UZH Blockchain Wallet for Digital Credentials
Sector: Tertiary sector · Industry: Schools and universities · Organisation: Wirtschaftswissenschaftliche Fakultät der Universität Zürich (UZH) · Maturity level: Pilot
The UZH Blockchain Wallet is a completed pilot project by the Faculty of Business, Economics and Informatics at the University of Zurich for creating tamper-proof digital credentials such as student IDs, academic transcripts, and diplomas via a smartphone app. The system is based on Self-Sovereign Identity (SSI) and blockchain technology, enabling students to securely and manipulation-proof manage their university credentials. During the pilot project from February 2022 to May 2023, approximately one hundred credentials were successfully issued and all use cases were tested.
Documentation status
- Project status: Pilot
- Evidence: Evidence medium
- Editorial review: Ufuk Avci, 15 April 2026
Description
The Faculty of Business, Economics and Informatics at the University of Zurich (OEC, UZH) developed the UZH Blockchain Wallet as a production system for the digital issuance and management of university certificates. The system is documented as an active innovation project on the UZH website.
The UZH Wallet system uses blockchain-based Verifiable Credentials (W3C standard): The university cryptographically signs the certificate; the graduate receives it in their wallet app; employers and other universities can verify it immediately by scanning a QR code or via direct wallet-to-wallet transmission. No paper copies, no certified documents, no calls to the university. Key strengths: (1) Immutability: The certificate cannot be altered after issuance. (2) Self-determination: Graduates decide who can see their data. (3) Lifelong validity: The certificate never expires and remains verifiable even after the university closes. Compatibility: UZH follows W3C standards for Verifiable Credentials and EU-EBSI standards — ensuring international interoperability. Approved as Bachelor, Master, and certificate documents.
Perspectives
B2B — organisations perspective
Swiss universities and international universities can issue university certificates digitally and blockchain-secured with the UZH Wallet model, making them immediately verifiable for employers.
B2C — consumers perspective
UZH graduates carry their degrees in a digital wallet — instantly shareable during applications, no paper copies, lifelong valid proof without an expiry date.
Employees perspective
University administration staff can issue and manage certificates more efficiently while ensuring they are tamper-proof. IT staff benefit from standardised interfaces and integration into existing systems.
Benefits
General
- The blockchain-based solution completely eliminates the risk of forged or manipulated educational certificates.
- Students receive immediate access to their certificates and diplomas without waiting for physical documents.
- Decentralised storage ensures that certificates remain available and verifiable in the long term.
B2B — organisations
- Educational institutions can strengthen their reputation through tamper-proof certificates and reduce administrative costs for document management.
B2C — consumers
- Graduates can immediately and reliably prove their qualifications during applications, improving their chances in the job market.
Employees
- Administrative staff save time issuing and verifying certificates through automated processes.
Challenges
General
- Acceptance of the new technology among students, faculties, and external partners must first be established.
- Integration into existing university systems and administrative processes requires extensive technical adjustments.
B2B — organisations
- Educational institutions must invest in new technology infrastructure and train staff in using the system.
B2C — consumers
- Students must develop trust in the new technology and learn how to manage their digital wallet securely.
Employees
- Administrative staff need to become familiar with new digital processes and may need to adapt existing workflows.
Technology foundation
The UZH Blockchain Wallet uses Self-Sovereign Identity (SSI) combined with blockchain technology to store and manage digital certificates tamper-proof. This technology enables users to control their digital identity data themselves, while the blockchain ensures the immutability and authenticity of the certificates.
Implementation examples
UZH Blockchain Wallet pilot project
UZH wanted to solve the problem of forgery protection for university certificates, as previous PDF-based documents could be manipulated. At the same time, students were to be given more control over their educational data and the efficiency of administrative processes increased.
UZH conducted a pilot project to issue forgery-proof digital certificates using blockchain technology.
The Faculty of Business, Economics and Informatics at the University of Zurich implemented a blockchain-based wallet solution for issuing digital certificates from February 2022 to May 2023. The system is based on Self-Sovereign Identity (SSI) and includes a React Native app, a web-based application and APIs for integration. Around one hundred certificates were successfully issued in the pilot project, including student ID cards, performance records and master's diplomas. All tests were successful and demonstrated the practical applicability of the technology in various scenarios such as diploma transmission and access control.
The project addressed the lack of forgery protection of traditional PDF documents and the lack of control students have over their own data. In addition, efficiency was improved in the verification of certificates by external partners such as employers.
Tags
Digital identity, Educational certificate, Tamper-proofing, Self-Sovereign Identity, Certification