· Ed Dowding · Portfolio · 2 min read
CADTrust.ed (Educational Credential Verification)
Blockchain-based educational credential verification system enabling instant, tamper-proof validation of degrees, certifications, and qualifications without intermediaries.
The Problem
Employers verify education credentials manually (phone calls to universities, PDF diplomas easily forged). International credential verification takes 3-6 weeks and costs £50-200 per check. Universities spend thousands annually responding to verification requests. Result: slow hiring, credential fraud, administrative waste.
What I Built
CADTrust.ed creates tamper-proof digital credentials on blockchain:
- Institution Issuance: Universities issue cryptographically-signed credentials (degrees, transcripts)
- Instant Verification: Employers verify credentials in seconds via API or web interface
- Student Ownership: Graduates control who accesses their credentials (revocable sharing)
- Interoperability: Standards-compliant (W3C Verifiable Credentials) for cross-platform compatibility
Tech Stack
Ethereum for credential anchoring (Polygon for cost efficiency), IPFS for credential storage, DID (Decentralized Identifiers) for identity, React Native for student wallet app.
Lessons Learned
Blockchain Is Infrastructure, Not Feature: Marketing “blockchain credentials” attracted crypto enthusiasts, not universities. Rebranding as “instant verification platform” (blockchain hidden) unlocked institutional adoption. Lesson: sell outcomes, not technology.
Standards Enable Network Effects: Proprietary format locked us into bilateral partnerships. Adopting W3C Verifiable Credentials standard enabled interoperability—once one university adopted, others could integrate without custom work. Lesson: open standards accelerate adoption in multi-stakeholder markets.
Privacy = Adoption Blocker: Immutable public credentials raised GDPR concerns. Adding selective disclosure (share degree without GPA) and revocation mechanisms (student-controlled) addressed regulatory fears. Lesson: privacy isn’t a feature, it’s a requirement in credential systems.
Universities Move Slow: Sales cycles averaged 12-18 months (procurement committees, IT security reviews, vendor approvals). Pivoting to certification bodies (faster decision-making) enabled revenue while universities deliberated. Lesson: find the fast-adopter segment to fund the long-sales-cycle segment.