Blockchain Solution for Document Integrity and Forgery Mitigation

Abstract

Ensuring document authenticity and security is a critical challenge in the digital era. Traditional document verification methods are often susceptible to forgery, unauthorized modifications, and inefficiencies. This paper presents a Blockchain-Based Digital Notary System, leveraging blockchain’s decentralized and immutable nature to provide a tamper-proof and transparent document verification solution. The system integrates IPFS-based secure storage, SHA-256 hashing, and smart contracts to store document metadata while ensuring privacy and integrity. Users can upload, verify, and authenticate documents through a seamless interface, while verifiers and issuers have dedicated functionalities for approval and digital signing. The architecture is built on Node.js, Express.js, MongoDB, Solidity, Ganache, and Truffle, ensuring efficient backend processing and smart contract execution. By eliminating third-party dependencies and enabling real-time validation, this system enhances trust, security, and efficiency across various industries, including legal, educational, and financial sectors. Future improvements focus on scalability, interoperability, and regulatory compliance to broaden adoption in institutional frameworks. General Terms: Blockchain, Digital Fingerprint (Hash), Decentralized Storage, Smart Contracts ,Verification System, Tamper-proof,Authentication

Introduction

Document authenticity and security are major concerns in many sectors, but traditional verification methods rely on centralized authorities, which can be costly, slow, and vulnerable to fraud or tampering. To address these issues, a Blockchain-Based Digital Notary System is proposed, leveraging blockchain’s decentralized, immutable ledger and cryptographic hashing for secure, transparent document verification.

In this system, documents are hashed using SHA-256, and these hashes are stored on the blockchain as tamper-proof digital fingerprints. The actual documents are stored securely on IPFS, a decentralized storage network, ensuring privacy and efficient access. Users can upload documents, which are hashed and recorded, while verifiers can instantly authenticate documents by comparing their hashes with blockchain records. Smart contracts enable automated digital signing and approval, reducing reliance on intermediaries and cutting verification times and costs.

The system emphasizes secure user authentication (via Google OTP), real-time verification, prevention of forgery and duplication, and easy sharing through email with IPFS links. It aims to be scalable, legally compliant, and interoperable with existing institutional systems.

Conclusion

The blockchain-based document verification system successfully enhances document integrity, security, and transparency by leveraging blockchain immutability, decentralized IPFS storage, and smart contracts. The implementation of Google OTP authentication ensures that only authorized users access and interact with the platform, adding an additional layer of security. By eliminating intermediaries and automating verification through smart contracts, the system significantly reduces the risks of document forgery, unauthorized modifications, and data manipulation. The integration of IPFS for decentralized storage further enhances traceability and ensures tamper-proof document storage. With a user-friendly interface and seamless authentication, the system fosters trust among users, enabling real-time verification while maintaining efficiency and reliability. This solution stands as a robust framework for secure document verification in various domains, including legal, healthcare, and educational sectors.

References

[1] Monther, Aldwairi., Mohamad, Badra., Rouba, Borgh (2023), \"DocCert: Nostrification, Document Verification and Authenticity Blockchain Solution\" [2] Rafah, Amer, Jaafar., Saad, Najim, Alsaad (2023), \"Enhancing Educational Certificate Verification With Blockchain and IPFS: A Decentralized Approach Using Hyperledger Fabric\",TEM Journal [3] Rahman, Md. Mijanur et al (2023). “Blockchain-based certificate authentication system with enabling correction.” [4] Jerinas, Gresch., Bruno, Rodrigues., Eder, J., Scheid., Salil, S., Kanhere., Burkhard, Stiller (2020), \"The Proposal of a Blockchain-Based Architecture for Transparent Certificate Handling\" [5] Olaiya Samuel Oluwaseyi, R.O. Akinyede (2024). \"Utilizing Blockchain Technology for University Certificate Verification System. \"International Journal of Applied Information Systems. [6] Hitesh (2023). \"Digital Document Verification System Using Blockchain.\" International Journal of Creative Research Thoughts. [7] Venkata Marella, Anoop Vijayan (2020). \"Document Verification Using Blockchain for Trusted CV Information.\" Aalto University Publication. [8] Roshni Bhave, Sudhir Agarmore (2024). \"Novel Approach for Fake Detection Document Using Blockchain.\" AIP Conference Proceedings. [9] Kenji Saito, Satoki Watanabe (2021). \"Lightweight Selective Disclosure for Verifiable Documents on Blockchain.\"arXiv preprint arXiv:2103.07655. [10] M. M. Rahman, M. T. K. Tonmoy, S. Shihab (2022). \"A Blockchain-Based Online Document Verification System.\" International Journal of Computer Applications. [11] V. Badhe, P. Nhavale, S. Todkar, P. Shinde, K. Kolhar (2020). \"Digital Certificate System for Verification of Educational Certificates Using Blockchain.\" International Journal of Scientific Research in Science and Technology. [12] T. S. Charitha, K. A. Baba (2022). \"A System for Academic Certificates Verification Using Blockchain.\" International Journal of Research in Applied Science and Engineering Technology. [13] M. H. Eldefrawy, K. Alghathbar, M. K. Khan (2011). \"Formal Verification of a Modified Authenticated Multiple Key Agreement Protocol.\" International Journal of Network Security. [14] Chen, L., Xu, L., Shah, N., Gao, Z., & Lu, Y. (2023). \"Blockchain-Based Document Authentication System\". Published in Journal of Blockchain Research. [15] Wang, H., Li, Y., & Zhang, J. (2024). \"Decentralized Document Verification Using Ethereum Smart Contracts\". Published in International Journal of Distributed Ledger Technology. [16] Singh, R., Patel, S., & Kumar, A. (2022). \"Secure Academic Certificate Verification with Blockchain Technology\". Published in IEEE Transactions on Education. [17] Ghosh, A., Bose, R., & Banerjee, S. (2021). \"A Survey on Blockchain Applications in Digital Identity Verification\". Published in ACM Computing Surveys. [18] Park, J., Kim, H., & Lee, D. (2023). \"Blockchain for Healthcare Records: A Decentralized and Secure Solution\". Published in Journal of Medical Systems. [19] Brown, T., White, P., & Green, K. (2022). \"Implementing Blockchain for Legal Document Management\". Published in Harvard Journal of Law & Technology. [20] Nguyen, M., Tran, B., & Hoang, V. (2023). \"Blockchain-Based Land Registry System: A Transparent and Immutable Approach\". Published in International Journal of Property Law.

Copyright

Copyright © 2025 Sania Begum, Madhu Priya, Gillella Swapnil, G. Swapna Rani. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.