QEdu: A Quantum-Safe Blockchain Framework to Secure and Verify Educational Credentials

Abstract

Distributed Ledger Technologies (DLT), notably blockchain, have advanced significantly, finding applications in various domains, including education, for enhanced transparency and accountability. The utilization of hash functions and public-key cryptography (e.g., ECDSA and RSA) in blockchain ensures these attributes. However, the rapid progress in quantum computing has unveiled vulnerabilities in classical public-key cryptography, necessitating a reassessment of blockchain architecture for quantum resistance. This article explores diverse blockchain architectures in education, evaluating their susceptibility to quantum attacks. It introduces QEdu, a consortium blockchain framework securing educational credentials using quantum-safe Elgamal-Like public-key cryptography based on matrices over grouping. Comparative analysis with existing works underscores the efficacy of the proposed framework.