Tackling counterfeit certificate problems with blockchain technology: a review

Counterfeit (fake) certificate problems have become a global issue, with many countries struggling to detect and prevent them. Addressing these challenges is crucial to maintaining quality standards in the education sector and providing assurance to employers about the legitimacy of qualifications held by prospective employees. The adoption of advanced technologies such as blockchain, Ethereum, Hyperledger, and smart contracts (SCs) shows promise in tackling these challenges. Blockchain, in particular, has emerged as a leading solution across various fields, with numerous applications proposed to combat the issue of fake certificates. A simplified analysis on the application and implementation of blockchain technologies, including Ethereum, SC, and consensus mechanisms, was reviewed in this paper to mitigate these problems using various tools, methods, and blockchain platforms. It covers diverse applications, ranging from counterfeit certificate prevention in education to implementations in manufacturing and engineering, utilizing different blockchain technologies. Additionally, several open-source tools that support the development of the Ethereum blockchain environment were discussed in the paper. The findings highlight significant contributions to enhancing the integrity of certificates using the Ethereum blockchain. The paper also explores the use of tools such as Remix, an integrated development environment (IDE), MetaMask, and Ganache, which facilitate development in a testing environment. However, it was discovered that these tools are not suitable for production purposes.