Kielce University of Technology issues diplomas on blockchain using Billon Group’s Unified Enterprise DLT

Distinguished tech school turns to fraud-proof digital format to provide advanced authenticity and ease verification for degree holders

Kielce University of Technology in Poland is the first academic institution to use Billon Group’s Unified Enterprise DLT platform to guarantee the authenticity of student credentials. On August 30, twenty-nine university graduates received a link to a digital copy of their diploma stored on the ledger along with a unique key allowing for its decryption and reading. 

Mirosław Płaza PhD, Head of ICT & IoTcyberLAB at the Kielce University, comments: “In this era of technological advances, digital student credentials will soon become a common standard. They equip graduates and their future employers to verify the authenticity of diplomas in a very safe way -- even from distant corners of the world. We are pleased that students of the Kielce University of Technology can use this innovative solution as the first in Poland.”

The Billon solution ensures secure and convenient use of digital credentials by universities, graduates and any third party that needs to confirm their authenticity. 

• The university administration can convert a PDF file with the diploma to data dispersed on the ledger in a matter of seconds.
• Students will be able to download the file anytime and anywhere to their device and present it to the potential employer.
• Employers, in turn, will be able to quickly verify the authenticity of the diploma on the university’s website, confirming the credentials of its holder.

Fake credentials have become a global problem - in 2015 just one company was able to sell more than 215,000 fraudulent qualifications from 350 fictitious high schools and universities, making $50M in the process. According to Higher Education Degree Datacheck, the UK's service for authenticating universities, only 20% of British businesses have time and resources to run proper checks on applicants’ qualifications. In Poland, where Kielce University operates, the verification of a foreign paper diploma can take up to 30 days, an unacceptable time for the era of digital documents and data exchange.

Unlike other blockchain solutions, Unified Enterprise DLT stores not only hash sums, but complete documents on-chain. Published files are decomposed and scrambled; it is impossible to delete or manipulate them, or provide access to anyone other than the intended recipients. Distributed architecture protects from mass data leaks and prevents modifying and deleting stored data by unauthorized parties.

Andrzej Horoszczak, founder of Billon Group and CEO of Billon Digital Services, comments: “Blockchain technology reduces risk for universities, students and potential employers by preventing fraud related to the forging of diplomas and degrees. The solution provides peace of mind through on-line verification of document origins and reliable confirmation of the authenticity of documents. It results in maximum data security with minimum IT administrative costs. It also enables fully paperless document attestation and verification, an important feature in the times of the pandemic and the need to limit physical contacts.”

About Kielce University of Technology

A dynamic and cosmopolitan university, Kielce University of Technology (KUT) is the leading scientific and educational institution in Świętokrzyskie (Holy Cross) region of Poland which marks the gateway to Kielce — Świętokrzyskie economic, multicultural, innovative and creative hub. 

 KUT is a public university whose mission is to support the economic, social and cultural prosperity of the region. With more than 70 laboratories, our purpose is to advance knowledge and learning through research-inspired teaching and partnerships with industry and the local community. The university excels in research on laser and plasma technologies with the world-class equipped Center of Laser Technology of Metals, a joint project with the Polish Academy of Sciences.

 KUT has a culturally diverse campus life, a vibrant international exchange study and research programs that prepare graduates for the workplaces of today and the future. Our campus is in the heart of the Kielce business district. For more information, visit tu.kielce.pl.

About Billon

Billon created a DLT protocol and system specifically for tokenizing and transacting national currency and processing sensitive data in compliance with regulations, thus unleashing the transformational capabilities of blockchain technologies in the regulated world.  Billon’s underlying protocol was designed for high throughput levels and low cost of maintenance in a range of environments. The system supports clients developing their own enterprise-grade applications in areas of Accounts & Transactions, Trusted Documents, and Identity & Data Sharing.

Billon Group Ltd. was founded in the UK in 2015, following several years of R&D in Poland. Its unique DLT protocol has been supported by many R&D grants, including the EU Horizon 2020 program. Billon is licensed to issue electronic money by regulators in the UK and Poland.  Billon’s growing client list includes leading companies such as FIS, Raiffeisen Bank International and BIK (the Polish credit reporting agency). Billon has offices in London and Warsaw.

For more information, visit www.billongroup.com. Follow Billon Group on LinkedIn & Twitter & Facebook.