Understanding Verifiable Credentials

A comprehensive visual guide to W3C Verifiable Credentials Data Model 2.0, ISO mDOC (Mobile Documents), and OpenID for Verifiable Credential Issuance.

Explore W3C VCDM Learn ISO mDOC

The Verifiable Credentials Ecosystem

A decentralized trust model with three core roles

1. Issues Credential 2. Presents Credential 3. Verifies Publishes Issuer Holder (Wallet) Verifier Verifiable Data Registry DIDs • Schemas • Revocation Lists

Issuer

Creates and cryptographically signs credentials. Examples: governments, universities, employers.

Holder

Receives credentials from issuers and stores them in a digital wallet. Controls what to share with verifiers.

Verifier

Requests and validates credentials. Checks cryptographic proofs and issuer trust.

Two Credential Formats, One Issuance Protocol

Understanding how these standards work together

W3C VCDM 2.0

A W3C standard for expressing credentials in a machine-verifiable way using JSON-LD.

Rich semantic data model
Flexible securing mechanisms
Selective disclosure support
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ISO mDOC

ISO 18013-5 standard for mobile documents using CBOR encoding and COSE signatures.

Compact binary format
Device binding
Salted claim hashing
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OpenID4VCI

OAuth 2.0 extension for credential issuance. Works with both VCDM and mDOC formats.

Pre-authorized code flow
Authorization code flow
Proof of possession
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Key Concepts

Foundational ideas that underpin the VC ecosystem

Claims

Assertions made about a subject, such as 'Alice is over 18' or 'Bob has degree X'.

Cryptographic Proof

Digital signatures that prove the credential hasn't been tampered with and was issued by a trusted party.

Selective Disclosure

The ability to reveal only specific claims from a credential rather than everything.

Decentralized Identifiers

DIDs provide a way to identify subjects without relying on a central authority.

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W3C Verifiable Credentials Data Model 2.0

Understand the complete data model including credential structure, JSON-LD contexts, securing mechanisms, and the presentation flow.

ISO 18013-5 Mobile Documents

Learn about CBOR encoding, namespaces, the Mobile Security Object (MSO), and device authentication for mobile credentials.

OpenID for Verifiable Credential Issuance

Explore the credential offer, authorization flows, endpoints, and proof of possession mechanisms.

Compare Formats

Side-by-side comparison of W3C VCDM and ISO mDOC formats, their strengths, and when to use each.