Lost n Found

The Problem: Every year, campuses manage thousands of high-value lost items (laptops, phones, wallets). Current systems rely on centralized Web2 databases or spreadsheets, creating critical trust gaps and exposing universities to liability if records are altered by a rogue employee or fraudster.

This results in real-world issues: disputed ownership, lack of accountability, and no reliable way to verify who rightfully owns an item. Ultimately, campuses lack a transparent and verifiable system of record for lost property.

The Solution: We built a frictionless Web2.5 application (Next.js, FastAPI, MongoDB) designed for real-world deployment. Students simply log in with their university email — no wallets, no crypto knowledge required.

When an item is reported, our system tracks its physical lifecycle through a simple state machine:

Lost → Found → Claimed

We also support the inverse Found → Claimed flow for direct claims.

Each action is tied to an authenticated university identity, ensuring:

- Accountability for every interaction

- Reduced fraud through identity linkage

- A seamless user experience accessible to non-technical users

This design prioritizes usability and practicality, ensuring adoption by real campus communities.

The DCAI L3 Integration: To ensure these records can never be silently altered, we implemented an on-chain notarization architecture.

Every time an item changes hands, our backend:

- Hashes the event payload

- Sends a JSON-RPC call to the DCAI L3 testnet

This anchors each state transition to the blockchain, creating a tamper-proof, timestamped record.

Blockchain is used selectively and meaningfully — not exposed to users, but strengthening trust, transparency, and coordination behind the scenes.

Why it Matters: We aren't just tracking items; we are building digital trust infrastructure for real-world assets.

While no system can physically prevent bad actors, our architecture ensures they cannot act anonymously or erase evidence. Every claim is permanently tied to a verified identity and recorded on an immutable ledger.

This creates:

- A cryptographic chain of custody

- Strong deterrence against fraud

- A reliable audit trail for dispute resolution

By combining real-world identity with blockchain-backed immutability, we improve outcomes for students and institutions while maintaining ease of use.

This aligns with BGA’s vision of blockchain for real-world impact by delivering:

- Transparent and accountable systems

- Practical, deployable solutions

- Improved trust in everyday processes

Every state transition is hashed and anchored to DCAI L3 via the OperatorRegistry contract, creating a permanent, verifiable record tied to authenticated identities — immutable by design, auditable by anyone, and built for real-world adoption.

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