Blockchain ensuring academic integrity with a degree verification prototype

Blockchain technology has transformed information management through decentralization, security and immutability. However, a gap persists in its application for the issuance and verification of professional qualifications in education. This study presents a prototype developed in Python and Docker, designed to guarantee the authenticity and traceability of academic credentials through a hybrid blockchain network with six Docker nodes. The prototype includes processes such as initial data registration, node configuration, credential generation with QR codes and associative signature based on Byzantine consensus. During the signing stage, previously stored records are validated and authenticated, ensuring integrity before final credentials are generated. The peer-to-peer network ensures synchronization, decentralized storage and immutability of records. On average, initial title registration on the blockchain took 2.97 s, with block replication taking 0.02 s. Record signing had a latency of 0.96 s, with replication in 0.79 s, and Byzantine consensus took 0.12 s, all with moderate resource consumption. The generated titles, verifiable via QR codes, reinforce trust and reduce academic fraud. This model stands out for its practical and scalable approach, with potential for adaptation to other sectors. Future work should address the scalability and robustness of the system for more complex applications.