Implementation of Blockchain-Based System for Academic Certificate Verification on Device with Limited Resources
Danijel Kučak, Bruno Hrgović, Vedran Juričić · 2025
This paper explores practical implementation of a blockchain system in an academic setting, with a special emphasis on secure storage and verification of academic documents. The implementation of the system was performed on a platform with limited resources, such as a Raspberry Pi device, to demonstrate the availability and effectiveness of the technology in the context of higher education. Using the Practical Byzantine Fault Tolerance (PBFT) consensus algorithm and a decentralized approach, the system ensures transparency and resistance to manipulation. The paper provides an overview of the system architecture, key technologies and the challenges and potential of blockchain for the transformation of academic processes and analyzes the possibility of implementing the technology system on a device with limited computing resources. The comparison between Windows and the Raspberry Pi 5 platforms reveals that both systems have their strengths in different aspects of testing the blockchain application. The Windows PC, with its higher processor performance and greater RAM capacity, shows stable and constant CPU utilization. The Raspberry Pi 5 demonstrates efficient resource usage with fluctuating CPU utilization but operates with fewer resources available for other processes. Regarding RAM usage, the Raspberry Pi is more optimized, while the Windows system has more headroom for system and other background processes, which can lead to higher resource consumption. Transaction speed remains similar on both systems. These findings confirm that blockchain applications can successfully run on cheaper and more accessible hardware like Raspberry Pi, offering a cost-effective solution for deploying blockchain technologies.