Certichain. Revolutionizing Credential Verification.

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

  1. 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.

  1. 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.

  1. 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.
  1. 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).

  2. Miscellaneous/Contingency – $200
    Buffer for unexpected minor costs such as additional gas fees or license

Hi Gerald,
Thank you or your grant application submission. This application cannot move forward as the ask is outside of the range for this domain.
You have options should you wish to move forward either by resubmitting a lower ask application for a grant up to $750 usd or, should you wish to have the higher amount ask considered, create a SIP Idea and submitting it to the DAO.

Please let me know if I can answer any questions for you.

CertiChain: NFT-Based Academic Credentialing on Sandbox

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 records. The MVP is live at 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.

Target Audience

  1. Universities & Institutions. Seeking secure, verifiable digital credential solutions.
  2. Students & Alumni– In need of portable, fraud-proof academic certificates.
  3. Employers & Verifiers– Looking for fast, reliable verification without intermediaries.

By bridging these groups to Sandbox, CertiChain expands the ecosystem’s reach into education and promotes web3 adoption.

Project Goals

Fraud Prevention– Eliminate fake credentials with immutable records.
Efficiency– Cut administrative overhead via smart issuance & verification.
Accessibility– Ensure permanent access to credentials.
*Adoption – Onboard non-crypto-native users to the Sandbox ecosystem.

ey Features

NFT Credential Standar – Lightweight ERC-721 metadata containing academic details. University Dashboard– Web interface for minting credentials.
Student Wallet Access – MetaMask integration for simple credential claiming.
Verification Portal – Public interface to validate issued credentials on-chain.

Revised Budget – $720 Tota

Personnel – $360
Lead Developer|Smart contract updates (Sandbox testnet), UI fixes, basic support$240
|Project Coordinator|University contact, basic training setup$120
infrastructure – $180
|Hosting & Storage|Vercel + IPFS for 3 months ($60/month)$180
Pilot Program – $100
Virtual University Support|Basic pilot with 1 university, onboarding 20–30 students|$80|
|Data Collection|Google Forms & basic analytics setup|$20|
Marketing – $60
|Ecosystem Promotion|1 blog post + 1–2 X threads using Notion & Canva$60
Contingency –$20Minor unexpected expenses (e.g., gas fees)|$20

We’ve rebudgeted the application

Hi Gerald, I have reviewed your application and in it’s current for it is incomplete.
Please include specific KPI goals, information about schools you have a relationship with.
Expand on value it adds to The Sandbox DAO.

Looking forward to your reply,
Money

Hi @Money , here is an updated proposal

CertiChain: NFT-Based Academic Credentialing on Sandbox

Overview

CertiChain is a blockchain-based platform that enables universities to issue and verify academic credentials as NFTs, ensuring authenticity, security, and accessibility. Built on The Sandbox infrastructure, CertiChain addresses major challenges in academic credentialing—streamlining verification, reducing fraud, and promoting Web3 adoption among non-crypto users.

The live MVP is hosted at dcnweb.vercel.app, demonstrating core features for issuing and verifying NFT-based certificates.

Target Audience

  • Universities & Academic Institutions : Seeking verifiable, tamper-proof digital credential solutions.
  • Students & Alumni : In need of portable, secure academic certificates.
  • Employers & Verifiers : Requiring fast, transparent, and trustworthy credential verification—without intermediaries.

Project Goals

  • Fraud Prevention : Eliminate fake academic records with immutable, on-chain data.
  • Operational Efficiency : Reduce administrative overhead with smart contracts and automated verification.
  • Accessibility : Provide permanent access to credentials anytime, anywhere.
  • Web3 Adoption : Onboard students, staff, and institutions into The Sandbox ecosystem via real-world use cases.

Key Features

  • NFT Credential Standard : Lightweight ERC-721 token containing verifiable academic metadata.
  • University Dashboard : Admin interface for authorized minting of NFT certificates.
  • Student Wallet Access : MetaMask integration for easy claiming and management of credentials.
  • Public Verification Portal : Open-access tool for validating credential authenticity on-chain.

Revised Budget: $720

Category Description Amount
Personnel Lead Developer (smart contract & UI updates, support) $240
Project Coordinator (university outreach, onboarding) $120
Infrastructure Hosting on Vercel + IPFS (3 months @ $60/month) $180
Pilot Program University onboarding (20–30 students) $80
Data collection & analytics setup (Google Forms) $20
Marketing Blog post + 2 social threads (Notion, Canva) $60
Contingency Minor unexpected expenses (e.g., gas fees) $20
Total $720

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Metric Target by End of Pilot
Partner Universities 1–2 institutions onboarded
Student Credentials Issued 10–15 NFT certificates
Credential Verifications 15+ on-chain verifications
Wallet Adoption Rate 70% of students claim via MetaMask
Web3 Education Events 1–2 onboarding sessions
Community Engagement 1 blog + 2 Twitter threads, 200+ views

University Partnerships (Pilot-Stage)

Currently were engaging two Kenyan universities for the pilot and are soon to finalize the confirmation:

  • Kabarak University (Pending confirmation)
  • Maseno University (Pending confirmation)

We’re preparing a virtual onboarding session targeting 10–15 students from underrepresented backgrounds. The goal is to secure at least one confirmed university partner by Q3 2025, with formal credential issuance to follow.

Value to The Sandbox DAO

1. Non-Gaming Use Case for LAND & Identity

CertiChain introduces utility-driven, real-world applications of NFTs. In future phases, a Credential Gallery on Sandbox LAND will showcase verified academic achievements and foster educational hubs in the metaverse.

2. DAO Reach Beyond Crypto-Native Users

Universities and employers are non-traditional crypto users. CertiChain bridges that gap by introducing wallets, NFTs, and on-chain verification through familiar use cases—positioning The Sandbox as a gateway to broader Web3 participation.

3. Trust Infrastructure for Education

By anchoring credential issuance and verification to Sandbox infrastructure, CertiChain repositions The Sandbox as a trust layer in global education—beyond entertainment and gaming.

Sustainability Plan

CertiChain is built with long-term impact and scalability in mind. Here’s how we plan to grow beyond the pilot:

Growth Strategy:

  • Expand University Partnerships : Scale from 1–2 institutions to 3+ through case studies and referrals.
  • Credential Gallery on LAND : Create interactive credential displays on Sandbox LAND—serving as a public record and academic museum.
  • Subscription Model (Phase 2) : Offer optional SaaS features for universities (e.g., advanced analytics, reporting, verified badges).