🛡️ Unified Blockchain-Based Legal Document Management (eVault)

Demo Video

🎥 Watch the demo here:
https://www.loom.com/share/c75018efbb06459fa6046d4d87f1ed9b

A decentralized, AI-integrated system for secure and transparent legal document storage, built using Ethereum, IPFS, and NLP-based summarization.

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📚 Abstract

The legal industry demands robust, tamper-resistant, and accessible document storage solutions. This project presents a blockchain-based eVault that integrates Ethereum smart contracts, IPFS (via Pinata), MetaMask authentication, and NLP document summarization to deliver a scalable, decentralized legal document management system. It eliminates reliance on centralized servers, ensures document integrity, and enables efficient access control for legal professionals.

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🏗️ System Architecture

The architecture consists of the following modules:

• Frontend: React-based UI with MetaMask integration for login and transactions.
• Blockchain Layer: Ethereum smart contracts ensure immutable document metadata and role-based access control.
• Decentralized Storage: Documents are stored on IPFS using the Pinata API.
• AI Backend: NLP module summarizes uploaded legal documents using transformer models (e.g., BERT, GPT).
• Database: A NoSQL store maintains metadata and links between IPFS hashes and smart contract records.

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⚙️ Workflow

1. 🔐 Login via MetaMask
   Users authenticate securely without exposing private keys.

2. 📤 Document Upload

   • Document is hashed.
   • Metadata (timestamp, uploader, type) is generated.
   • Hash and metadata are recorded on Ethereum via smart contracts.
   • File is uploaded to IPFS through Pinata.

3. 📑 Summarization & Storage

   • NLP backend extracts and summarizes document.
   • Summary is stored with metadata and linked to the blockchain.

4. 🔎 Access Control
   Role-based permissions are enforced by smart contracts:

   • grantAccess(address user)
   • revokeAccess(address user)

5. 📥 Retrieval
   Authorized users retrieve IPFS content using the hash and view summaries for rapid understanding.

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🔐 Key Features

• ✅ Ethereum Smart Contracts

  • Immutable document records
  • Transparent access logs
  • Role-based permissions (e.g., Lawyer, Client, Paralegal)

• 🗂 Decentralized File Storage (IPFS)

  • Persistent, tamper-proof access to legal files
  • Content-addressable with Pinata pinning

• 🧠 AI-Powered Summarization (NLP)

  • Legal documents summarized using transformer models
  • Saves time and enhances clarity

• 🧾 MetaMask Integration

  • Wallet-based login & secure transaction signing

• 🔍 Verifiability & Audit Trails

  • On-chain metadata for traceable interactions

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🧪 Testing & Results

• Smart contracts deployed and tested on Sepolia Testnet.
• Verified:
  • Upload times < 3s
  • Role-based access enforcement
  • Accurate hash-based integrity validation
• Smart contract functions like grantAccess() and revokeAccess() performed reliably.
• NLP summaries significantly reduced legal document review times.

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🚀 Tech Stack

Layer	Technology
Blockchain	Ethereum (Solidity), MetaMask
Storage	IPFS (via Pinata)
Frontend	React.js, JavaScript, HTML/CSS
Backend AI	Python (Transformers: BERT/GPT)
Database	MongoDB / NoSQL
Authentication	MetaMask Web3 Authentication

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🧭 Future Enhancements

• 🔔 AI-Powered Legal Scheduler
  Automated deadline tracking and reminder system with calendar APIs.

• 🛠 Multi-Chain Support
  Polygon / BNB Chain for reduced gas fees and scalability.

• 🔒 End-to-End Document Encryption
  Encrypted IPFS storage for stronger confidentiality.

• 🗂 Legal System Integration
  CRM, e-filing platforms, and case management APIs.

• 📜 Regulatory Compliance
  GDPR, HIPAA, Indian IT Act support for document retention & audit policies.

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💡 Inspiration

This project was inspired by the limitations of traditional legal data storage, aiming to deliver a trustless, efficient, and future-ready solution for modern law practices.