W3C Verifiable Credentials

VC Data Model 2.0

What is the VC Data Model 2.0?

The W3C Verifiable Credentials Data Model 2.0 (VCDM) defines a standard way to express credentials on the web in a manner that is cryptographically secure, privacy-respecting, and machine-verifiable. A verifiable credential contains claims made by an issuer about a subject, along with a proof that makes the credential tamper-evident. The data model is format-agnostic, supporting multiple proof and serialization mechanisms.

Credential Types

The VC Data Model supports several securing mechanisms, each suited to different use cases:

JWT-VC (Enveloped Proof)

Credentials secured as JSON Web Tokens. Widely supported, compact, and well-suited for web-based credential exchange. The JWT contains the credential as its payload and is signed using standard JWS algorithms.

Data Integrity (Embedded Proof)

Credentials with embedded cryptographic proofs using the Data Integrity specification. Supports multiple cryptosuites including Ed25519, ECDSA, and BBS+ for zero-knowledge selective disclosure.

SD-JWT VC

Selective Disclosure JWT credentials that allow holders to reveal only specific claims from a credential. Combines the simplicity of JWTs with fine-grained privacy control, mandated by eIDAS 2.0.

How BaseID Implements It

BaseID provides full W3C VC support through the baseid-vc crate:

JWT-VC issuance and verification: Create and verify JWT-secured verifiable credentials with ES256, ES384, and EdDSA algorithms.
Credential lifecycle: Full support for the CredentialIssuer, CredentialVerifier, and CredentialPresenter traits defined in baseid-core.
SD-JWT VC: The baseid-sd-jwt crate provides selective disclosure with salted claim hashing, key binding, and holder verification.
Bilingual errors: All error types implement BilingualError for EN/FR reporting, meeting Canadian accessibility requirements.

Who Uses W3C VCs?

W3C Verifiable Credentials are used across a broad range of sectors and jurisdictions:

Government: Digital identity programs in Canada (PCTF), the EU (eIDAS 2.0), and Korea use VCs for citizen credentials.
Education: Universities and credential bodies use VCs for diplomas, transcripts, and professional certifications.
Supply chain: Trade documentation, origin certificates, and compliance attestations are being issued as VCs.
Healthcare: Patient identity, immunization records, and provider credentials leverage the VC data model.