The integrity of digital evidence is fundamental to the credibility and admissibility of forensic investigations in the digital age. Traditional evidence management techniques, primarily relying on cryptographic hashes, chain-of-custody documentation, and manual procedures, are increasingly vulnerable to tampering, human error, and sophisticated cyber threats. The advent of blockchain technology offers a transformative solution by providing a decentralized, immutable, and transparent ledger system that can significantly enhance evidence integrity assurance. This paper explores the integration of blockchain into digital forensic workflows, emphasizing its potential to establish tamper-proof, verifiable, and auditable records of digital evidence throughout its lifecycle. We examine the core components of blockchain technology—including distributed ledgers, cryptographic hashing, consensus mechanisms, and smart contracts—and their applicability to forensic evidence management. The proposed blockchain-based architecture encompasses evidence collection, secure storage, access control, and verification modules, creating a robust framework that ensures the authenticity and unaltered state of evidence. We review existing platforms and protocols, such as Factom, Evidence-Chain, Ethereum, and Hyperledger Fabric, assessing their suitability and limitations within forensic contexts. Moreover, mechanisms like timestamping, digital signatures, multi-party verification, and smart contracts are discussed as means to enforce integrity, facilitate transparent chain-of-custody, and automate validation processes. Despite its promising advantages, blockchain implementation faces challenges including scalability, privacy concerns, legal compliance, interoperability, and technical complexity. The paper also highlights future research directions—such as hybrid storage models, privacy-preserving protocols, AI integration, and quantum-resistant algorithms—that aim to address these limitations. Ultimately, this study demonstrates that blockchain technology holds substantial potential to revolutionize digital evidence management, ensuring higher levels of trust, transparency, and integrity in forensic investigations, and calls for collaborative efforts to develop standardized, scalable, and legally compliant solutions for widespread adoption.
Prachi P. Pophale (Thu,) studied this question.