The Malaysian Taekwon-Do Federation (MTF) has launched a blockchain-based certification system that automatically issues tamper-proof digital certificates for belt gradings, secured on a private distributed ledger and verifiable via QR code. 

The system integrates ProofEasy, a blockchain-based digital certification platform developed by RightCliq Solutions (M) Sdn Bhd, and is deployed within the Malaysia Blockchain Infrastructure (MBI) initiative spearheaded by Mimos Bhd. It is also integrated into the International Taekwon-Do Federation’s global platform, ITF Online 3.0.

The MTF blockchain deployment is intended to serve as a proof point for a replicable model that can be extended to other sports bodies, licensing authorities and organisations that rely on certification systems.

“This is the first proof of a national model. This proves that the blockchain is not a hype. It's real, it's deployable and it works. And more importantly, it's repeatable. So, what we have built together here with RightCliq can scale not just for Taekwondo, but for any other sport, professional certifications, licensing bodies and education. Anywhere where trust matters, the model applies,” said My Blockchain Infrastructure Sdn Bhd chief executive officer Azhar Abu Talib at the launch of the MTF blockchain system.

My Blockchain Infrastructure, a subsidiary of Mimos Holdings Sdn Bhd under Mimos, is responsible for implementing and operating the MBI initiative on behalf of the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation.

Azhar added that sports certification has relied on paper records, manual validation and fragmented systems, which creates fraud risks, verification delays and poor portability for decades. The new system introduces instant, verifiable digital credentials that track an athlete’s journey from their first belt to national and international recognition. 

MTF first adopted blockchain for belt grading certification in October 2020, becoming the first national sports association in the world to do so. The system launched today is a second-generation, automated version of that initiative, further reducing manual steps in the certification process.

“From the moment a student passes a belt grading to the moment an athlete earns a national ranking through competition, from when they first wear the Taekwon-Do uniform with a white belt, their name will be recorded in the system. It allows us to monitor their progress from grading all the way to national-level competition,” said MTF deputy president Datuk Dr Shakir Husein Kalid. 

“Every achievement will be digitally documented, so we are no longer dealing with missing records. One issue we’ve always faced is that, for example, when someone earns a black belt and goes elsewhere, they may not be able to find their certificate. That becomes a problem when they want to continue elsewhere. With this system, it is much easier, nothing is lost, and everyone can verify each other’s records.

“Most importantly, the system is independently verifiable and transparently governed.”