Blockcerts is an open standard developed by MIT Media Lab that is used to digitally express a certificate and keep it in a blockchain so that it can always be verified without contacting the issuing organization or platform.  

A Blockcerts is a digital certificate issued by University of Turin and owned by an individual that is expressed in this format and notarized in the blockchain. The organization issuing the Blockcerts digitally signs them with its own keys. Blockcerts, like paper certificates, are kept by the owner. In contrast to a paper certificate, the owner can simply transfer the Blockcerts without having to remove them from the original, and the authenticity of the certificate can be proved by comparing the content of the Blockcerts with its "digital footprint."