🎓 Proofly - Blockchain-Powered Credential Verification

A decentralized platform for issuing, storing, and verifying academic credentials on the Polygon blockchain

Live Demo • Report Bug • Request Feature

📸 Screenshot

📋 Table of Contents

Overview
Features
Tech Stack
Architecture
Getting Started
Project Structure
How It Works
API Documentation
Deployment
Contributing
License

🌟 Overview

Proofly is a blockchain-powered platform that revolutionizes academic credential verification. Built on the Polygon network, it enables universities to issue tamper-proof certificates, allows students to own and share their achievements securely, and provides recruiters with instant, fraud-proof verification.

The Problem

🕐 Traditional credential verification takes days or weeks
🔓 Academic fraud and fake certificates are widespread
💰 Manual verification processes are expensive and inefficient
📄 Students don't truly own their academic achievements
🌍 Cross-border credential verification is complex

The Solution

Proofly leverages blockchain technology to create an immutable, decentralized system where:

✅ Credentials are hashed and stored on the Polygon blockchain
⚡ Verification happens in seconds, not days
🔒 Tamper-proof security ensures authenticity
👤 Students maintain complete ownership of their credentials
🌐 Global recognition across institutions and borders

✨ Features

For Universities 🏛️

Issue Credentials: Upload and issue certificates with blockchain verification
Manage Students: Track all issued credentials in a centralized dashboard
Instant Publishing: Credentials are hashed and stored on-chain immediately
Authentication System: Secure login with JWT tokens

For Students 🎓

Digital Vault: Store all credentials in one secure location
QR Code Sharing: Generate shareable QR codes for instant verification
Selective Sharing: Choose what information to share and with whom
Download Options: Export credentials as PDFs or images
Real-time Updates: See verification status and blockchain confirmations

For Recruiters/Verifiers 🔍

Instant Verification: Validate credentials in seconds via QR scan or upload
Blockchain Proof: See transaction hashes and on-chain verification
Fraud Prevention: Tamper-proof system prevents fake credentials
No Registration Required: Public verification page for anyone

Technical Features ⚙️

Blockchain Integration: Polygon (Amoy testnet) for low-cost, fast transactions
Smart Hashing: SHA-256 cryptographic hashing for credential integrity
RESTful API: Complete backend API with Hono.js
Modern UI: Beautiful, responsive design with Tailwind CSS
Animation Effects: Smooth transitions using Framer Motion
QR Code Generation: Easy sharing and verification
File Upload: Support for PDF, image, and document formats

🛠️ Tech Stack

Frontend

Framework: Next.js 15 - React framework with App Router
Language: JavaScript (JSX)
Styling: Tailwind CSS 4 - Utility-first CSS framework
UI Components:
- Radix UI - Accessible component primitives
- Custom magic UI components (animated effects)
- Lucide Icons - Beautiful icon library
Animations:
- Framer Motion - Production-ready motion library
- Lenis - Smooth scroll library
Notifications: Sonner - Toast notifications
QR Codes: QR code generation for credential sharing

Backend

Framework: Hono.js - Ultrafast web framework
Runtime: Node.js
Database: MongoDB with Mongoose ODM
Authentication: JWT (JSON Web Tokens)
File Upload: Multipart form data handling
Static Files: Serve uploaded credentials

Blockchain

Network: Polygon Amoy Testnet
Library: ethers.js v6 - Ethereum interaction library
Smart Contracts: Hardhat development environment
Hashing: SHA-256 cryptographic hashing
Storage Method: Transaction data field storage

DevOps

Package Manager: npm
Linting: ESLint
Build Tool: Next.js Turbopack
Version Control: Git

🏗️ Architecture

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                         Frontend (Next.js)                       │
│  ┌──────────────┐  ┌──────────────┐  ┌──────────────┐          │
│  │   Student    │  │  University  │  │   Validate   │          │
│  │  Dashboard   │  │  Dashboard   │  │     Page     │          │
│  └──────────────┘  └──────────────┘  └──────────────┘          │
└─────────────────────────────────┬───────────────────────────────┘
                                  │ API Calls (REST)
┌─────────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────┐
│                         Backend (Hono.js)                        │
│  ┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐   │
│  │  Routes: /api/student | /api/university | /api/credentials│  │
│  └──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘   │
│  ┌──────────────┐  ┌──────────────┐  ┌──────────────┐          │
│  │ Auth Middle- │  │   Models     │  │   Blockchain │          │
│  │    ware      │  │  (Mongoose)  │  │   Service    │          │
│  └──────────────┘  └──────────────┘  └──────────────┘          │
└─────────────────────────────────┬───────────────────────────────┘
                                  │
              ┌───────────────────┼───────────────────┐
              │                   │                   │
         ┌────▼────┐      ┌──────▼──────┐   ┌───────▼────────┐
         │ MongoDB │      │   Polygon   │   │  File Storage  │
         │Database │      │  Blockchain │   │  (uploads/)    │
         └─────────┘      └─────────────┘   └────────────────┘

Data Flow

Credential Issuance:

University → Upload Certificate → Backend validates
→ Generate SHA-256 hash → Store in MongoDB
→ Send hash to Polygon blockchain → Return transaction hash
→ Student receives credential

Credential Verification:

Verifier → Upload/Scan Credential → Backend retrieves hash
→ Query blockchain for matching transaction
→ Return verification status + blockchain proof

🚀 Getting Started

Prerequisites

Node.js >= 18.0.0
npm or yarn or pnpm
MongoDB (local or Atlas)
Polygon Amoy Testnet account with test MATIC

Installation

Clone the repository

git clone https://github.com/SiddDevZ/proofly-hackathon.git
cd proofly-hackathon

Install frontend dependencies
```
npm install
```
Install backend dependencies
```
cd Backend
npm install
cd ..
```

Environment Variables

Backend (.env in `Backend/` directory)

# Database
DATABASE_URL=mongodb://localhost:27017/proofly
# or MongoDB Atlas
# DATABASE_URL=mongodb+srv://username:password@cluster.mongodb.net/proofly

# Blockchain
POLYGON_AMOY_RPC_URL=https://rpc-amoy.polygon.technology/
PRIVATE_KEY=your_wallet_private_key_without_0x

# JWT Secret
JWT_SECRET=your_super_secret_jwt_key_here

# Server
PORT=3001

Frontend (update `config.json` in root directory)

{
  "backend_url": "http://localhost:3001",
  "frontend_url": "http://localhost:3000"
}

Running the Application

Development Mode

Start the backend server
```
cd Backend
npm start
```
Backend will run on http://localhost:3001
Start the frontend (in a new terminal)

npm run dev

Frontend will run on http://localhost:3000

Production Build

Build the frontend
```
npm run build
npm start
```
Run the backend
```
cd Backend
npm start
```

📁 Project Structure

proofly-hackathon/
├── app/                          # Next.js App Router
│   ├── layout.jsx               # Root layout
│   ├── page.jsx                 # Landing page
│   ├── globals.css              # Global styles
│   ├── student/                 # Student routes
│   │   ├── login/              # Student login
│   │   ├── register/           # Student registration
│   │   └── dashboard/          # Student dashboard
│   ├── university/             # University routes
│   │   ├── login/              # University login
│   │   ├── register/           # University registration
│   │   └── dashboard/          # University dashboard (issue credentials)
│   └── validate/               # Public verification page
├── components/                  # React components
│   ├── Navbar.jsx              # Navigation bar
│   ├── Footer.jsx              # Footer
│   ├── Reviews.jsx             # Reviews section
│   ├── FaqSection.jsx          # FAQ component
│   ├── SmoothScrolling.jsx     # Smooth scroll wrapper
│   ├── magicui/                # Animated UI components
│   └── ui/                     # Reusable UI components
├── lib/                        # Utilities
│   ├── config.js               # Configuration loader
│   └── utils.js                # Helper functions
├── Backend/                    # Backend server
│   ├── server.js              # Main server file (Hono.js)
│   ├── models/                # MongoDB models
│   │   ├── Student.js         # Student schema
│   │   ├── University.js      # University schema
│   │   └── Credential.js      # Credential schema
│   ├── routes/                # API routes
│   │   ├── studentAuth.js     # Student authentication
│   │   ├── universityAuth.js  # University authentication
│   │   └── credentialRoutes.js # Credential CRUD operations
│   ├── middleware/            # Custom middleware
│   │   ├── studentAuthMiddleware.js
│   │   └── universityAuthMiddleware.js
│   ├── utils/                 # Backend utilities
│   │   ├── blockchain.js      # Blockchain service (ethers.js)
│   │   └── tokenGenerator.js  # JWT token generation
│   ├── uploads/               # Uploaded credential files
│   └── package.json           # Backend dependencies
├── scripts/                   # Utility scripts
│   └── deploy.js             # Hardhat deployment script
├── public/                    # Static assets
│   ├── universities/          # University logos
│   └── *.svg                 # Icons and images
├── hardhat.config.js         # Hardhat configuration
├── config.json               # App configuration (URLs)
├── components.json           # shadcn/ui configuration
├── tailwind.config.ts        # Tailwind CSS configuration
├── next.config.mjs           # Next.js configuration
├── package.json              # Frontend dependencies
└── README.md                 # This file

💡 How It Works

1. University Issues Credential

sequenceDiagram
    University->>Backend: Upload certificate + student info
    Backend->>Backend: Generate SHA-256 hash
    Backend->>MongoDB: Store credential metadata
    Backend->>Polygon: Send transaction with hash
    Polygon-->>Backend: Transaction hash
    Backend-->>University: Credential issued ✅
    Backend->>Student: Credential available in dashboard

2. Student Views & Shares Credential

Student logs in and sees all their credentials
Can generate QR code with credential slug
Can download credential as PDF/image
Shares QR code or link with recruiters

3. Recruiter Verifies Credential

sequenceDiagram
    Recruiter->>Frontend: Scan QR / Upload file
    Frontend->>Backend: Send credential identifier
    Backend->>MongoDB: Fetch credential metadata
    Backend->>Polygon: Search blockchain for hash
    Polygon-->>Backend: Transaction found/not found
    Backend-->>Frontend: Verification result + proof
    Frontend-->>Recruiter: Show verification status ✅ or ❌

Blockchain Storage Method

Proofly stores credential hashes in the transaction data field of Polygon transactions:

// Format: PROOFLY:hash:slug
data: ethers.toUtf8Bytes(`PROOFLY:${credentialHash}:${slug}`)

This approach:

✅ Doesn't require smart contract deployment
✅ Low gas fees (~$0.001 per transaction)
✅ Immutable and tamper-proof
✅ Publicly verifiable on blockchain explorers

📚 API Documentation

Base URL

Production: https://api.siddz.com/proofly
Development: http://localhost:3001

Authentication

All authenticated routes require a JWT token in the Authorization header:

Authorization: Bearer <token>

Endpoints

Student Authentication

Register Student

POST /api/student/register
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "name": "John Doe",
  "email": "john@example.com",
  "password": "securepassword",
  "rollNumber": "2021CS001"
}

Response: { "token": "jwt_token", "student": {...} }

Login Student

POST /api/student/login
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "email": "john@example.com",
  "password": "securepassword"
}

Response: { "token": "jwt_token", "student": {...} }

Verify Token

POST /api/student/verify
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "token": "jwt_token"
}

Response: { "valid": true, "student": {...} }

University Authentication

Register University

POST /api/university/register
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "name": "Stanford University",
  "email": "admin@stanford.edu",
  "password": "securepassword"
}

Response: { "token": "jwt_token", "university": {...} }

Login University

POST /api/university/login
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "email": "admin@stanford.edu",
  "password": "securepassword"
}

Response: { "token": "jwt_token", "university": {...} }

Credentials

Issue Credential

POST /api/credentials/issue
Authorization: Bearer <university_token>
Content-Type: multipart/form-data

Fields:
- studentEmail: string
- credentialType: string
- file: File (PDF/Image)

Response: {
  "message": "Credential issued successfully",
  "credential": {...},
  "transactionHash": "0x..."
}

Get Student Credentials

GET /api/credentials/student
Authorization: Bearer <student_token>

Response: [
  {
    "id": "...",
    "credentialType": "Degree",
    "university": {...},
    "slug": "abc123",
    "fileUrl": "...",
    "blockchainHash": "0x...",
    "issuedAt": "..."
  }
]

Verify Credential

GET /api/credentials/verify/:slug

Response: {
  "valid": true,
  "credential": {...},
  "blockchainVerified": true,
  "transactionHash": "0x..."
}

Get University Issued Credentials

GET /api/credentials/university
Authorization: Bearer <university_token>

Response: [...]

🌐 Deployment

Frontend (Vercel)

Push to GitHub
Connect to Vercel
- Import repository
- Framework: Next.js
- Build command: npm run build
- Output directory: .next
Add Environment Variables
- Update config.json with production URLs
Deploy 🚀

Backend (VPS/Cloud)

Setup server (Ubuntu recommended)

sudo apt update
sudo apt install nodejs npm nginx

Clone and install
```
git clone <repo>
cd Backend
npm install
```

Configure environment

nano .env
# Add production environment variables

Setup PM2 (process manager)

sudo npm install -g pm2
pm2 start server.js --name proofly-backend
pm2 startup
pm2 save

Configure Nginx (reverse proxy)

server {
    listen 80;
    server_name api.yourdomain.com;
    
    location / {
        proxy_pass http://localhost:3001;
        proxy_http_version 1.1;
        proxy_set_header Upgrade $http_upgrade;
        proxy_set_header Connection 'upgrade';
        proxy_set_header Host $host;
        proxy_cache_bypass $http_upgrade;
    }
}

SSL Certificate

sudo apt install certbot python3-certbot-nginx
sudo certbot --nginx -d api.yourdomain.com

🤝 Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please follow these steps:

Fork the repository
Create a feature branch
```
git checkout -b feature/AmazingFeature
```
Commit your changes
```
git commit -m 'Add some AmazingFeature'
```
Push to the branch
```
git push origin feature/AmazingFeature
```
Open a Pull Request

Development Guidelines

Follow the existing code style
Write meaningful commit messages
Add comments for complex logic
Test your changes thoroughly
Update documentation if needed

📄 License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

🙏 Acknowledgments

Polygon for providing a fast and affordable blockchain infrastructure
Next.js team for an amazing React framework
Hono.js for a lightweight and fast backend framework
Radix UI for accessible component primitives
Tailwind CSS for utility-first styling
All open-source contributors who made this possible

📞 Contact

Developer: Siddharth
Project Link: https://proofly.siddz.com
GitHub: https://github.com/SiddDevZ/proofly-hackathon

🎯 Future Roadmap

Built with ❤️ by Siddharth

⭐ Star this repo if you find it helpful!

Name		Name	Last commit message	Last commit date
Latest commit History 16 Commits
Backend		Backend
app		app
components		components
lib		lib
public		public
scripts		scripts
.gitignore		.gitignore
LICENSE		LICENSE
README.md		README.md
components.json		components.json
config.json		config.json
eslint.config.mjs		eslint.config.mjs
hardhat.config.js		hardhat.config.js
jsconfig.json		jsconfig.json
next.config.mjs		next.config.mjs
package-lock.json		package-lock.json
package.json		package.json
postcss.config.mjs		postcss.config.mjs
screenshot.png		screenshot.png

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SiddDevZ/Proofly

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