# Verifying digital academic credentials securely

> The Infocomm Media Development Authority and GovTech Singapore launched an open-source Ethereum framework with partner universities to issue tamper-proof educational credentials. Academic degrees and transcripts are cryptographically signed and issued as digital files whose authenticity can be instantly checked without contacting the issuing university. Leading institutions such as the National University of Singapore have adopted the platform to provide permanent verifiable records to graduates.

**Sector:** Tertiary sector · **Industry:** Government agencies and public administration · **Organisation:** Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA), Government Technology Agency (GovTech) Singapore, National University of Singapore (NUS) · **Maturity level:** Production

Canonical URL: https://www.sapientblock.com/en/use-cases/infocomm-media-development-authority-digitale-bildungszertifikate

## Documentation status

- **Project status:** Production
- **Evidence:** Evidence medium
- **Editorial review:** pending

## Description

The Infocomm Media Development Authority and GovTech Singapore operate a platform for tamper-proof verification of educational qualifications. Instead of physical certificates, graduates receive cryptographically signed files whose authenticity can be checked within seconds via a central web portal. The underlying blockchain guarantees that documents cannot be altered or retroactively manipulated unnoticed after issuance.

The OpenCerts framework was developed as an open-source platform to effectively curb the growing market of forged educational certificates. After an initial pilot project in 2018, the system was made accessible to educational institutions across Singapore, with organisations such as the National University of Singapore among the first production users. Technically, the certificates are structured as JSON documents, cryptographically hashed, and matched with the Ethereum smart contracts of the respective educational institution. No personal clear data is stored on the blockchain; only checksums and issuer identities are managed, thus meeting data protection requirements. Employers and verification offices can validate certificate files by drag-and-drop in a web interface without requiring special software or blockchain expertise.

## Benefits

- Significant reduction of verification cycles in the recruitment process
- Complete independence from manual third-party information services
- Lifetime digital ownership of one's own qualification certificates
- No effort for costly certified paper copies
- Complete protection against document forgery and subsequent manipulation
- Verification within seconds without media disruption via standard web applications
- Data protection-compliant architecture through separation of metadata and clear data
- Elimination of time-consuming manual authenticity checks and investigations
- Increased process security in handling application dossiers

## Challenges

- Integration of proprietary HR systems with standardised verification protocols
- Risk of data loss due to incorrect local backup of certificate files by end users
- Need for uniform digital data standards across different institutions
- Secure key management at issuing organisations
- Training requirements in handling cryptographic signature processes for issuers

## Technology foundation

The solution uses the public Ethereum blockchain for decentralised anchoring of cryptographic integrity proofs and smart contracts. Smart contracts manage identity registers of authorised educational institutions as well as status information on the validity and revocation of certificates, while the actual personal certificate data remain off-chain as cryptographically signed files.

## Sources

- [OpenCerts](https://oecd-opsi.org/innovations/opencerts/)
- [OpenCerts GitHub Organization](https://github.com/Opencerts)
- [Terms of Use — OpenCerts](https://www.opencerts.io/terms/)