Verifiable Credentials Data Model v2.0 became a W3C Recommendation on 15 May 2025. It provides a standard way to express claims from an issuer so they can be presented by a holder and checked by a verifier. A venue might explore this model when it wants a trustworthy, limited exchange of information.
The standard describes tamper-evident credentials. It does not make every claim true, every issuer trustworthy or every deployment private. Those decisions belong to the application’s trust and privacy design. See the W3C Recommendation.
An experience to consider
Imagine a visitor presenting a chosen language preference to a participating exhibition, or a member demonstrating an entitlement. The project would need to agree which issuers it trusts, which claim it needs, how the visitor authorizes the exchange and what the venue retains.
These are illustrative applications. This article is not an announcement of a fully qualified Mad credential-wallet integration, a cross-venue exchange or a current product certification.
TECHNICAL DETAILWhat the implementation must decide
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Selective disclosure depends on the chosen securing mechanism and credential design. Data minimization, correlation resistance, storage, status checks and retention need explicit choices. A short-lived presentation does not force a recipient to delete received data, and revoking a credential is distinct from withdrawing consent for later processing.
The specification’s privacy considerations, trust model and credential-status section are useful starting points. The data model alone does not guarantee local processing, anonymity or interoperability between particular wallets and venues.
Questions for a project specification
- What decision requires a credential, and could a simpler visitor selection serve the purpose?
- Which issuers, wallet interfaces and proof mechanisms are accepted?
- Which attributes are required, and how is unnecessary correlation avoided?
- What happens when a credential is unavailable, expired or no longer accepted?
- How do visitors understand the exchange, change choices and receive an accessible alternative?
- Which data stays local, what is retained and who is responsible for its removal?
Connect the exchange to a governed experience
A useful credential is one part of a larger experience. The venue still needs approved content, an authorized action and a clear record of why the action was allowed. WorldModel™ provides an architectural context for those responsibilities; an actual integration needs its own design and qualification.