CertiChain is a blockchain-based platform that empowers universities to issue and verify academic credentials as NFTs, ensuring authenticity, security, and accessibility. By leveraging Sandbox CertiChain streamlines credential management, reduces fraud, and enhances trust in academic re(https://dcnweb.vercel.app), demonstrating core functionality for issuing and verifying NFT-based certificates.
This project aims to revolutionize academic credentialing by combining blockchain technology with real-world utility. CertiChain targets three key groups within and beyond the ecosystem:
*Universities and Educational Institutions. Administrators and faculty seeking a secure, efficient way to issue verifiable academic credentials as NFTs.
Students and Alumni. Individuals who need portable, fraud-proof digital certificates for career advancement and lifelong access to their records.
*Employers and Verifiers: Organizations and recruiters requiring a fast, reliable method to authenticate credentials without intermediaries.
By bridging these audiences to Sandbox, CertiChain expands the platform’s reach into the education sector and drives adoption among non-crypto-native users.
Project Goals
Fraud Prevention: Combat fake credentials with immutable NFT records.
Efficiency: Simplify issuance and verification, cutting administrative overhead.
Accessibility: Provide students lifelong access to credentials, independent of institutional longevity.
Adoption: Introduce educational stakeholders to the Sandbox ecosystem.
Key Features
NFT Credential Standard: A lightweight NFT framework (e.g., ERC-721) embedding academic details like degree type, recipient name, and issuance date.
University Interface: A streamlined dashboard for institutions to mint credentials.
Student Access: NFT claiming via simple wallet integration (e.g., MetaMask).
Verification Tool: A public portal for instant credential authentication on Sandbox.
Budget Allocation
CertiChain is a blockchain-based platform that enables universities to issue and verify academic credentials as NFTs on Sandbox, leveraging its scalability and low-cost infrastructure. This $9,000 grant will fund the refinement of an existing MVP (dcnweb.vercel.app), a pilot program with one university, and initial ecosystem promotion over a 5-month timeline—delivering tangible value to Sandbox’s ecosystem.
Budget Breakdown – $9,000 Total
- Personnel – $4,200
Lead Developer – $2,800
Smart contract upgrades (Solidity) and frontend (React).
56 hours @ $50/hour for NFT optimization, Sandbox deployment, and UI refinements.
Project Coordinator – $1,400
Manages university onboarding, pilot execution, and documentation.
35 hours @ $40/hour for coordination, training, and reporting.
- Development & Infrastructure – $2,700
Smart Contract Deployment – $200
Gas fees for deployment and testing on Sandbox
Hosting & Storage – $600
Vercel and IPFS costs at $120/month for 5 months.
Security Audit (Basic) – $1,200
Lightweight audit for trust and safety of NFT credential contracts.
UI/UX Enhancements – $700
Developer time and basic tools (e.g., Figma) to improve dashboard and verification portal.
- Pilot Program – $1,400
- **University Onboarding & Support – $1,100
Virtual training for administrators and support for 50–100 students.
Data Collection – $300
Surveys and data gathering via Google Forms or similar tools.
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Marketing & Outreach – $500
Ecosystem Promotion – $500
Creation of X (Twitter) threads and a blog post for Sandbox community updates using low-cost tools (e.g., Canva, Notion). -
Miscellaneous/Contingency – $200
Buffer for unexpected minor costs such as additional gas fees or license