the Philippines, was sentenced to seven weeks in prison by the Singapore immigration
agency for submitting forgeries of her and her daughter's diplomas as part of their
Permanent Residency application. The incident highlights the gravity with which
immigration authorities view fraudulent information and the significance of document
verification for immigration processes. This news article provides valuable insight into
the repercussions of submitting falsified documents with immigration applications.

Fake Filipino Nurses from Recto University

This article mentioned the existence of 'Recto University,' a diploma mill in the
Philippines that offers for-profit fake documents. These credentials have acquired
international recognition despite being unverifiable. Often evading scrutiny, graduates
can rapidly obtain degrees and potentially secure employment. This raises concerns
regarding the potential for individuals with fraudulent credentials to attain influential
positions in government and academic institutions (RNspeak, 2020).

Paper vs Electronic Records: The Pros and Cons

According to Irch Admin (2020), when deciding between paper and electronic
record storage, it's important to consider the advantages and disadvantages of each.
Going digital offers efficient storage, reduced labor costs, and easy accessibility, but it
carries the risk of software compromise and upfront expenses. Paper records provide
ease of manipulation and protection, but they can be overwhelming in terms of space
requirements and vulnerable to fire or theft.

Building trust and equity in marine conservation and fisheries supply chain
management with blockchain

The commentary by Howson (2020) emphasizes the capability of blockchain

technology to enhance marine conservation and fisheries supply chain management. By
providing a transparent and immutable record of transactions, blockchain can increase
the level of trust and equity in these sectors. While blockchain technology offers
practical solutions for global marine conservation organizations and seafood producers,
the successful implementation of this technology is contingent upon the active
participation and equitable distribution of benefits to coastal communities and artisanal
fishers.
BlockIPFS - Blockchain-Enabled Interplanetary File System for Forensic and
Trusted Data Traceability

Since its introduction in 2016, IPFS has seen great improvements and adoption from
both individuals and enterprise organizations. Its distributed network allows users to share
files and information across the globe. IPFS works well with large files that may consume
or require large bandwidth to upload and/or download over the Internet. The rapid adoption
of this distributed file system is in part because IPFS is designed to operate on top of
different protocols, such as FTP and HTTP (Nyaletey et al., 2019).

Smartmatic eyes blockchain tech to secure elections

The article explores the potential application of blockchain technology in

securing elections, particularly in the Philippines. Smartmatic, a technology provider, is
studying the feasibility of implementing blockchain to enhance the security and
transparency of its existing system. Blockchain acts as a decentralized digital ledger,
making it highly resistant to hacking and tampering. The use of blockchain in online
voting systems could instill trust, confidence, and security among voters, potentially
leading to reduced congestion and shorter lines at polling precincts during elections
(Romero, 2018).

IPFS + Blockchain = Decentralised File Storage

Kohli (2018) pointed out that the InterPlanetary File System, or IPFS, offers
low-cost and secure data storage by storing cryptographic hashes of files on the
blockchain to build a decentralized and versioned file system. IPFS revolutionizes
internet architectures by enabling secure access to shared files through encryption and
cryptographic keys, promoting decentralized websites, secure communication, and
controlled data sharing.

All Your Transcript Questions, Answered

The time it takes for an institution to receive a transcript is dependent on the

distance between the sending institution and the receiving institution, as well as the
transmission method. Electronic transcripts can be received within 24 to 48 hours,
whereas physical copies may take several days or even a week to arrive at distant
institutions. In addition, students should anticipate that the institution may take up to a
month to confirm receipt of the transcript due to the high volume of transcripts they
process (Miller, 2017).

Credentials, Reputation, and the Blockchain

This article by Schmidt (2017) suggests that using blockchain technology and
strong cryptography enables the creation of certifications that place us in charge of the
entire record of our accomplishments. Recipients can share a digital degree with an
employer and provide verifiable evidence that the degree was awarded to the individual
presenting it. This raises intriguing concerns regarding the nature of acknowledging and
accrediting accomplishments.

2.2 Related Studies

Towards the Development of a Blockchain System for Philippine Government
Processes for Enhanced Transparency and Verifiability

The presented prototype by Cabugwang et al. (2023) showcases a user-friendly

blockchain system utilizing smart contracts on the Ethereum network to store confidential
user data off-chain through IPFS, enabling restricted access for authorized users. The
successful demonstration of this decentralized application for managing Personal
Identification Cards (PICs) highlights its potential as a blueprint for future government
processes, offering transparency, verifiability, and secure data management, while also
emphasizing the need to address blockchain system bottlenecks for optimal user
experience.
Towards the Development of a Blockchain-based Decentralized Digital Credential
System using Hyperledger Fabric for Participatory Governance

The feasibility of implementing a secure digital credential system utilizing

blockchain technology has been demonstrated by the successful development and
deployment of Chaincodes for digital national IDs and academic credentials,
demonstrating the potential for managing diverse digital assets via smart contracts.
Nevertheless, the implementation of blockchain technology requires a review of existing
laws and data privacy policies to ensure compliance and address potential roadblocks,
highlighting the need for policymakers to carefully consider the implications of
blockchain solutions in relation to data privacy (Pulmano et al., 2023).

Fake Degrees and Credential Fraud, Contract Cheating, and Paper Mills: Overview
and Historical Perspectives

This paper by Eaton & Carmichael (2023) highlights the interconnectedness

between fake degrees and other forms of credential fraud, such as contract cheating,
admissions fraud, and academic paper mills. The chapter also provides an estimated
valuation of the global academic fraud industry at $21 billion US dollars and introduces a
model depicting the ecosystem of commercial academic fraud, highlighting the
relationships between fake degrees, contract cheating, admissions fraud, and scholarly
paper mills.

Employment Recommendation System Using Predictive Analysis and Secured

Through Blockchain Technology

The development of an employment decision support system for graduates of

electronics engineering demonstrates the incorporation of blockchain technology as a
security measure to ensure the credibility and dependability of the evaluation process. By
encrypting the results on the blockchain, the system provides a transparent and
tamper-proof platform for assessing qualifications and matching graduates with the most
suitable job positions, thereby addressing the problem of industry-wide job disparities
(Thio-ac, 2022).
CCT Online Request of Students Credentials: A Document Management System for
Private HIEs in the Philippines

This research by Abang et al. (2022) emphasizes the advantages of using

advanced technology, specifically an online system for requesting student credentials,
over traditional manual processes in Higher Education Institutions. The implementation
of the online system at the City College of Tagaytay demonstrates the convenience and
safety it offers to students, particularly during the pandemic, highlighting the need for
such technological advancements in other institutions.

Creducate: Blockchain-based Academic Record Management and Verification

System Built in the Solana Network

This study emphasizes the use of blockchain technology in the design of an

academic record management and verification system, which provides increased security,
transparency, and process optimization. By implementing the decentralized application
on the Solana network, the system provides quicker processing speeds, lower transaction
fees, and a more extensive ecosystem. These results demonstrate the potential of
blockchain for preserving the integrity of academic records and facilitating secure
transactions between record administrators and record requesters (Castillo et al., 2022).

Blockchain-based academic certificate verification system—a review

The study by Pathak et al. (2022) analyzed 32 publications on the fundamentals

and applications of blockchain technology. It emphasizes the potential of blockchain in
the education system and its diverse applications in industries such as healthcare,
banking, e-voting, and supply chain management. Blockchain is recognized as a secure
peer-to-peer and distributed network technology. It enables the storage of large amounts
of data and provides a more intricate network architecture. Many of the reviewed articles
concentrate on the application of the Ethereum blockchain to the construction of an
education system that verifies the authenticity of degree certificates.
Blockchain-Based Medical Certificate Generation and Verification for IoT-based
Healthcare Systems

This paper by Namasudra et al. (2022) provides a blockchain-based architecture

for IoT-enabled healthcare systems that ensures confidentiality and safety. The proposed
architecture generates and maintains medical certificates in a secure manner while
enhancing both performance and transparency. Transaction latency, throughput,
processing time, and computation time, among other performance evaluation metrics,
demonstrate the advantages of the proposed architecture over existing systems.

Website-based Certificate Management Information System Design in Training and

Consultant Division

In this study, Web development automates the manual certificate administration

system, thereby increasing its efficiency and effectiveness. However, potential limitations
include insufficient security measures, reliance on Internet connectivity, and
compatibility problems. To mitigate these vulnerabilities, emphasis should be placed on
data preservation, system stability, and the implementation of robust security
(Muhammad, 2022).

A Life-Long Learning Education Passport Powered by Blockchain Technology and

Verifiable Digital Credentials: The BlockAdemiC Project

By leveraging open-source blockchain technology, a system can be developed to

ensure the security, privacy, integrity, and immutability of educational data, resulting in
increased trust, transparency, and positive effects for educational institutions, students,
and businesses in recognizing and validating lifelong learning achievements (Terzi et al.,
2022).

University student status management system based on blockchain

According to Qiongjie & Ning (2022), the use of blockchain technology in

student status management systems offers improved authenticity, security, and privacy,
thus addressing the issues of data tampering, privacy violations, and sharing difficulties
that plague conventional systems. Contributing to the advancement of university
information construction and talent certification, the proposed method and system
architecture provide a theoretical and practical basis for deploying blockchain technology
to student status management.

Verifiable authentication and issuance of academic certificates using permissioned

blockchain network

Fake certificates pose a major challenge, endangering both the credibility of

individuals and the reputation of organizations. To address this issue, the proposed
solution utilizes blockchain technology to establish a permissioned network that ensures
transparency, security, and dependability in the certification process. Using distributed
storage and authentication mechanisms, the blockchain-based system improves the
identification, verification, and secure sharing of academic records, making it a promising
solution for the education industry (Babu, 2022).

Framework for digitally managing academic records using blockchain technology

According to Dharmalingam et al. (2022), the prevalence of forged educational

certificates and the ineffectiveness of existing verification systems demonstrate the need
for a more dependable and immediate method of confirming academic records. The
proposed prototype model uses permissioned blockchain technology to digitally
administer and attest academic records, providing stakeholders with transparency,
authenticity, and instant verification while minimizing the risk of forgery and improving
the verification process's efficiency.

Blockchain for Education: Verification and Management of Lifelong Learning Data.

The B4E system shows a national platform for the verification and management
of data pertaining to lifelong learning, utilizing a private blockchain network to securely
hold educational records and provide an additional authentication layer. The conducted
experiments demonstrate the viability and efficacy of B4E, addressing the problem of
fraudulent certificates and enhancing transparency and trust in the learning record
management procedure (Do et al., 2022).

BlockMedCare: A healthcare system based on IoT, Blockchain and IPFS for data
management security

According to Kebira et al. (2022), in order to solve security and privacy issues in
IoT-based healthcare systems, the paper suggests BlockMedCare, a secure healthcare
solution that merges IoT with Blockchain. The system ensures data confidentiality,
scalability, and effective data storage by utilizing the re-encryption proxy, Smart
contracts, and IPFS-based off-chain database. This makes it a potential solution for
remote patient monitoring, especially in the management of chronic diseases like
diabetes.

Design and evaluation of IPFS: a storage layer for the decentralized web

The paper by Trautwein et al. (2022) introduces IPFS, the largest and most
popular decentralized online framework that seeks to share web service ownership and
operation. With millions of daily material retrievals via IPFS, which operates outside of
major central cloud providers like Amazon or Azure, it shows a substantial presence
throughout many Autonomous Systems and countries. The authors offer their datasets,
experiences, and lessons learned along the way. Its performance evaluation showed
acceptable publication and retrieval latency, making it ideal for a wide range of use cases.

Towards decentralised cloud storage with IPFS: Opportunities, challenges, and

future directions

In addition to showing IPFS's potential as a basis for decentralized cloud storage,

the paper provides an introduction to its key characteristics and highlights IPFS's
persistence, deduplication, and censorship resistance capabilities. It does, however,
acknowledge problems like content duplication and access control. Significant steps have
been taken in the direction of a more decentralized internet with the integration of IPFS
with Filecoin and its inclusion in well-known browsers like Opera, Brave, and Mozilla
Firefox. However, the community should continue to conduct timely research on the
effectiveness of these decentralized solutions (Doan et al., 2022)

Fileshare: A blockchain and ipfs framework for secure file sharing and data
provenance

The paper by Khatal et al. (2021) introduces FileShare, a secure decentralized

application framework that deals with ownership and integrity issues in current solutions
for file-sharing and data provenance. The framework makes use of IPFS for data storage
and Ethereum's smart contracts to provide user registration, provenance tracking, and file
versioning with visibility and traceability. FileShare is a cutting-edge and dependable
solution for safe file sharing and data provenance because it incorporates
blockchain-based recording of modification and sharing operations to increase the
system's integrity, robustness, and transparency.

Blockchain-based secured IPFS-enable event storage technique with authentication

protocol in VANET

In order to improve the privacy and security of event data, the study introduces an
innovative decentralized architecture for vehicular ad-hoc networks (VANET) in
intelligent transportation systems (ITS). The proposed protocol guarantees secure event
sharing and vehicle authentication in a fully distributed manner by merging blockchain
and the interplanetary file system (IPFS). This protocol offers desirable security at an
acceptable cost when compared to existing methods (Dwivedi et al., 2021).

A secured distributed detection system based on IPFS and blockchain for industrial
image and video data security

According to Kumar et al. (2021), in order to identify copyright violations of

multimedia information, the study suggests an IPFS-based decentralized peer-to-peer
picture and video sharing platform that uses blockchain technology and the perceptual
hash (pHash) technique. The approach ensures that copyright holders are given due credit
for their work and reduces the risks of a single point of failure in copyright protection by
utilizing blockchain's decentralized nature.

Hyperledger healthchain: patient-centric IPFS-based storage of health records

In order to solve privacy and security issues in electronic health systems, the
research suggests a patient-centric healthcare data management (PCHDM) solution
leveraging blockchain technology. The concept assures scalability, secrecy, and effective
data storage while enhancing patient privacy through a security smart contract with
Byzantine Fault Tolerance consensus. It does this by integrating an on-chain health
record database with off-chain encryption and storage using IPFS. Performance testing
reveals encouraging results in terms of resource usage, transactions per second, and
transaction latency, giving stakeholders more confidence to work together and safely
share health records (Mani, 2021).

Blockchain-based Model for Health Information Exchange: A Case for Simulated

Patient Referrals Using an Electronic Medical Record

According to Perez & Domingo-Palaoag (2021), the development of a framework

for health information exchange utilizing electronic medical records (EMR) and
blockchain-based networks offers a potential solution to the difficulties associated with
the sharing of data between health facilities, assuring security, transparency, and
accessibility. The simulated functionalities of the EMR prototype, combined with
blockchain-related functionalities, demonstrate the feasibility and prospective benefits of
integrating blockchain technology in the healthcare sector for enhanced service delivery
and data integrity.

wapr. tugon. ph: A Secure Helpline for Detecting Psychosocial Aid from Reports of
Unlawful Killings in the Philippines

The design and development of wapr.tugon.ph, a blockchain-enabled platform,

highlight the efficient use of natural language processing and machine learning
techniques for submitting, validating, and securing reports of human rights violations.
The implementation of an Ethereum private blockchain ensures the authenticity and
traceability of all system transactions, highlighting the significance of blockchain
technology in providing a secure and transparent framework for the management of
sensitive data pertaining to human rights violations (Estuar et al., 2021).

Framework and smart contract for blockchain enabled certificate verification

system using robotics

The study emphasizes the significance of verifying certificates to combat the

problem of fraudulent certifications. Implementing a smart contract for storing and
validating certificates on the blockchain enables employers to authenticate the credentials
of job applicants. The smart contract has potential applications for students, employers,
and educational institutions, as it offers a streamlined and trustworthy method for
verifying certificates (Malsa et al., 2021).

Educational Blockchain: A Secure Degree Attestation and Verification Traceability

Architecture for Higher Education Commission

According to Ayub Khan et al. (2021), the paper proposes the use of blockchain
technology, specifically the HEDU-Ledger, for secure and auditable degree attestation at
the Higher Education Commission (HEC). The HEDU-Ledger is a decentralized system
that guarantees security, transparency, and cyberattack protection. The system conforms
to HEC's policies and offers non-repudiation, provenance, and traceability.

Verification of University student and graduate data using blockchain technology

The UniverCert platform prototype, based on a consortium version of the

Ethereum blockchain, provides a decentralized and secure solution for educational
institutions to track student data, verify academic performance, and share documents,
effectively streamlining the verification process and ensuring the authenticity of
educational documents (Shakan, 2021).
Blockchain Ecosystem for Education and Employment Verification

The proposed system by Garg (2021) provides a secure, decentralized method for
storing pupil information, mitigating the risk of data breaches, and granting the certificate
owner control. By leveraging the blockchain platform, academic credentials become
interoperable, enabling verification by various organizations or third parties while
assuring data encryption and removing single points of failure, thereby enhancing the
credential holder's data control and portability.

Digital certificate authority with blockchain cybersecurity in education

The application of blockchain technology in the e-certificate system provides a

secure and practical solution for verifying the authenticity of certificates, strengthening
partnerships between universities and industrial partners, and enhancing employer
relationships. The distributed ledger functionality and security features of blockchain
offer a promising approach to addressing validation and certification issues in the
learning environment, benefiting a variety of educational contexts and streamlining job
applications (Maulani, 2021).

Implementation of distributed file storage and access framework using IPFS and
blockchain

To address the issues of user privacy and illegal access to sensitive data, Kumar &
Tripathi (2020) suggests a distributed off-chain storage model employing IPFS and
blockchain technologies for medical data. The framework maintains consistency,
integrity, and availability of medical data by protecting patient privacy and ensuring
simple access for authorized entities, such as healthcare professionals, and provides a
viable solution for secure and effective healthcare data management.

Blockchain Technology as a Competitive Advantage for Higher Education

Institutions in the Philippines

This study by Salandanan (2020) suggests that blockchain technology has the
potential to provide Philippine higher education institutions with a competitive advantage
in the areas of documentation and knowledge acquisition. The study emphasizes the need
for increased blockchain awareness and training among faculty members and suggests
incorporating blockchain education into faculty development programs in order to
capitalize on the technology's benefits in an academic context.

Blockchain-Based Trusted Achievement Record System Design

The conclusion of this study by Awaji et al. (2020) is that utilizing blockchain
technology for certification and verification in higher education has enormous market
potential on a global scale. Legacy systems for verifying credentials are inefficient,
expensive, and ineffective at combating fraud. Blockchain provides a comprehensive
solution to combat pervasive fraud, thereby enhancing usability and efficiency. This work
contributes positively to the prevention of fraudulent practices and their negative effects
on educational institutions and society by addressing credential fraud.

Blockchain Solutions in Education: A New Cross-Education Blockchain-Based

Framework

The implementation of a blockchain-based solution for cross-institutional

education enables students to study at multiple participating institutions, giving them
flexibility and the ability to showcase their collective accomplishments on a single
certificate. Using blockchain technology, the solution increases confidence, reduces fraud
attempts, optimizes resource allocation for issuing and validating certificates, and enables
independent validation by employers or external institutes, regardless of the existence or
operation of the issuing institutes (Sayed, 2020).

A technology-driven overview on blockchain-based academic certificate handling

According to Rodriguez et al. (2020), the focus on data confidentiality while

leveraging the transparency of blockchain technology is a common requirement among
the discussed approaches. The use of blockchain-based solutions offers technologically
viable means to combat certificate forgery, but further efforts are needed in terms of
technological standardization, interoperability, and organizational aspects such as
accreditation and recognition of educational institutions.

A blockchain-based architecture for query and registration of student degree

certificates

This paper by Abreu et al. (2020) proposes a blockchain-based reference

architecture and presents a proof-of-concept for registering and accessing student
certificates in higher education institutions in order to assess the applicability of this
technology in the education domain. The prototype implementation utilizing smart
contracts on the Ethereum platform demonstrates the blockchain's potential for enhancing
data security and transaction transparency in the higher education system.

Decentralized document version control using ethereum blockchain and IPFS

The paper by Nizamuddin et al. (2019) proposes a decentralized framework for

version control and document sharing, utilizing Blockchain, smart contracts, and the IPFS
file system to construct a secure and resilient system that does not rely on third-party
trust. The solution's implementation, testing, and verification against known attacks using
security analysis tools demonstrate its efficacy and scalability to other systems involving
shared digital assets such as video, audio, and images.

Blockchain-based System Evaluation: The Effectiveness of Blockchain on

E-Procurements

This study by Velasco et al. (2019) describes the incorporation of blockchain

technology into a platform for electronic procurement, highlighting the use of blockchain
notarization, digital signatures, and multisignature protocols. The study demonstrates the
efficacy of blockchain for enhancing security and attaining cost-effectiveness. This
research contributes to the establishment of a trust-free environment by demonstrating
blockchain's potential for paperless transactions and enhanced security.
Web-based online election system for college student organization using blocchain
technology

In this capstone project by Cañeda et al. (2019), the design and implementation of
a blockchain-based online voting system demonstrate the potential to address the issues
of data tampering, fraud, and lost data that affect conventional voting methods. The
system provides a secure and adaptable voting mechanism, assuring the legitimacy of
votes, protecting the confidentiality of ballots, and expediting and simplifying the voting
process, all while upholding security requirements and preserving the availability and
integrity of election procedures.

A blockchain-based educational record repository

This introduces BcER2, a Blockchain-based Educational Records Repository that

addresses the limitations of existing systems by providing a secure, globally accessible
repository for educational records. Using blockchain ensures authenticity, privacy, and
decentralized administration. BcER2 enables academic and industry professionals to
seamlessly transmit and share e-diplomas and e-certificates (Bessa & Martins, 2019).

Design of recruitment management platform using digital certificate on blockchain

This paper by Jeong & Choi (2019) introduces a blockchain-based certificate

administration platform for recruitment performance evaluation. The platform utilizes
blockchain technology to guarantee the certificates' authenticity and tamper-resistance. It
allows anyone to easily verify the validity of a certificate. The proposed platform could
be used for recruitment and application administration, career management, and personal
history maintenance.

Cerberus: A Blockchain-Based Accreditation and Degree Verification System

In higher education systems, the prevalence of credential fraud necessitates a

more efficient and intuitive solution. Cerberus is a blockchain-based credential
verification system that mitigates fraud, adheres closely to existing verification practices,
and eliminates the need for advanced cryptographic credentials (Tariq et al., 2019).
UniChain: A design of blockchain-based system for electronic academic records
access and permissions management

The proposed blockchain-based system, UniChain, provides an enhanced privacy,

interoperability, and security solution for administering Electronic Academic Records
(EARs). By leveraging timed-based smart contracts, advanced encryption techniques, and
an incentive mechanism for universities, UniChain demonstrates efficient performance in
handling large datasets while ensuring low latency access to electronic academic records
(EARs), thereby providing a promising method for enhancing existing academic record
management systems (Daraghmi et al., 2019).

The proposal of a blockchain-based architecture for transparent certificate handling

According to Gresch et al. (2019), fake diplomas present a major challenge,

prompting employers to manually verify credentials with issuers. The proposed UZHBC
system uses blockchain technology to provide a comprehensive solution for
administering diplomas, offering a secure and efficient method for issuance and
verification, thereby reducing the risk of fraudulent documents.

CredenceLedger: a permissioned blockchain for verifiable academic credentials

The proposed CredenceLedger platform by Arenas & Fernandez (2018) utilizes a

permissioned blockchain for centralized verification of academic credentials, providing
easily verifiable digital versions of student credentials without the need for public
blockchain transactions or cryptocurrencies. It offers independent and private verification
opportunities for third parties like employers, while also demonstrating the effectiveness
of permissioned blockchain as a distributed system for shared databases or ledgers,
offering high transaction throughputs, cost-effectiveness, and efficient management of
digital academic credentials.

Blockchain and smart contract for digital certificate

The paper by Cheng et al. (2018) proposes converting paper credentials into
digital certificates using blockchain technology, specifically the Ethereum blockchain and
smart contracts. The Blockchain for Education platform provides a practicable solution
for issuing, monitoring, validating, and sharing certificates, ensuring their durability and
tamper-resistance. This finding suggests that blockchain has the potential to revolutionize
certification processes, thereby improving their trustworthiness and effectiveness.

A novel blockchain-based education records verification solution

This study presents a blockchain-based solution for individuals to manage and

share their education documents in a secure manner. Blockchain's decentralized nature
eliminates intermediaries, thereby reducing costs and enhancing data privacy and
security. It is no longer necessary to manually track records, and data from multiple
providers can be readily accessed. Overall, the proposed solution provides a secure,
efficient, and cost-effective method for education record management (Han et al., 2018).

Interbot: A credential verification chatbot using an enhanced example based dialog

model

This study by Aquino et al. (2018) demonstrates the advantages of using

advanced technology, specifically a chatbot that conducts employment interviews based
on a candidate's résumé, over traditional recruitment methods. Using an improved
example-based dialog model, the chatbot enhances the screening process by evaluating
job applicants' consistency in their resume details and interview responses, saving time
and resources while preserving the quality and naturalness of a resume-based interview.

Blockchain for education: lifelong learning passport

This study emphasizes the benefits of using blockchain technology for digital
certificates, such as decentralized storage, simple verification, and immutable
certification authority records. It addresses security and privacy issues by permitting
anonymity for certifiers and by instituting security measures for smart contracts. The
system assists certification authorities, learners, and employers, enhancing their
efficiency, security, and privacy (Wolfgang et al., 2018).
A distributed credit transfer educational framework based on blockchain

The proposed blockchain-based educational framework by Srivastava (2018)

facilitates the verification and digital transfer of academic certificates and course credits
between universities, businesses, and other stakeholders, assuring consistency and a
global perspective of a student's performance. By providing tokens as credits and
employing blockchain as a decentralized reliable platform, the framework enables the
seamless digital transmission of educational credentials, overcoming legal and
administrative barriers for stakeholders in the educational sector.

Education-industry cooperative system based on blockchain

The implementation of a blockchain-based Education-Industry cooperative

system showcases the potential of blockchain technology in addressing information
asymmetry and achieving information symmetry between universities and employing
companies. By utilizing the transparency and non-tampering features of blockchain, the
system enables transparent sharing of student skill and knowledge information,
recruitment demands, and market trends, serving as a pilot development for the
application of blockchain technology in Education-Industry cooperation (Liu et al.,
2018).

A safe and efficient storage scheme based on blockchain and IPFS for agricultural
products tracking

In the study by Hao et al. (2018), a hybrid IPFS/blockchain data storage approach
for managing the traceability of agricultural products is proposed. The approach ensures
data integrity and security by utilizing IPFS to store real-time monitoring data and
blockchain to store the IPFS hash address of provenance data. This effectively addresses
the issues of inefficient querying and deliberate tampering and provides a promising
solution for improving food safety and traceability in the agriculture industry.
2.3 Conceptual Framework

Figure 1: Conceptual Framework of Cressential – Blockchain-Based Academic Records

Issuance and Verification System using Smart Contract

Knowledge requirements, software requirements, and hardware requirements

comprise the input for developing Cressential, a Blockchain-Based Academic Records
Issuance and Verification System using Smart Contract. It will employ an Agile
Software Development methodology, which includes phases of planning, requirement
analysis, designing, development, testing, and deployment. This capstone project will
produce Cressential, a comprehensive system that facilitates academic record issuance
and verification using smart contract, whereas the evaluation will be conducted using
the ISO 25010 model to evaluate software functional suitability, usability, and security.
2.4 Theoretical Framework

Figure 2: Theoretical Framework of Cressential – Blockchain-Based

Academic Records Issuance and Verification System using Smart
Contract
This theoretical framework integrates Human-Computer Interaction Theory,
System Theory, Blockchain Technology, and Information Management. It facilitates a
user-centered design approach, understanding system interdependencies, leveraging
blockchain for secure data management, and implementing efficient information
management processes. By integrating these theories, the framework provides an entirely
comprehensive foundation for establishing an effective and user-friendly system.

2.5 Definition of Terms

Academic credentials: In the system, academic credentials refer to

university-issued diplomas and transcripts of records (TORs). These credentials represent
the academic achievements of the students and are digitally generated, stored, and
validated on the blockchain.

Blockchain: A decentralized, unchangeable digital ledger that will be used in the

system to securely record and store academic credentials given out by universities. It acts
as the underlying technology that makes it possible for academic records to be managed
in a transparent and unaltered manner.

Credential forgery: The act of fabricating or changing academic credentials with

the goal of deceiving or misrepresenting one's credentials. This is one of the issues that
the proposed solution seeks to address.

Cryptographic hash: A mathematical operation that takes input data and outputs
a fixed-length string of characters that is specific to that input. Academic records can be
cryptographically hashed in the proposed system to produce a distinctive identifier that
guarantees the integrity and authenticity of the credential.

Metamask wallet: Users in the system utilize this digital wallet to store a
collection of cryptographic keys. These keys are necessary to sign transactions on the
blockchain network and connect to the system.

Smart Contract: A Smart Contract is a self-executing contract with the

conditions of the agreement directly written into code. The issuance, validation, and
verification of academic credentials are all automated and enforced in the proposed
system by Cressential using smart contracts on the blockchain.

Third-party: External entities, like employers, verification services, and

accreditation agencies, that confirm the accuracy of academic records are referred to as
third parties. Although they are not directly involved in the granting of credentials, they
can access the verification site and use the public key and PDF to verify the validity of
data.

TOR: This stands for Transcript of Records, a document that provides a

comprehensive account of a student's academic performance, including courses taken,
grades earned, and credits earned. Due to the unique format of each student, TORs must
be pre-made and uploaded to the system.

Verification Portal: A component of the system that is accessible to third parties

in order to verify the authenticity of academic records. It requires entering the public key
of the record and the PDF that the pupil shared. To ascertain the validity of the records,
the portal compares the provided data with the stored blockchain data.

Wallet Address: It is a unique identifier for a user's Metamask wallet. It is used

for system authentication and connections. In the system, students provide universities
with their wallet addresses, which are used to issue and access their academic credentials.
 Chapter Three

METHODOLOGY

3.1 Research Design

The study is quantitative in nature since it will utilize survey questionnaires
aligned with ISO 25010. This seeks to collect quantitative data that can be statistically
analyzed to evaluate the quality and performance of the system across these defined
characteristics. The responses to the survey can provide quantitative information,
enabling the measurement and evaluation of particular aspects of the system's
functionality, usability, and security. Quantitative methods are used to collect and analyze
numerical data. These methods can be used to identify patterns and averages, make
predictions, examine causal relationships, and apply findings to larger populations
(Bhandari, 2020).
 3.1.1 Data Flow Diagram

Figure 3: Level 0 Data Flow Diagram

Using a blockchain-based system, this project seeks to streamline the generation,

issuance, and verification of diplomas and Transcripts of Records (TORs). The system is
intended for three primary users: the university, the student, and a third-party verifier. The
data flow begins with the university registering and setting up an account, followed by
the creation of student accounts associated with their wallet addresses. The university
then provides the students with digital copies of the TOR and diploma files, as well as
covering any applicable fees. To access their profiles, diplomas, and TORs, students can
log in with their wallet authentication. Additionally, they can retrieve PDFs of the records
and public keys to share with employers or other institutions. The system includes a
verification portal where third parties can enter the public key and PDF of a record to
validate its authenticity. The system securely stores academic credentials on the
blockchain, making them tamper-proof and readily verifiable.

3.1.2 System Architecture

Figure 4: General System Architecture

Utilizing the React.js framework for web development, the users (student,
registrar, and employer) will be able to interact with the system for their intended
purposes. The students and registrar have access to both upload and receive file features.
Both of these users could use the system to request and issue documents according to
their necessities. Whenever an employer wants to verify the authenticity of an issued
document from the system, they could upload the CID (Content Identifier) from the
document. The interactions (uploading, receiving, and verifying) within the system are
performed by a smart contract, which can only be executed whenever the conditions are
satisfied. The IFPS (Interplanetary File System) serves as the database of the system, and
along with the blockchain network (Ethereum), a decentralized ledger of transactions in
the system is kept, which ensures the legitimacy of any document issued using the
system.

Figure 5. Registrar System Architecture

Figure 6. Student System Architecture

 Figure 7. Verifier System Architecture

3.2 Research Development

Figure 8. Agile Software Development Diagram

The researchers will employ Agile Software Development as the system

development methodology for their study, titled “Cressential: Revolutionizing Academic
Records Management with Blockchain-based Issuance and Verification System using
Smart Contract". According to Hamilton (2023), this methodology is one of the simplest
and most efficient methods for transforming a business vision into software solutions. It
incorporates continuous planning, learning, enhancement, teamwork, evolutionary
development, and early delivery as it encourages flexible responses to change. Agile
Software Development consists of various phases called planning, requirement analysis,
designing, development, testing, and deployment. Each phase has a significant impact on
the development of the research.

Planning

This phase of the research involves analyzing the existing issues and determining
the objectives that need to be achieved within specific timeframes. The planning stage
focuses on the research concept and aims to identify and address the challenges that need
to be overcome.

Requirement Analysis

This phase enables researchers to gather and document the functional and
non-functional requirements, such as the desired features, performance criteria, and user
interface specifications. This information is essential to the success of the research
project as it guides the development of a solution that meets the stakeholders' needs and
expectations.

Designing

In this phase, the researchers will select design layouts that are user-friendly for
all of the system's users, including Registrars, Students, and Verifiers. This will also
include establishing the architecture of the system.

Development

During this phase, the development of a web-based interface and the creation of
smart contracts will be prioritized. There will be iterative cycles involving UI design,
frontend and backend development, and the implementation of smart contracts.
Continuous integration, testing, feedback from stakeholders, and reviews will drive the
system's incremental improvement.

Testing
 In this phase, testing will guarantee the quality and dependability of the developed
system. Prior to the release of the system, testing will help identify any errors or issues,
thereby preventing potential problems and negative effects on users. In addition, it will
validate the system's functionality and performance to ensure that it fulfills the
requirements and objectives of the project. Testing will provide valuable feedback to
improve the system and assess the efficacy of the research, which will lead to the success
of the project and enhanced reliability, quality, and user satisfaction.

Deployment

The deployment phase of the research allows researchers to gather feedback from
users in a real-world environment. It can also identify any potential issues not discovered
during testing and help researchers make improvements to the system. Deployment
ensures proper installation and configuration of the system, ensuring optimal
performance and meeting project requirements.

3.3. Data Collection

Researchers will conduct an evaluation of the proposed system using a survey
questionnaire. All the questions in the survey form and evaluation form can be seen in the
appendices. The system will be evaluated based on the following criteria: Functional
Suitability, Usability, and Security. Respondents answered each item of the questionnaire
using the Likert scale.

Numerical Scale Verbal Descriptions

5 Extremely Satisfied (ES)

4 Fairly Satisfied (FS)

3 Neutral (N)

2 Dissatisfied (D)

1 Extremely Dissatisfied (ED)

Table A. Scaling for Level of Satisfaction on Proposed System

3.4 Sampling Technique
This system will be tested by 300 respondents which will consist of (1) Registrar,
(99) Third-party verifiers, and (200) Graduate and Undergraduate Students. They will
serve as the software evaluators for the study. On a 5-point Likert scale, with 5 being the
highest and 1 being the lowest, each respondent will receive an evaluation questionnaire
that will be used to calculate the final overall performance of the proposed system.

3.5 Data Analysis and Procedures

To analyze the data, mean and rank will be used to present and analyze evaluation
data regarding the experience, opinion, and feedback of the evaluator-respondents while
using the system.

A 5-point numerical scale with statistical ranges and verbal descriptions was used
to represent the responses of each respondent to the questionnaire. The level of
satisfaction with the proposed system will be quantified using a set of numerical scales,
each with the corresponding rubrics, to facilitate the interpretation and analysis of results,
as shown in Table B:

Numerical Scale Statistical Limits Verbal Descriptions

5 4.50 - 5.00 Extremely Satisfied (ES)

4 3.50 - 4.49 Fairly Satisfied (FS)

3 2.50 - 3.49 Neutral (N)

2 1.50 - 2.49 Dissatisfied (D)

1 1.0 - 1.49 Extremely Dissatisfied (ED)

Table B. Scaling and Quantification of Data on Level of Satisfaction on Electoral System

Management

3.6 Evaluation
ISO 25010, titled “Systems and Software Engineering: Systems and Software
Quality Requirements and Evaluation (SQuaRE) – System and Software Quality
Models,” is a software quality standard that will be used to evaluate the system. This
quality model will determine which characteristics need to be taken into consideration by
the evaluator-respondents when evaluating the properties of the system. It will be
evaluated by 300 evaluator-respondents. The evaluator-respondents will be given a
survey questionnaire that may be answered by choosing a rating from 1 through 5 based
on the Likert Scale. The rating scale will quantify the experience, opinion, and feedback
of the evaluator-respondents while using the system. There will be three (3)
characteristics of ISO 25010 that the survey questionnaire will focus on: a) Functional
Suitability, b) Usability, and e) Security. The responses from the survey questionnaire will
ensure that the system has met the requirements and objectives, and they will also help
identify issues, errors, or potential problems in the system and areas for improvement.

The researchers will ensure that the information provided by the

evaluator-respondents will be treated with the utmost confidentiality in accordance with
the Data Privacy Act of 2012. This act requires that all personal information collected
during research be kept confidential to protect the privacy of the individuals involved.
Overall, this approach will allow the researchers to gather a wide range of data from
multiple sources, providing a more comprehensive understanding of the possible
improvements that can be made to the system before its deployment.
3.7 References

@minimalsm. (2023, July 11). Introduction to dapps | ethereum.org. ethereum.org.

https://ethereum.org/en/developers/docs/dapps/

Abang, K. I. R., Gatmaitan, D. L. V., Manalo, F. R., Torcelino, M. R., Rodriguez, R. L.,
& Serrano, E. A. (2022, December). CCT Online Request of Students Credentials: A
Document Management System for Private HIEs in the Philippines. In 2022 2nd
International Conference in Information and Computing Research (iCORE) (pp. 25-29).
IEEE.

Abreu, A. W. S., Coutinho, E. F., & Bezerra, C. I. (2020, October). A blockchain-based

architecture for query and registration of student degree certificates. In Proceedings of the
14th Brazilian Symposium on Software Components, Architectures, and Reuse (pp.
151-160).

Abreu, A. W. S., Coutinho, E. F., & Bezerra, C. I. (2020, October). A blockchain-based

architecture for query and registration of student degree certificates. In Proceedings of the
14th Brazilian Symposium on Software Components, Architectures, and Reuse (pp.
151-160).

Adebayo, A. S. (2022, September 28). How to store files on the blockchain using IPFS.
Hashnode Web3.
https://web3.hashnode.com/how-to-store-files-on-the-blockchain-using-ipfs

Adebayo, A. S. (2022, September 28). How to store files on the blockchain using IPFS.
Hashnode Web3.
https://web3.hashnode.com/how-to-store-files-on-the-blockchain-using-ipfs

Adel, R. (2020, January 16). Singapore jails Filipina for faking diploma records.
Philstar.com.
https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2020/01/16/1985311/singapore-jails-filipina-faking-d
iploma-records

Admin, I. (2020). Paper vs Electronic Records: The Pros and Cons. Information
Requirements Clearinghouse. https://irch.com/paper-vs-electronic-records-pros-cons/

Admin. (2021). Woman pretends to be summa cum laude from UP, becomes guest
speaker in school graduation. The Summit Express.
https://www.thesummitexpress.com/2021/08/woman-pretends-summa-cum-laude-up-gue
st-speaker.html

Admin. (2022, June 26). E-certificate Blockchain Verification - ProofEasy. Proof Easy.
https://proofeasy.io/an-analysis-of-multiple-case-studies-on-the-advantages-of-blockchai
n-for-digital-certificates/

Admin. (2022, November 24). How does IPFS work? Why use IPFS? - Bitcoinkz.
https://www.bitcoinkz.com/Cryptocurrency/How-does-IPFS-work-Why-use-IPFS.html

Admin. (2023, April 12). Authenticate certificate with blockchain verification ProofEasy.
Proof Easy. https://proofeasy.io/blockchain-based-certificate-authentication/

Alam, S. (2021). A blockchain-based framework for secure educational credentials.

Turkish Journal of Computer and Mathematics Education (TURCOMAT), 12(10),
5157-5167.

Aquino, A. G., Bayona, K. R., Gonzales, K. D., Reyes, G. D., & Sagum, R. A. (2014).
Interbot: A credential verification chatbot using an enhanced example based dialog
model. International Journal of Future Computer and Communication, 3(4), 252.

Arenas, R., & Fernandez, P. (2018, June). CredenceLedger: a permissioned blockchain

for verifiable academic credentials. In 2018 IEEE International Conference on
Engineering, Technology and Innovation (ICE/ITMC) (pp. 1-6). IEEE.
AuthBridge Research Services Pvt ltd. (2022, February 18). How To Verify Fake
Education Credentials to ensure the right skills - AuthBridge. AuthBridge.
https://authbridge.com/blog/identifying-fake-education-credentials-ensure-right-skills/

Awaji, B., Solaiman, E., & Marshall, L. (2020, July). Blockchain-based trusted
achievement record system design. In Proceedings of the 5th International Conference on
Information and Education Innovations (pp. 46-51).

Ayub Khan, A., Laghari, A. A., Shaikh, A. A., Bourouis, S., Mamlouk, A. M., &
Alshazly, H. (2021). Educational blockchain: A secure degree attestation and verification
traceability architecture for higher education commission. Applied Sciences, 11(22),
10917.

Azbeg, K., Ouchetto, O., & Andaloussi, S. J. (2022). BlockMedCare: A healthcare

system based on IoT, Blockchain and IPFS for data management security. Egyptian
Informatics Journal, 23(2), 329-343.

Babu, E. S., Srinivasarao, B. K. N., Kavati, I., & Rao, M. S. (2022). Verifiable
authentication and issuance of academic certificates using permissioned blockchain
network. International Journal of Information Security and Privacy (IJISP), 16(1), 1-24.

Bessa, E. E., & Martins, J. S. (2019). A blockchain-based educational record repository.

arXiv preprint arXiv:1904.00315.

Blockchain technology should be the backbone of an e-signature. (2022, January 19).

Healthcare IT News.
https://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/blockchain-technology-should-be-backbone-e-si
gnature-solution

Cabugwang, K. A. F., Enriquez, R. C. K., Villabroza, B. E., & Pulmano, C. E. (2023).

Towards the Development of a Blockchain System for Philippine Government Processes
for Enhanced Transparency and Verifiability. Procedia Computer Science, 219, 107-114.
Cañeda, M. P. A., Quiza, C., Pateña, J. M., & Cabangon, K. C. (2019). WEB-BASED
ONLINE ELECTION SYSTEM FOR COLLEGE STUDENT ORGANIZATION USING
BLOCKCHAIN TECHNOLOGY. Innovatus, 2(1), 1-1.

Castillo, D. V. S., Co, C. N. B., Maranan, K. G. R., Quinio, D. J., & Pedrasa, J. R. I.
(2022, November). Creducate: Blockchain-based Academic Record Management and
Verification System Built in the Solana Network. In TENCON 2022-2022 IEEE Region
10 Conference (TENCON) (pp. 1-6). IEEE.

Cheng, J. C., Lee, N. Y., Chi, C., & Chen, Y. H. (2018, April). Blockchain and smart
contract for digital certificate. In 2018 IEEE international conference on applied system
invention (ICASI) (pp. 1046-1051). IEEE.

Chikov, O. (2023, February 22). The process of creating decentralized apps (DApps).
InfoQ. https://www.infoq.com/articles/creating-decentralized-apps/

Constantin, L. (2021). Hashing explained: Why it’s your best bet to protect stored
passwords. CSO Online.
https://www.csoonline.com/article/570229/hashing-explained-why-its-your-best-bet-to-pr
otect-stored-passwords.html

Credentials, B. |. B. D. (2021, May 19). Diploma verification: challenges and

consequences. BCdiploma | Blockchain Digital Credentials.
https://www.bcdiploma.com/en/blog/diploma-verification-challenges-and-consequences-
2021-05-19

Cummings, A. (2022). What Is Nonrepudiation And Why Is It Important? TimesMojo.

https://www.timesmojo.com/what-is-nonrepudiation-and-why-is-it-important/

Dai, Q., & Zhu, N. (2022, March). University student status management system based
on blockchain. In The International Conference on Cyber Security Intelligence and
Analytics (pp. 752-757). Springer International Publishing.
Daraghmi, E. Y., Daraghmi, Y. A., & Yuan, S. M. (2019). UniChain: A design of
blockchain-based system for electronic academic records access and permissions
management. Applied Sciences, 9(22), 4966.

Dharmalingam, R., Ugail, H., Shivasankarappa, A. N., & Dharmalingam, V. (2022).

Framework for digitally managing academic records using blockchain technology.
Mobile Computing and Sustainable Informatics: Proceedings of ICMCSI 2021, 633-645.

Do, B. L., Nguyen, V. T., Dinh, H. N., Dao, T. C., & Nguyen, B. (2022). Blockchain for
Education: Verification and Management of Lifelong Learning Data. Computer Systems
Science & Engineering, 43(2).

Doan, T. V., Psaras, Y., Ott, J., & Bajpai, V. (2022). Towards decentralised cloud storage
with IPFS: Opportunities, challenges, and future directions. arXiv preprint
arXiv:2202.06315.

Dwivedi, S. K., Amin, R., & Vollala, S. (2021). Blockchain-based secured IPFS-enable
event storage technique with authentication protocol in VANET. IEEE/CAA Journal of
Automatica Sinica, 8(12), 1913-1922.

Eaton, S.E., Carmichael, J.J. (2023). Fake Degrees and Credential Fraud, Contract
Cheating, and Paper Mills: Overview and Historical Perspectives. In: Eaton, S.E.,
Carmichael, J.J., Pethrick, H. (eds) Fake Degrees and Fraudulent Credentials in Higher
Education . Ethics and Integrity in Educational Contexts, vol 5. Springer, Cham.
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-21796-8_1

Estuar, M. R. J. E., Victorino, J. N. C., Pulmano, C. E., Pangan, Z., Alanano, M. J. B.,
Celeres, J. V. C., ... & Lazo, L. (2021). wapr. tugon. ph: A Secure Helpline for Detecting
Psychosocial Aid from Reports of Unlawful Killings in the Philippines. In Social,
Cultural, and Behavioral Modeling: 14th International Conference, SBP-BRiMS 2021,
Virtual Event, July 6–9, 2021, Proceedings 14 (pp. 235-244). Springer International
Publishing.
Farmer, C. (2020, March 16). What’s really happening when you add a file to IPFS?
Medium.
https://medium.com/textileio/whats-really-happening-when-you-add-a-file-to-ipfs-ae3b8
b5e4b0f

Fisher, T. (2022, July 26). What is a cryptographic hash function? Lifewire.

https://www.lifewire.com/cryptographic-hash-function-2625832

Fowler, J. (2022). How Lying on Your Resume Will Get You in Trouble. Investopedia.
https://www.investopedia.com/financial-edge/0912/how-lying-on-your-resume-will-get-y
ou-in-trouble.aspx#citation-1

Frankenfield, J. (2023). Decentralized Applications (dApps): Definition, uses, pros and

cons. Investopedia.
https://www.investopedia.com/terms/d/decentralized-applications-dapps.asp

Garg, R. (2021, September). Blockchain Ecosystem for Education and Employment

Verification. In 13th International Conference on Network & Communication Security,
Toronto Canada.

GeeksforGeeks. (2022). InterPlanetary File System. GeeksforGeeks.

https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/interplanetary-file-system/

GeeksforGeeks. (2022b). What are Decentralized Apps dApps in Blockchain.

GeeksforGeeks.
https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/what-are-decentralized-apps-dapps-in-blockchain/

Gherghelas, S. (2023, January 4). Dapp Industry Report 2022. Dappradar.

https://dappradar.com/blog/dapp-industry-report-2022-dapp-industry-proves-resilient-in-c
rypto-winter

Gräther, W., Kolvenbach, S., Ruland, R., Schütte, J., Torres, C., & Wendland, F. (2018).
Blockchain for education: lifelong learning passport.
Gresch, J., Rodrigues, B., Scheid, E., Kanhere, S. S., & Stiller, B. (2019). The proposal of
a blockchain-based architecture for transparent certificate handling. In Business
Information Systems Workshops: BIS 2018 International Workshops, Berlin, Germany,
July 18–20, 2018, Revised Papers 21 (pp. 185-196). Springer International Publishing.

Grubor, N. (2021, October 21). Blockchain and InterPlanetary File System (IPFS).
Blockchain Works.
https://blockchain.works-hub.com/learn/blockchain-and-interplanetary-file-system-ipfs-c
ec4d

Han, M., Li, Z., He, J., Wu, D., Xie, Y., & Baba, A. (2018, September). A novel
blockchain-based education records verification solution. In Proceedings of the 19th
annual SIG conference on information technology education (pp. 178-183).

Hao, J., Sun, Y., & Luo, H. (2018). A safe and efficient storage scheme based on
blockchain and IPFS for agricultural products tracking. J. Comput, 29(6), 158-167.

Hayward, A. (2021, August 6). How to use IPFS: the backbone of Web3. Decrypt.
https://decrypt.co/resources/how-to-use-ipfs-the-backbone-of-web3

Herrity, J. (2022). How Do Employers Verify College Degrees? Indeed.com.

https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/finding-a-job/how-employers-verify-college-degre
es

Howson, P. (2020). Building trust and equity in marine conservation and fisheries supply
chain management with blockchain. Marine Policy, 115, 103873.

Informatics Philippines. (2020). Benefits of Taking a Diploma Program. Informatics

Philippines. https://informatics.edu.ph/benefits-of-taking-a-diploma-program/

J. Philipp. (2017, April 24). Credentials, reputation, and the blockchain. EDUCAUSE
Review. https://er.educause.edu/articles/2017/4/credentials-reputation-and-the-blockchain
Jeong, W. Y., & Choi, M. (2019). Design of recruitment management platform using
digital certificate on blockchain. Journal of Information Processing Systems, 15(3),
707-716.

Kaaru, S. (2023). Blockchain will bring profound social impact to the Philippines:
nChain’s Stefan Matthews. CoinGeek.
https://coingeek.com/blockchain-will-bring-profound-social-impact-to-the-philippines-nc
hain-stefan-matthews-video/

Khatal, S., Rane, J., Patel, D., Patel, P., & Busnel, Y. (2021). Fileshare: A blockchain and
ipfs framework for secure file sharing and data provenance. Advances in Machine
Learning and Computational Intelligence: Proceedings of ICMLCI 2019, 825-833.

Kohli, K. (2018, May 13). IPFS + Blockchain = Decentralised File Storage - CoinMonks
- Medium. Medium.
https://medium.com/coinmonks/ipfs-blockchain-decentralised-file-storage-9ef3a1fa307b

Kumar, R., Marchang, N., & Tripathi, R. (2020, January). Distributed off-chain storage of
patient diagnostic reports in healthcare system using IPFS and blockchain. In 2020
International conference on communication systems & networks (COMSNETS) (pp.
1-5). IEEE.

Kumar, R., Tripathi, R., Marchang, N., Srivastava, G., Gadekallu, T. R., & Xiong, N. N.
(2021). A secured distributed detection system based on IPFS and blockchain for
industrial image and video data security. Journal of Parallel and Distributed Computing,
152, 128-143.

La Capra, E. (2022). What is IPFS? CoinMarketCap Alexandria.

https://coinmarketcap.com/alexandria/article/what-is-ipfs

Lalithnarayan, C. (2021). Understanding hashing in cryptography. Engineering Education

(EngEd) Program | Section.
https://www.section.io/engineering-education/understand-hashing-in-cryptography/
Lama, S., & Ryan Glenn. (2023). What is IPFS? BeInCrypto.
https://beincrypto.com/learn/what-is-ipfs/

Lemieux, V. L. (2021). Blockchain and Recordkeeping: Editorial. Computers, 10(11),

135. https://doi.org/10.3390/computers10110135

Liu, Q., Guan, Q., Yang, X., Zhu, H., Green, G., & Yin, S. (2018, August).
Education-industry cooperative system based on blockchain. In 2018 1st IEEE
international conference on hot information-centric networking (HotICN) (pp. 207-211).
IEEE.

Luci-Atienza, C. (2021, April 19). CSC warns gov’t employees: Submission of fake
credentials an offense of “serious dishonesty.” Manila Bulletin.
https://mb.com.ph/2021/04/19/csc-warns-govt-employees-submission-of-fake-credentials
-an-offense-of-serious-dishonesty/

Malsa, N., Vyas, V., Gautam, J., Shaw, R. N., & Ghosh, A. (2021). Framework and Smart
Contract for Blockchain Enabled Certificate Verification System Using Robotics. In
Studies in computational intelligence (pp. 125–138). Springer Nature.
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-0598-7_10

Mani, V., Manickam, P., Alotaibi, Y., Alghamdi, S., & Khalaf, O. I. (2021). Hyperledger
healthchain: patient-centric IPFS-based storage of health records. Electronics, 10(23),
3003.

Maulani, G., Gunawan, G., Leli, L., Nabila, E. A., & Sari, W. Y. (2021). Digital
certificate authority with blockchain cybersecurity in education. International Journal of
Cyber and IT Service Management, 1(1), 136-150.

McHugh, R. (2022). Record nations. Record Nations.

https://www.recordnations.com/blog/different-types-security-in-records-management/

Miller, L. (2018b). All your transcript questions, answered. ExploreHealthCareers.org.

https://explorehealthcareers.org/how-to-order-college-transcript/
Musharraf, M. (2023, May 25). What is InterPlanetary File System (IPFS)? | Ledger.
Ledger. https://www.ledger.com/academy/what-is-ipfs

Namasudra, S., Sharma, P., Crespo, R. G., & Shanmuganathan, V. (2022).

Blockchain-based medical certificate generation and verification for IoT-based healthcare
systems. IEEE Consumer Electronics Magazine, 12(2), 83-93.

Nizamuddin, N., Salah, K., Azad, M. A., Arshad, J., & Rehman, M. H. (2019).
Decentralized document version control using ethereum blockchain and IPFS. Computers
& Electrical Engineering, 76, 183-197.

Nyaletey, E., Parizi, R., Qi, Z., & Kim-Kwang, R. C. (2019, July 1). BlockIPFS -
Blockchain-Enabled Interplanetary file System for forensic and trusted data traceability.
IEEE Conference Publication | IEEE Xplore.
https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/8946164/authors#authors

Paladini, S., Yerushalmi, E., & Castellucci, I. (2021). Public Governance of the
Blockchain Revolution and Its Implications for Social Finance: A Comparative Analysis.
Innovations in Social Finance: Transitioning Beyond Economic Value, 293-318.

Pathak, S., Gupta, V. K., Malsa, N., Ghosh, A., & Shaw, R. A. (2022). Blockchain-Based
Academic Certificate Verification System—A Review. In Lecture notes in electrical
engineering (pp. 527–539). Springer Science+Business Media.
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-2980-9_42

Pulmano, C. E., Estuar, M. R. J. E., De Leon, M. M., Tan, H. C. L., Co, N. A. S., &
Tamayo, L. P. V. (2023). Towards the Development of a Blockchain-based Decentralized
Digital Credential System using Hyperledger Fabric for Participatory Governance.
Procedia Computer Science, 219, 99-106.

Pulmano, Christian E; Estuar, Maria Regina Justina E; De Leon, Marlene M; Tan, Hans
Calvin L; Co, Nicole Allison S; Tamayo, Lenard Paulo V;
RNspeak. (2021, June 11). RNspeak. RNspeak | Nursing Journal.
https://rnspeak.com/fake-nurses/

Rodrigues, B., Franco, M. F., Scheid, E., Kanhere, S. S., & Stiller, B. (2020). A
technology-driven overview on blockchain-based academic certificate handling.
Blockchain Technology Applications in Education, 197-223.

Romero, P. (2018, July 29). Smartmatic eyes blockchain tech to secure elections.
Philstar.com.
https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2018/07/30/1838048/smartmatic-eyes-blockchain-tec
h-secure-elections

Salandanan, M. T. (2020). Blockchain Technology as a Competitive Advantage for

Higher Education Institutions in the Philippines. Millennium Journal of Humanities and
Social Sciences.

Salbiyath, M., & Sulistyowati, D. N. (2022, March). WEBSITE-BASED CERTIFICATE

MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEM DESIGN IN TRAINING AND
CONSULTANT DIVISION.
https://ejournal.nusamandiri.ac.id/index.php/techno/article/view/3059/925

Sarwar, S. (2021). Education and Degree Verification for Employment – Why it Matters.
Accurate.
https://www.accurate.com/blog/why-education-and-degree-verification-matters/

Sayed, E. (2020, November). Blockchain Solutions in Education: A New

Cross-Education Blockchain-Based Framework. In Proceedings of the 9th International
Conference on Software and Information Engineering (pp. 229-234).

Shakan, Y., Kumalakov, B., Mutanov, G., Mamykova, Z., & Kistaubayev, Y. (2021).
Verification of University student and graduate data using blockchain technology.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF COMPUTERS COMMUNICATIONS &
CONTROL, 16(5).
Simplilearn. (2022). What is a dApp? All You Need to Know. Simplilearn.com.
https://www.simplilearn.com/what-is-dapp-article

Srivastava, A., Bhattacharya, P., Singh, A., Mathur, A., Prakash, O., & Pradhan, R. (2018,
September). A distributed credit transfer educational framework based on blockchain. In
2018 Second International Conference on Advances in Computing, Control and
Communication Technology (IAC3T) (pp. 54-59). IEEE.

Tariq, A., et al. (2019, December 14). Cerberus: a blockchain-based accreditation and
degree verification system. arXiv.org. Retrieved from https://arxiv.org/abs/1912.06812

Tdt. (2023). Future of banking unfolds with AI, blockchain. Daily Tribune.
https://tribune.net.ph/2023/07/24/future-of-banking-unfolds-with-ai-blockchain/

Terzi, S., Ioannis, S., Votis, K., & Tsiatsos, T. (2021, December). A life-long learning
education passport powered by blockchain technology and verifiable digital credentials:
The BlockAdemiC project. In International Conference on Software Engineering and
Formal Methods (pp. 249-263). Springer International Publishing.

Thakkar, M. (2022, April 18). SHA 256 algorithm explained by a cyber security
consultant - InfoSec Insights. InfoSec Insights.
https://sectigostore.com/blog/sha-256-algorithm-explained-by-a-cyber-security-consultan
t/

The Filebase Team. (2022). 5 Ways To Use IPFS For File Sharing and Storage. Filebase
Blog. https://filebase.com/blog/5-ways-to-use-ipfs-for-file-sharing-and-storage/

Thio-ac, A. C., Cruz, R. A. C. D., Papalid, R. R. M., Soriano, E. J. S., Tabarina, D. M. L.

L., Tingson, A. M., ... & Tolentino, L. K. S. (2022, April). Employment Recommendation
System Using Predictive Analysis and Secured Through Blockchain Technology. In 2022
IEEE International Conference on Distributed Computing and Electrical Circuits and
Electronics (ICDCECE) (pp. 1-8). IEEE.
Thio-ac, A., Serut, A. K., Torrejos, R. L., Rivo, K. D., & Velasco, J. (2019).
Blockchain-based system evaluation: The effectiveness of blockchain on E-procurements.
arXiv preprint arXiv:1911.05399.

Trautwein, D., Raman, A., Tyson, G., Castro, I., Scott, W., Schubotz, M., ... & Psaras, Y.
(2022, August). Design and evaluation of IPFS: a storage layer for the decentralized web.
In Proceedings of the ACM SIGCOMM 2022 Conference (pp. 739-752).

Why digital signatures are essential for blockchains. (2022). Coinbase.

https://www.coinbase.com/cloud/discover/dev-foundations/digital-signatures

Wwt. (2022, November 17). Everything you need to know about University Transcripts.
Worldwide Transcripts.
https://worldwidetranscripts.com/2022/03/25/everything-you-need-to-know-about-univer
sity-transcripts/