Privacy-Preserving Educational Credentials Management Based on Decentralized Identity and Zero-Knowledge Proof

Abstract

Educational credentials are an important part of the education ecosystem. However, these credentials often exist in the form of traditional paper documents, which are issued slowly, susceptible to forgery, and entail high verification costs. Moreover, electronic educational credentials stored on centralized servers may not adequately ensure their authenticity and can potentially expose sensitive student information. Historical educational credentials lacked a standardized formats, impeding efficient sharing and verification between parties. Additionally, conventional encryption schemes only safeguarded credential privacy during storage, posing challenges in protecting privacy while presenting the credentials. We propose a privacy-preserving educational credential management scheme based on decentralized identity and zero-knowledge proof. The scheme incorporates a decentralized identity authentication model utilizing blockchain technology, enabling flexible issuance and point-to-point sharing of educational credentials. Furthermore, by employing privacy-preserving credentials designed with zero-knowledge proofs, we can eliminate potential privacy breaches when students present their credentials. We also have developed a system prototype and conducted performance evaluations, thereby validating the correctness and practicality of our scheme.