W3C-VC-VERIFIABLE-CREDENTIALS

Signed decentralized credentials W3C VC.

Definition

W3C VC JSON-LD structure: @context, type (VerifiableCredential + specific), credentialSubject (claims about holder), issuer (DID), issuanceDate, expirationDate, credentialStatus (revocation), proof (cryptographic signature, e.g. Ed25519Signature2020, JsonWebSignature2020, DataIntegrityProof). Formats: JSON-LD (canonical), JWT (compact), SD-JWT (Selective Disclosure JWT), AnonCreds. Use cases: University degrees, professional certifications, KYC credentials, healthcare prescriptions, EU EUDI digital wallet.

Origin

W3C VC Data Model 1.0 published W3C Recommendation 19 November 2019 ; v1.1 published 2022 ; v2.0 W3C Candidate Recommendation 2024 ; EU EUDI Wallet eIDAS 2.0 integration 2024-2026.

Example in context

MIT Digital Diploma issues each MIT graduate a W3C VC ; the graduate can prove via QR code its authenticity to employer, without contacting MIT registrar ; ~5000 diplomas/year.

Related terms

• W3C DID — identifiers used.