IJIRCSTJournal International Journal of Innovative Research in Computer Science and Technology I S Volume 14 Issue 3 Computer Science English May - June 2026 N N Y 2026 06 05 Computer Sciences Secure Academic Certificate Verification Using Blockchain and SHA-256 Cryptographic Hashing English Y 75 88 Krishna Kr Mohan English Y Shrikrishna S Balwante English N https://doi.org/10.55524/ijircst.2026.14.3.9 With the surge in popularity of digital education platforms and online academics services, the need for secure, transparent and tamper-proof educational credential management systems has grown significantly. The traditional certificate verification mechanisms have several flaws such as centralized control, forgery of certificates, unauthorized changes, slow verification processes, and high administrative overhead. In this paper, we present an educational document management scheme based on the blockchain to overcome such issues by securely issuing, storing and verifying certificates in a decentralized way. The proposed system is based on blockchain technology, SHA-256 cryptographic hashing, smart contract mechanisms, QR code-based authentication, and Know Your Customer (KYC) based institutional registration to create a trusted academic credential ecosystem. The framework also accommodates both physical and digital certificates: for each certificate there exists a unique immutability cryptographic-hash which is stored on the blockchain ledger. The hash generated during the verification process is then compared to the hash stored on the blockchain, ensuring that the certificate is legitimate and has not been tampered with. The design proposed facilitates transparency, integrity, non-repudiation, and efficiency in operations, while reducing reliance on centralized verification authorities. The experimental implementation results show that the proposed system not only enhances the security of certificates but also speeds up the verification process, mitigates false certifications, and streamlines the academic credential management process for institutions, students, and employers. The suggested system is scalable and affordable for future verification systems of educational documents. English Blockchain, Educational Certificate Verification, SHA-256, Smart Contract, QR Code, Distributed Ledger, Academic Credential Management https://ijircst.org/abstract.php?article_id=1467