🛡️ CertVault – Smart Certificate System using Hardhat & Ganache

A simple yet powerful Ethereum smart contract project for issuing and verifying certificates, built with Hardhat, Solidity, and Ganache.

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📁 Project Structure

CertVault/
├── contracts/
│   └── CertVault.sol            # Solidity contract for certificate issuance and validation
├── scripts/
│   └── deploy.js                # Script to deploy the smart contract
├── .env.example                 # Sample environment variables file
├── .gitignore
├── hardhat.config.js            # Hardhat config (network, compiler version, etc.)
├── package.json
└── README.md

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🚀 Features

• 🧾 Smart Contract Logic — Issue, store, and validate certificates via the blockchain
• 🔒 Secure Deployment — Uses private keys from .env and Hardhat network
• ⚙️ Easy Setup — Clear instructions for both beginners and experienced devs
• 🧪 Test & Interaction Ready — Use Hardhat console/scripts or front-end integrations

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✅ Prerequisites

Make sure you have the following installed:

• Node.js (v16 or above)
• npm
• Hardhat
• Ganache (GUI or CLI)

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⚡ Getting Started

1. Clone the Repository

git clone https://github.com/PawanMohit16/DeploySmartContract.git
cd DeploySmartContract

2. Install Dependencies

npm install

3. Configure Environment Variables

Copy the example environment file:

cp .env.example .env

Then open .env and paste your Ganache account private key:

PRIVATE_KEY=your_ganache_private_key_here

4. Start Ganache

You can either:

• Launch Ganache GUI, or
• Run CLI in a separate terminal:

ganache-cli

5. Compile the Smart Contract

npx hardhat compile

6. Deploy the Contract

npx hardhat run scripts/deploy.js --network ganache

After deployment, you'll see the contract address printed in the console.

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🧪 How to Use

You can interact with the contract using the Hardhat console, scripts, or your own front-end.

• Issue Certificate

issueCertificate(string memory recipientName, string memory courseName, string memory ipfsHash)

• Validate Certificate

validateCertificate(string memory ipfsHash) → returns bool

• Get Certificate Details

getCertificate(string memory ipfsHash) → returns (string memory recipientName, string memory courseName)

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🛡️ Security Notes

• ❌ Never commit your actual .env file or private keys
• ✅ Only commit .env.example with placeholder values

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📜 License

This project is licensed under the MIT License. See LICENSE for more information.

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🙌 Contributions & Questions

Pull requests, issues, and stars are always welcome!

Want to format your own README.md like a pro?
Check out GitHub's Markdown Guide.

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💡 For Developers

• 🧾 Contract Logic — See contracts/CertVault.sol
• ⚙️ Deployment Logic — See scripts/deploy.js
• 🌐 Network Config — See hardhat.config.js

Happy building! 🎉