NFT Certificate Issuance Platform

An open-source platform for issuing and managing NFT certificates on Ethereum-compatible networks. This platform allows educational institutions, businesses, or organizations to create verifiable digital certificates as NFTs.

Features

• ✅ Connect to MetaMask wallet
• ✅ Issue NFT certificates with custom metadata
• ✅ Upload certificate images to IPFS
• ✅ View all issued certificates
• ✅ Search and filter certificates
• ✅ Verify certificate authenticity
• ✅ User-friendly interface with animations
• ✅ Development mode with mock blockchain & IPFS
• ✅ Configurable settings for blockchain and IPFS
• ✅ Cross-platform compatibility (Windows, Linux, macOS)

Project Structure

The project consists of three main components:

1. Smart Contract: Solidity-based NFT contract for certificate issuance
2. Frontend: React application with Material UI components
3. Backend: Python FastAPI server with Web3 and IPFS integration

nft-certificate-platform/
├── frontend/             # React frontend application
├── backend/              # Python FastAPI backend server
├── smart_contract/       # Solidity smart contracts
├── scripts/              # Helper scripts for running the platform
│   ├── start_all.bat     # Windows script to start all services
│   ├── start-all.sh      # Linux/macOS script to start all services
│   ├── capture_screenshot.bat  # Windows screenshot helper
│   └── capture_screenshot.sh   # Linux/macOS screenshot helper
├── run.bat               # Windows launcher script
├── run.sh                # Linux/macOS launcher script
├── README.md             # This documentation
└── .gitignore            # Git ignore file

Prerequisites

• Node.js (v16 or higher)
• Python (v3.8 or higher)
• MetaMask browser extension (for production use)
• Git

Quick Start (One-Click Launch)

Windows

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/yourusername/nft-certificate-platform.git
   cd nft-certificate-platform
   

2. Set up the environment:

   cd frontend && npm install && cd ..
   cd backend && pip install -r requirements.txt && cd ..
   

3. Launch the application with a single click:

   Using Command Prompt (cmd):

   .\run.bat
   

   Using PowerShell:

   .\scripts\powershell_run.ps1

4. Open your browser and navigate to: http://localhost:3000

Linux/macOS

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/yourusername/nft-certificate-platform.git
   cd nft-certificate-platform

2. Set up the environment:

   cd frontend && npm install && cd ..
   cd backend && pip install -r requirements.txt && cd ..

3. Make the launch script executable and run it:

   chmod +x run.sh
   ./run.sh

4. Open your browser and navigate to: http://localhost:3000

Manual Startup

Windows (PowerShell)

Start each server in a separate terminal:

# Terminal 1 - Backend
cd backend; python -m uvicorn main:app --reload

# Terminal 2 - Frontend
cd frontend; npm start

Linux/macOS

Start each server in a separate terminal:

# Terminal 1 - Backend
cd backend && python -m uvicorn main:app --reload

# Terminal 2 - Frontend
cd frontend && npm start

Development Mode

The platform operates in development mode by default with mock implementations of blockchain and IPFS services. This allows you to test the platform without connecting to actual networks.

Using the Settings Page

The platform includes a dedicated Settings page where you can configure:

1. Blockchain Settings:

   • Toggle between mock and real blockchain
   • Set the Network RPC URL (e.g., Infura endpoint)
   • Configure the deployed contract address

2. IPFS Settings:

   • Toggle between mock and real IPFS
   • Configure Pinata API and Secret keys for actual IPFS storage

Changes to these settings are stored in the backend's .env file and take effect after restarting the servers.

Smart Contract Deployment (Optional)

For production use, you'll need to deploy the smart contract to an actual network:

cd smart_contract
npm install
npx hardhat compile
npx hardhat run scripts/deploy.js --network <your-network>

After deployment, update the contract address in the Settings page or directly in the backend's .env file.

Configuration

Backend Configuration

Create a .env file in the backend directory (or use the Settings page):

# Network Configuration
NETWORK_RPC_URL=http://localhost:8545
CONTRACT_ADDRESS=0x5FbDB2315678afecb367f032d93F642f64180aa3
PRIVATE_KEY=your-private-key-for-production

# IPFS Configuration (optional)
PINATA_API_KEY=your-pinata-api-key
PINATA_SECRET_KEY=your-pinata-secret-key

# Mock settings
USE_MOCK_CONTRACT=True
USE_MOCK_IPFS=True

Frontend Configuration

Create a .env file in the frontend directory:

REACT_APP_API_URL=http://localhost:8000

Application Workflow

1. Connect Wallet: Use the Connect Wallet button to link your MetaMask wallet
2. Issue Certificate: Fill in certificate details and upload an image
3. View Certificates: Browse all issued certificates in a grid or list view
4. Certificate Details: View detailed information about a specific certificate
5. Settings: Configure blockchain and IPFS options for development or production use

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

1. "Cannot find module 'X'":

   • Make sure you've run npm install in the frontend directory
   • Check that the module is listed in package.json

2. "Could not import module 'main'":

   • Make sure you're running the backend from inside the backend directory
   • Use cd backend; python -m uvicorn main:app --reload on Windows
   • Use cd backend && python -m uvicorn main:app --reload on Linux/macOS

3. "Certificate not found" after creation:

   • This is likely a token ID tracking issue
   • Restart both the backend and frontend servers

4. PowerShell command chaining:

   • Use semicolons (;) instead of && in PowerShell
   • Example: cd backend; python -m uvicorn main:app --reload
   • Alternatively, use our provided PowerShell script: .\scripts\powershell_run.ps1

5. "The token '&&' is not a valid statement separator" in PowerShell:

   • Use ; instead of && for command chaining in PowerShell
   • Alternatively, use Command Prompt (cmd) which supports &&
   • Or use our dedicated PowerShell script: .\scripts\powershell_run.ps1

6. "run.bat is not recognized as an internal or external command":

   • In PowerShell, use .\run.bat (with the leading .\)
   • Alternatively, use our PowerShell script: .\scripts\powershell_run.ps1

Security Considerations

In production environments:

1. Use HTTPS: Configure your deployment to use HTTPS for all communications
2. Secure Private Keys: Never expose private keys in your code or public repositories
3. API Rate Limiting: Implement rate limiting on backend APIs
4. Input Validation: Ensure all user inputs are validated server-side

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit a Pull Request.

Creating Screenshots

To update the application screenshot in the README:

1. Run the screenshot helper script:

   • Windows: scripts\capture_screenshot.bat
   • Linux/macOS: ./scripts/capture_screenshot.sh

2. The script will launch the application and guide you through the process of capturing and saving a screenshot.

3. Navigate to the most visually appealing screen (like the dashboard or certificate view) before capturing.

4. Save the screenshot as frontend/public/screenshot.png to automatically update the image in the README.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.