Decentralized Digital Evidence Archival System with Blockchain and IPFS

Abstract

Abstract - With the increasing volume of digital evidence in law-enforcement and judicial processes, ensuring integrity, traceability and tamper-resistance has become paramount. This paper presents the Blockchain Evidence Archive System (BEAS), a decentralized application that leverages blockchain technology, smart contracts and the InterPlanetary File System (IPFS) to provide a secure, immutable and transparent evidence- management platform. Evidence metadata is stored on an Ethereum-based blockchain while the associated large files (images, videos, documents) are stored on IPFS with their cryptographic hashes recorded on-chain. Role-based access control ensures only authorized users such as police officers and court officials can upload, verify or access evidence. We describe the system architecture, implementation details, security features and evaluate the performance of the system in terms of upload time, verification latency and resistance to tampering. The results demonstrate that BEAS significantly improves evidence integrity and auditability when compared to conventional centralized systems. We conclude with a discussion on future enhancements including biometric integration, mobile accessibility and enterprise-scale deployment. l Key Words: Blockchain Technology, IPFS, Digital EvidenceManagement, Decentralized Application, Smart Contracts, Ethereum Network, Cryptographic Hashing, Data Integrity, Tamper- Proof Storage, Role-Based Access Control, Chain of Custody, Evidence Verification, Immutable Ledger, Secure File Storage, Decentralized Architecture, Forensics Technology, Law Enforcement Data Security, Distributed Ledger Technology