Vol. 6 No. 2 (2025)

Standard Journal Issues

SALF: A Blockchain-Based Framework for Scalable Academic Credential Management and Institutional Governance

Published 2025-09-04

  • Mustafizul Haque
    • ,
  • Bui Thanh Hung
    • ,
  • Kamal Upreti
    • ,
  • Ritu Sapra
    • ,
  • Rituraj Jain
    • ,
  • G V Radhakrishnan
    • ,
  • Pravin R. Kshirsagar

Mustafizul Haque
Department of Management, Lalit Narayan Mishra Institute of Economic Development and Social Change, Patna, Bihar, India

Bui Thanh Hung
Data Science laboratory, Data Science Department, Faculty of Information Technology, Industrial University of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Kamal Upreti
Department of Computer Science, Christ University, Delhi

Ritu Sapra
University of Delhi, Delhi, India

Rituraj Jain
Department of Information Technology, Marwadi University, Rajkot, Gujarat, India

G V Radhakrishnan
Kalinga School of Management, Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology, Bhubaneswar, India

Pravin R. Kshirsagar
Department of Electronics & Telecommunication Engineering, J D College of Engineering & Management, Nagpur, Maharashtra, India

Abstract

This study introduces SALF (Secure Academic Ledger Framework), a technically innovative blockchain-based system engineered to overcome persistent challenges in academic credential management, including latency bottlenecks, governance opacity, and integration inflexibility. SALF pioneers a hybrid on-chain/off-chain architecture optimized for low-latency operations while preserving blockchain immutability, and it employs a role-based smart contract suite tailored to institutional hierarchies. Unlike prior frameworks, SALF integrates a degree-based incentive mechanism that quantifies data quality metrics—legibility, correctness, and non-redundancy—to ensure equitable institutional participation and discourage centralization. Built upon a Proof of Authority (PoA) consensus model, SALF achieves high performance under load, maintaining a throughput of over 30 transactions per second (TPS) and P95 latency below 300 milliseconds. RESTful APIs ensure real-time interoperability with existing systems such as ERPs and academic dashboards. Compared to benchmark systems like EduCert-Chain and EduCopyRight-Chain, the proposed framework achieves a 41.3% reduction in latency and maintains stable throughput under high-load conditions, even as other systems exhibit significant degradation or integration constraints. These distinctive technical contributions position SALF as a scalable, governance-aware, and future-ready infrastructure for decentralized academic credentialing across heterogeneous institutions.

Keywords

academic records, blockchain, secure academic ledger framework (salf), proof of authority (poa), encryption

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