Analysis and Application of Blockchain Technologies for Digital Verification and Storage of Educational Achievements
I am pleased to present the expanded description of my diploma thesis on the topic: "Designing a Diploma Tokenization System Based on Blockchain Technologies for Digital Verification and Decentralized Storage of Educational Achievements".
Key Points:
Objective of the Study: To develop and implement a system based on blockchain technologies for creating, storing, and verifying educational diplomas and certificates, ensuring their immutability and accessibility.
Tasks:
- Conduct an analysis of the relevance and issues surrounding digital identification of diplomas.
- Investigate existing solutions and technologies in this field.
- Define the functional and non-functional requirements for the system.
- Design the system architecture and its components, including client applications.
- Choose the appropriate technology stack.
- Perform an economic analysis of the developed system, including commercialization readiness assessment, total cost of ownership calculation, and competitiveness evaluation.
- Conduct a pilot issuance of digital diplomas.
Highlights:
Effective Blockchain Types: A detailed analysis of public, private, and consortium blockchains, examining their suitability for different business and scientific applications.
Consensus Mechanisms: An in-depth exploration of various consensus mechanisms, including Proof of Work (PoW), Proof of Stake (PoS), Proof of Authority (PoA), and Practical Byzantine Fault Tolerance (PBFT), and their effectiveness in maintaining security, transparency, and efficiency.
Sector-Specific Applications: Insightful case studies on the application of blockchain in education, demonstrating its impact and benefits.
Detailed Description:
The study begins by addressing the relevance and challenges of digital diploma verification in the modern society. Traditional methods face issues such as forgery, loss, and lengthy verification processes, which complicate job placement and diminish trust in educational institutions. Blockchain technology offers a robust solution to these problems by providing a decentralized and tamper-proof system for storing and verifying educational achievements.
System Architecture:
- User Registration and Authentication: The system includes a Telegram bot for user interaction, allowing students to register, request diploma issuance, and receive notifications about their diploma status.
- Diploma Issuance and Storage: Each diploma is tokenized as an NFT (Non-Fungible Token) and stored in a decentralized manner using IPFS (InterPlanetary File System). This ensures the diploma's immutability and accessibility for future verification.
- Data Security and Privacy: The system employs cryptographic methods such as SHA512 and HMAC for data hashing and encryption, ensuring the security and privacy of user information.
- Smart Contracts: The issuance and verification processes are managed by smart contracts deployed on the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM). These contracts handle the creation, signing, and verification of diplomas.
Economic Analysis:
- Commercialization Readiness: The study evaluates the system's potential for commercialization, including market analysis and business model development.
- Total Cost of Ownership (TCO): A detailed TCO analysis is conducted to assess the financial feasibility of implementing and maintaining the system.
- Competitiveness: The system's competitive advantages, such as enhanced security, reliability, and user convenience, are highlighted.
Key Takeaways:
Enhanced Transparency and Security: Understand how blockchain technologies ensure transparency, security, and decentralization in managing educational achievements.
Optimized Business Processes: Discover how blockchain can streamline educational processes, reduce fraud risks, and improve operational efficiency.
Future-Ready Technology: Gain insights into the future developments of blockchain technology and its potential to drive digital transformation across various sectors.