1. Acceptance of terms

By creating an account or otherwise using the Acredia platform ("Service") you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service ("Terms"). If you do not agree, do not use the Service. These Terms apply to all users — students, institutions, and verifiers.

2. Service description

Acredia is a blockchain-based academic credential platform running on the Stellar network. It allows verified institutions to issue tamper-proof credentials to students, who may share them with verifiers. Credential hashes are anchored on-chain; documents are stored on IPFS.

3. Eligibility

• You must be at least 16 years old to use the Service.
• Institutions must be accredited educational organisations or authorised issuers. Acredia reserves the right to verify institution eligibility before enabling credential issuance.
• You are responsible for maintaining the security of your account credentials and Stellar wallet.

4. User obligations

You agree not to:

• Issue false or fraudulent credentials.
• Impersonate an institution or individual.
• Attempt to tamper with, reverse-engineer, or attack the platform or blockchain contracts.
• Use the Service for any illegal purpose or in violation of any applicable law.
• Upload malicious files or attempt to circumvent file-type or size restrictions.

5. On-chain data & immutability

When a credential is issued, a cryptographic hash is written to the Stellar blockchain. This record is permanent and cannot be deleted, even if you later request account deletion. The hash does not contain personal data — it is a one-way fingerprint of the credential document. You acknowledge this immutability by using the issuance feature.

Credential documents stored on IPFS are encrypted and will be unpinned on account deletion, rendering them inaccessible. The on-chain hash will remain.

6. Intellectual property

The Acredia platform, including its source code (licensed under MIT), design, and branding, is owned by Acredia. Credential documents and metadata submitted by institutions and students remain their intellectual property.

7. Disclaimer of warranties

The Service is provided "as is" without warranty of any kind. Acredia does not guarantee uninterrupted availability, and is not liable for any loss arising from blockchain network outages, IPFS gateway downtime, or Stellar network fees.

8. Limitation of liability

To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, Acredia shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, or consequential damages arising out of or in connection with these Terms or the Service.

9. Fees

The Service is currently provided free of charge during the beta period. Public credential verification is, and is intended to remain, free. We may introduce fees for issuance or institutional features in future; if we do, we will give registered users at least 30 days' notice before any charge applies to them, and no fee will ever be charged without your prior agreement. Any network (Stellar) transaction fees incurred by your own wallet are your responsibility.

10. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless Acredia and its operators from any claim, demand, loss, or expense (including reasonable legal fees) arising from your misuse of the Service, your breach of these Terms, your infringement of any third party's rights, or — for institutions — the accuracy and lawfulness of the credentials and personal data you choose to issue through the Service. This clause does not limit any rights you have as a consumer under applicable mandatory law.

11. Termination

You may delete your account at any time via Dashboard → Settings → Delete Account. Acredia reserves the right to suspend or terminate accounts that violate these Terms. On-chain data cannot be removed upon termination (see §5).

12. Governing law

These Terms are governed by the laws of India. Any disputes shall be resolved in the courts of West Bengal, India, unless applicable law requires otherwise.

13. Changes to these Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. We will notify registered users via email at least 14 days before material changes take effect. Continued use after the effective date constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms.

14. Contact

Questions about these Terms? acredia.stellar@gmail.com