Credentials are used to prove the credibility of information, individual skills, achievements, and identity in a variety of processes, whether in the public or private sector. Due to the diversity of credentials, they are stored in various centralized registries. Moreover, some of them are only in paper or non-digital form which requires to be scanned and attached as an image to include in online processes. Verifiable credentials and blockchain technology are progressively being mentioned in theory and practice as a solution to many of the shortcomings of the current state of online credentials. The thesis aims to implement an IT solution that will digitize securely the procedures of issuing, holding, and verifying verifiable credentials issued and accepted by (various) public administration organizations of the Republic of Slovenia. The thesis is divided into a theoretical and a practical part. The first part includes a presentation of verifiable credentials technology, decentralized identifiers, and blockchain, as well as an analysis of projects, research, and regulation in the field of verifiable credentials and blockchain technology within the European Union and beyond. The practical part covers the specification of functional and non-functional requirements and the design and development of web and mobile applications. The web application allows the issuance and review of verifiable credentials and the creation of verification policy requests. The mobile application allows the transfer of verifiable credentials to the user's mobile device, the creation of verifiable presentations, and the customization of proofs in the verification process. Both applications are written in the TypeScript programming language. To demonstrate and evaluate the solution, we have chosen to adapt the proof of credentials in the dormitory enrolment process. In doing so, we validated both hypotheses, namely that the whole process can be safely and reliably replaced using verifiable credentials and that the designed solution has a positive impact on all actors involved in the process. With a few upgrades and modifications, the developed solution can be used in any organization wishing to digitize the issuing, holding, and verification of credentials in its processes.
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