I wanted to solve the credential verification problem between online learners and platforms like Udemy, EdX, and Coursera. Learners currently receive only an image of a diploma, and there is no interoperability between platforms. This devalues an online degree for both the student and the platform as the learner's certificate cannot be platform-agnostically verified.

I proposed Cryptdegree to solve this problem. It would offer a SaaS API that would mint an NFT diploma for a learner once they receive their degree; this NFT would contain encrypted data about the learner and their degree that could be trustlessly verified.

I won the 48HL grand prize of $1,000, and I received individual mentoring from the fintech sponsor of the prize.

The Logo

I made the logo myself in around an hour using Illustrator. It's the best part of the pitch.

The Mockup

I created an example of the page used to verify a learner's credentials, here using their first name, last name, and birthday for cross-referencing.

The Pitch Deck

Presented through an online video submission. Because it was due over vacation, I was enormously intoxicated while recording.

Reflection

Though I would never build Cryptdegree, I could see why it is valuable. I believe that crypto can be an extremely useful tool when it is used as a tool, rather than as a means to an end. I'm not a big fan of cryptocurrencies, as you can imagine.