README.md

CREDIFY

A permissioned blockchain for academic credential verification

Built solo to make credentials easier to issue, harder to fake, and faster to verify.

Overview

CREDIFY is a blockchain-based credential system for academic institutions, students, and verifiers.

It keeps credential records in a way that makes tampering obvious, verification fast, and trust easier to manage. Instead of relying on email threads, manual checks, and scattered record keeping, the system anchors proof on a permissioned blockchain and lets verifiers check authenticity directly.

Why this exists

Problem	What usually happens	What CREDIFY does
Fake certificates	PDFs get copied or edited	Signs records and anchors them on-chain
Slow verification	Staff have to respond manually	Lets verifiers check proof directly
Scattered records	Data lives across different systems	Keeps the record flow structured
Trust gaps	No clear way to confirm origin	Uses permissions, hashes, and signatures

What it does

Part	What it handles
Issuance	Creates and signs credentials
Storage	Stores payloads through IPFS
Blockchain	Anchors hashes and keeps the ledger consistent
Verification	Checks signature, anchor, and revocation status
Access control	Uses OTP-based privileged access for issuer actions

Architecture

flowchart TD
    A[Admin] --> B[Create credential]
    B --> C[Sign record]
    C --> D[Store payload in IPFS]
    D --> E[Anchor hash on blockchain]
    E --> F[Finalize block]
    F --> G[Student receives proof]
    G --> H[Verifier scans QR or link]
    H --> I[Check signature]
    H --> J[Check blockchain anchor]
    H --> K[Check revocation]

Loading

How it works

sequenceDiagram
    participant Admin
    participant IPFS
    participant Chain
    participant Student
    participant Verifier

    Admin->>IPFS: Upload credential payload
    Admin->>Chain: Store hash and metadata
    Chain-->>Student: Credential is finalized
    Student->>Verifier: Share QR or proof link
    Verifier->>Chain: Validate anchor
    Verifier->>IPFS: Validate payload
    Verifier-->>Student: Return result

Loading

Key strengths

Strength	Why it matters
Permissioned network	Keeps validation controlled
Finalized blocks	Makes tampering obvious
Independent verification	Reduces manual follow-up
Selective disclosure	Shares only what is needed
Cryptographic proof	Gives verifiers something concrete to check

Quick start

Docker

docker pull udaycodespace/credify:latest
docker run -d -p 5000:5000 udaycodespace/credify:latest

Local setup

git clone https://github.com/udaycodespace/credify.git
cd credify
python -m venv venv

# Windows
venv\Scripts\activate

# Linux or macOS
source venv/bin/activate

pip install -r requirements.txt
cp .env.example .env
python main.py

Validator nodes

docker-compose up -d

Node	Endpoint
Validator 1	http://localhost:5001
Validator 2	http://localhost:5002
Validator 3	http://localhost:5003

Tech stack

Area	Tools
Backend	Python, Flask, SQLAlchemy
Security	RSA, SHA-256
Storage	IPFS, SQLite, PostgreSQL
Deployment	Docker, Docker Compose
Automation	GitHub Actions

Security

Control	Purpose
OTP access	Protects issuer actions
RSA signatures	Proves record authenticity
SHA-256 hashing	Detects tampering
Role boundaries	Separates admin, student, verifier
Finalized ledger	Makes verification easier to trust

Roadmap

Next step	What it adds
PBFT-style consensus	Stronger validation model
DID support	Better identity interoperability
ZK proofs	More privacy for sensitive data
Governance controls	Cleaner validator management
Audit dashboards	Easier monitoring and traceability

Repo positioning

If you are...	CREDIFY gives you...
A student	A portable credential proof you can share quickly
An institution	A cleaner issuance and verification flow
A verifier	A direct way to confirm authenticity
A recruiter	A faster check than email-based validation

License

Copyright (c) 2026 Uday All rights reserved.

Built solo. Kept practical. Focused on trust, not hype.