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@article{200173,
        author = {Bhuvanagiri Supreet Sadashiv and N VISHNU VENKATESH and Monisha C and Karan Gowda SY and Aditya Ramakrishna Bhat and Suhas J},
        title = {Blockchain-Based Evidence Integrity System: A Secure Framework for Digital Forensic Evidence Management},
        journal = {International Journal of Innovative Research in Technology},
        year = {2026},
        volume = {12},
        number = {12},
        pages = {455-466},
        issn = {2349-6002},
        url = {https://ijirt.org/article?manuscript=200173},
        abstract = {Digital evidence has become central to modern forensic work, yet keeping that evidence intact, authentic, and legally admissible remains a persistent challenge. Existing evidence management platforms tend to rely on centralised storage, which creates clear vulnerabilities: a single point of failure, exposure to insider manipulation, and an audit trail that can be quietly altered. To close these gaps, this paper introduces a blockchain-based evidence integrity system that keeps a secure, transparent, and tamper-evident record of digital evidence from collection through to courtroom presentation. At its core, the system applies SHA-256 cryptographic hashing to produce a unique fingerprint for every evidence file; Merkle Tree structures then allow groups of files to be verified in a single efficient operation. Hash values and audit events are written to an immutable distributed ledger, so any unauthorised change is caught immediately. Access to the system is governed by JSON Web Token (JWT) authentication paired with role-based controls, ensuring that only personnel with appropriate clearance can interact with sensitive material. A working prototype built on FastAPI demonstrates the full workflow: evidence submission, hash-based verification, real-time monitoring, and automated report generation. Testing showed perfect integrity-verification accuracy, zero missed tampering events, and a complete, court-ready chain of custody outcomes that position this framework as a practical option for law enforcement agencies, forensic practitioners, and legal institutions seeking stronger evidentiary standards.},
        keywords = {Blockchain; Digital Forensics; Evidence Integrity; Chain of Custody; SHA-256; Merkle Tree; JSON Web Token (JWT); Tamper Detection; Secure Evidence Management},
        month = {May},
        }