The story of Legitify, a cutting-edge project developed by a talented team of students from the University of Dar es Salaam is inspirational.

Recently, Legitify was recognized as one of the winning projects at the Based Africa Hackathon 2024, and we’re thrilled to give you an inside look at what makes this innovative solution so impactful.

LIST | Here is the List of the 23 ‘Based Africa’ 2024 Hackathon Winners

With over 750 builders signing up in recent weeks and 280 projects submitted, here are the 23 winners from Africa that won the hackathonhttps://t.co/GQxgSqwYLI @jessepollak @base @Sir_Damilare pic.twitter.com/Bp8SHpF78l

— BitKE (@BitcoinKE) November 8, 2024

Meet the Team Behind Legitify

The project was brought to life by two passionate students:

  • Julius Marenga and

  • Karim M. Nyumba

Both are studying Computer Engineering and Information Technology at the University of Dar es Salaam College of Information and Communication Technologies. With backgrounds in full-stack development and Web3 technologies, Julius and Karim have participated in several hackathons, including the FileCoin hackathons, and attended notable events like the Zanzalu Student Weekend in Zanzibar, where they met Ethereum Co-Founder, Vitalik Buterin.

Their experience with Web3 technologies and blockchain development laid the foundation for Legitify, a platform aimed at tackling a pervasive issue in Africa – document fraud.

 

The Problem: Document Fraud in Tanzania and Beyond

In Tanzania, like many other African countries, the challenge of counterfeit documents is widespread. It erodes trust in educational and legal systems, impacting everything from civil service employment to property ownership. In fact, over 15,000 civil servants were recently dismissed in Tanzania for using fake certificates, and marginalized groups are often victims of forged documents in land disputes.

This problem isn’t unique to Tanzania.

Across the continent, secure, verifiable credentials are in high demand as the digital economy grows. The need for a solution that can combat document fraud and ensure transparency is critical, and Legitify is here to answer that call.

 

The Solution: Legitify’s Blockchain-Powered Platform

Legitify leverages the power of blockchain technology to create a tamper-proof, decentralized platform for document storage and verification. By using the Base blockchain, Legitify ensures that all documents stored on its platform are secure, immutable, and easily verifiable.

Here’s how Legitify works:

  • Immutable Certificates: Documents are cryptographically secured and stored on IPFS (InterPlanetary File System), guaranteeing their integrity and preventing unauthorized modifications.

  • Smart Contracts: Each document is digitally signed via smart contracts, which ensures that certificates cannot be altered without detection. Developed in Solidity, these smart contracts are deployed and tested using Hardhat.

  • User-Friendly Interface: Built with Vue.js, the platform is designed to be intuitive for users, whether they are governments, educational institutions, or businesses, to upload, validate, and retrieve documents seamlessly.

This solution makes document verification faster, safer, and more reliable, ensuring that governments, businesses, and educational institutions can trust the documents they are handling.

How Legitify is Built

Behind the scenes, Legitify integrates a range of cutting-edge technologies to offer a seamless and secure user experience:

  • Blockchain Network: Deployed on the Base blockchain test network (Base Sepolia), which ensures scalability and low transaction costs.

  • Decentralized File Storage: Files are securely stored on IPFS, with files pinned to Infura nodes to ensure permanence and accessibility.

  • Smart Contract Integration: Using ethers.js, Legitify integrates its web application with the blockchain network, ensuring smooth communication between the front-end and the blockchain.

A Vision for the Future

The team’s vision for Legitify goes beyond just solving local challenges in Tanzania.

With Africa’s growing digital landscape, the need for secure, verifiable credentials will continue to grow, making Legitify a model for innovation in the region. The team is excited to build on this foundation and scale the solution to empower communities, drive transparency, and combat document fraud across the continent.

Looking Forward

As Legitify progresses, it’s clear that this project has the potential to revolutionize the way documents are stored and verified in Africa.

By addressing the issues of document fraud head-on and offering a decentralized, secure solution, Legitify is not only tackling a pressing challenge in Tanzania but also setting new standards for document verification that can be applied globally.

We’re proud to have supported the Legitify team during the Based Africa Hackathon 2024, and we can’t wait to see where their journey takes them next.

 

To stay up to date on the project’s progress or learn more about the platform, check out the following links:

  • Legitify Website

  • Legitify Project Video

 

Congratulations to the team behind Legitify, and here’s to many more milestones ahead!

 

 

 

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