Saturn

This protocol, Saturn, will enable educational institutions and organizations to issue academic certificates and diplomas as SBTs on the blockchain, which can be easily verified by employers and other stakeholders. The protocol will use zk-SNARKs and other zero-knowledge proof techniques to protect the privacy and security of the certificate holders while enabling verification of their credentials.

It targets a range of stakeholders in the education sector, including universities, colleges, vocational schools, training providers, and employers. By enabling the issuance and verification of academic certificates and diplomas as NFTs, the protocol helps institutions to reduce fraud, increase transparency, and improve the value of their credentials. Employers benefit from a more reliable and secure method of verifying candidates' credentials, while students and graduates have greater control over their academic records and a more secure method of sharing them with potential employers.

Saturn can generate revenue by charging a fee for the issuance and verification of SBTs, as well as for additional services such as storage and backup of certificate data. This protocol also offers additional features such as analytics and insights on the use of academic certificates and diplomas, which could be useful for institutions and employers. How it works --> 1/ An educational institution or organization creates a new certificate or diploma and uploads it to the smart contract, along with relevant metadata such as the name of the certificate, the name of the issuing institution, and the date of issuance. 2/ The smart contract mints a new SBT representing the certificate and assigns ownership to the recipient. 3/ The recipient can now transfer the SBT to their own wallet or keep it in the smart contract. 4/ When an employer or other stakeholder wants to verify the authenticity of the certificate, they can request access to the metadata associated with the SBT. 5/ The smart contract uses zero-knowledge proofs to verify the authenticity of the certificate without revealing any private information about the recipient. This could involve a zk-SNARK proof, for example, that proves that the certificate was issued by the correct institution and has not been tampered with. 6/ If the verification is successful, the metadata is provided to the verifier, who can then confirm the authenticity of the certificate. 7/ If the verification is not successful, the verifier is notified that the certificate is invalid. 8/The smart contract can also include additional features, such as the ability to revoke or expire certificates in the event of fraud or other issues.

At this stage, the concept is still in the proof of concept phase, and I have not yet built a working prototype. However, I believe that the potential for this concept is significant, as it can revolutionize the way academic certificates and diplomas are issued, verified, and stored securely. I am committed to bringing this idea to life and am currently exploring funding opportunities to support its development. Although I didn't find a developer with the required skills at this hackathon, I remain committed to bringing this project to life. I will continue to work hard to find the right team and resources needed to implement this concept and bring the benefits of blockchain-based academic credentials to the world.