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.