A Secure Blockchain-Integrated Jewellery Management System Using IPFS-Based Decentralized Storage and Encrypted Communication

Abstract

The jewellery transaction and management system plays a crucial role in ensuring secure communication, data integrity, and efficient coordination between customers, jewellery owners, and administrators. Traditionally, such systems relied on manual record-keeping, paper-based documentation, and unsecured digital communication methods. These conventional approaches were time-consuming, prone to human errors, lacked transparency, and were highly vulnerable to data tampering, unauthorized access, and information loss. There was no reliable mechanism to ensure data integrity or traceability of user actions. The proposed system introduces a secure, web-based application developed using the Flask framework, integrating advanced security and data management techniques. The system incorporates encryption mechanisms using the Hill Cipher algorithm for secure message exchange and file protection. Additionally, a hybrid blockchain architecture is implemented using InterPlanetary File System (IPFS) through Pinata, where each user activity is stored as a hash-linked block, ensuring tamper-resistant and immutable data storage. Real-time functionalities such as gold price updates are integrated using WebSocket communication, enhancing user interaction. The system also utilizes Tiny Data Base (TinyDB) for lightweight database management and Secure Hash Algorithm (SHA-256) hashing for maintaining block integrity. The research is completed by integrating user authentication, OTP-based verification, encrypted communication, blockchain-based logging, and secure file handling into a unified platform. This approach ensures improved security, transparency, and reliability compared to traditional systems, providing a robust and scalable solution for modern digital jewellery transaction management