Verifiable Credentials & Identity Wallets (W3C VC 2.0)

Cryptographically verifiable claims issued by trusted parties and presented via identity wallets, enabling selective disclosure and offline verification.

Overview

Verifiable Credentials (VCs) allow entities to issue cryptographically signed credentials that holders store and present through identity wallets. Verifiers check proofs without calling the issuer, enabling privacy-preserving flows and offline checks.

How it works

Issuance: Issuer signs a credential to the holder’s wallet.
Presentation: Holder creates a verifiable presentation with selective attributes.
Verification: Verifier validates signature, status/revocation, and schema against trusted keys/registries.

Common use cases

Digital diplomas & licenses
Age or attribute checks
Travel & cross-border credentials

Strengths and limitations

Strengths: Privacy via selective disclosure; offline verification; open standards.
Limitations: Interop profiles; governance/trust frameworks; revocation/status infrastructure.

Key terms

Verifiable presentation: A bundle proving certain claims to a verifier.
Issuer/Holder/Verifier: Roles in VC ecosystems.

References

Latest Data Cards

Data Card
Telefonica Tech Launches Self-Sovereign Identity Platform Based on Verifiable Credentials
2026-01-12CC-BY-4.0verifiable-credentials
Telefonica Tech launched a self-sovereign digital identity solution that stores verifiable credentials on user devices and supports selective disclosure. The company says organizations can issue, verify, and revoke credentials for use cases such as age checks and access control.
- Credentials are stored locally on user devices with user-controlled sharing.
- The platform supports issuance, verification, and revocation of verifiable credentials.
- Telecom and enterprise use cases cited include age verification, access control, and digital certificate issuance.
- idtechwire.com
Data Card
Accenture and NTT DOCOMO GLOBAL Launch Universal Wallet Infrastructure for Digital Identity
2026-01-06CC-BY-4.0digital-idverifiable-credentials
Accenture and NTT DOCOMO GLOBAL announced Universal Wallet Infrastructure (UWI), described as an interoperability-focused infrastructure layer intended to support digital identity and digital trust use cases.
- The companies frame UWI as infrastructure that can support multiple wallets rather than a single wallet product.
- Accenture describes an initial early-adopter phase under letters of intent.
- The announcement emphasizes cross-organization credential exchange as a goal of the infrastructure approach.
Data Card
Credas Reports First Property Transaction Using Its Compliance Wallet
2026-01-06CC-BY-4.0digital-idverifiable-credentials
Credas says its Compliance Wallet was used to complete a live UK property transaction, positioning the wallet as a reusable way to share verified identity and compliance information across parties.
- Credas describes a “share once” model intended to reduce repeated identity and compliance checks during property transactions.
- The announcement describes the first transaction as completed with DezrezLegal, according to company and trade reporting.
- Public materials do not clearly specify which credential standards or trust frameworks underpin the wallet implementation.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Verifiable Credential (VC)?

A tamper-evident set of claims with metadata proving who issued it; holders store VCs in wallets and present verifiable proofs to verifiers.

How does selective disclosure work?

Cryptographic proofs reveal only needed attributes (e.g., ‘over 18’) rather than the full credential.

How do VCs relate to government IDs?

They can complement physical documents; issuers (e.g., agencies, universities) issue VCs that can be verified online or offline.

What about revocation/status?

Verifiers check credential status lists or cryptographic status proofs to ensure a VC hasn’t been revoked without contacting the issuer.