Verifiable Digital Credentials (VDCs) introduce a new trust architecture layer where cryptographically signed credentials issued by authorities (DMVs, universities, employers) are held in user wallets and presented to verifiers on demand — eliminating document uploads, PII storage, and third-party intermediaries. The post explains the Issuer-Holder-Verifier trust triangle, the two key credential formats (SD-JWT VC for enterprise/web use cases and mdoc/ISO 18013-5 for government IDs), and the OpenID4VP/OpenID4VCI protocol stack. It distinguishes authentication (proving account ownership) from credential verification (proving specific claims), and outlines practical implementation guidance: build on redirect-based OpenID4VP as a baseline, treat trust lists and trust frameworks as first-class architectural requirements, and layer in the W3C Digital Credentials API as a progressive enhancement. The post ends with a call to explore Okta's VDC platform beta.
