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Verifiable Credentials

Wallet-first, privacy-preserving credentials compliant with W3C VC v2.0 and anchored to SafePulse DIDs.

Overview

SafePulse’s Verifiable Credentials (VCs) provide a secure, decentralized way to issue, verify, and present proofs of:

  • Skills & achievements
  • Education & training
  • Compliance & licenses
  • Membership & identity attributes
  • Business records or attestations

VCs are:

  • Tamper-proof (cryptographically verifiable)
  • Self-sovereign (stored in the user’s wallet)
  • Portable across networks and platforms
  • Privacy-preserving via selective disclosure & verifiable presentations
  • Built on W3C Verifiable Credential v2.0

A VC is signed by the issuer’s DID, held by the subject’s wallet, and verifiable by any third party.

Context & Problem

The Problem

Traditional credentials (certificates, licenses, IDs) have challenges:

  • Easy to forge or manipulate
  • Hard to verify internationally
  • Require centralized authorities
  • Reveal too much personal data
  • Slow manual verification processes
  • Not portable across platforms

Users and organizations need trusted, private, standardized digital credentials that work anywhere.

The Solution

SafePulse VCs:

  • Are verified via blockchain + DID signatures
  • Require no central authority
  • Support selective disclosure (only reveal what’s necessary)
  • Allow flexible proof presentations
  • Can represent any type of claim — academic, corporate, legal, or personal

VCs integrate deeply with SafePulse’s identity and document ecosystem, powering secure B2B and P2P verification workflows.

Use Cases

1. Education & Certification

  • Schools issue degrees or certificates as VCs
  • Training centers issue completion badges
  • Students share credentials without revealing full identity

2. Enterprise Compliance

  • Employees receive compliance certifications (e.g., AML/KYC training)
  • Contractors prove qualifications before engagement
  • Auditors verify digital proof instantly

3. Talent & Freelancing

  • Freelancers present verified work history or skill credentials
  • Clients validate identity attributes without exposing personal details

4. Legal & Regulatory

  • Businesses issue licenses or compliance documents
  • Individuals prove age or residency using selective disclosure
  • Lawyers validate document issuance via VCs

5. Web3 & Onchain Reputation

  • Proof-of-contribution credentials
  • DAO participation records
  • Reputation scoring anchored to DID

Key Features

1. W3C VC v2.0 Compliant

Ensures global compatibility with web3 wallets, institutions, and verifiers.

2. Self-Sovereign Storage

Credentials stay in the payer’s device — no platform custody.

3. Selective Disclosure

Users reveal only the needed fields to a verifier.

4. DID-Based Signing

Both issuer and holder use their Decentralized Identity (DID).

5. Blockchain Anchoring

Credential hashes or metadata can be anchored onchain for immutability.

6. Revocation Support

Issuers can revoke credentials using their DID keys (if issued with revocation registry).

Credential Structure (Simplified Example)

{
  "@context": ["https://www.w3.org/2018/credentials/v2"],
  "type": ["VerifiableCredential", "EducationCertificate"],
  "issuer": "did:ethr:0xABC...",
  "credentialSubject": {
    "id": "did:ethr:0x123...",
    "name": "John Doe",
    "course": "Blockchain Development"
  },
  "proof": {
    "type": "EcdsaSecp256k1Signature",
    "created": "2025-01-01T00:00:00Z",
    "proofPurpose": "assertionMethod",
    "verificationMethod": "did:ethr:0xABC#owner",
    "signatureValue": "0x..."
  }
}

Step-by-Step Tutorial

A. Receiving a Credential

  1. Open the SafePulse Wallet

  2. Navigate to Identity → Credentials

  3. Tap Receive VC

  4. Scan QR code / paste credential payload

  5. Wallet verifies:

    • Issuer DID
    • Signature
    • Expiration & revocation (if applicable)

  6. Accept and store the VC locally

Your VC is now available for presentations or sharing.

B. Issuing a Credential

Prerequisites

  • Your DID must be initialized
  • You must have issuer permissions in your workflow
  • (Optional) Verifiable Document to attach additional files

Steps

  1. Navigate to Issue Credential

  2. Fill in the credential fields:

    • Type (certificate, membership, license…)
    • Subject DID
    • Data fields

  3. (Optional) Attach Verifiable Document

  4. Tap Issue

  5. Wallet signs VC using issuer’s DID

  6. Share VC with subject via:

    • QR Code
    • Direct import
    • Encrypted message

C. Presenting a Credential (“Verifiable Presentation”)

A presentation allows the holder to share only the required parts of the credential.

  1. Open the credential

  2. Tap Present

  3. Select fields to reveal

  4. Wallet generates:

    • A zero-knowledge / selective disclosure proof
    • Holder’s DID authentication

  5. Share the presentation with verifier

This preserves maximum privacy.

D. Revoking a Credential (Optional)

  1. Open Issued Credentials
  2. Select credential
  3. Tap Revoke
  4. Confirm DID-signed revocation

Verifiers will see the credential as revoked in future checks.

Real-World Examples

Example 1 — Digital Degree

A university issues VCs instead of PDFs. Employers verify authenticity instantly without contacting the school.

Example 2 — Driver License Check

User presents only “Over 18” instead of full identity details. Selective disclosure protects privacy.

Example 3 — Corporate Compliance

An employee presents a “Certified AML Officer” credential to a financial institution. The institution verifies:

  • DID of employee
  • DID of the issuing company
  • Integrity of the credential

Example 4 — DAO Reputation

A DAO issues contribution-based VCs to members. Tools read VC reputation to grant roles or voting rights.

Benefits

  • Trustless, verifiable credentials
  • Self-sovereign, not platform-controlled
  • Portable across apps, companies, and chains
  • Supports privacy and selective disclosure
  • Compatible with global W3C standards
  • Works seamlessly with DID and Document Contracts

Drawbacks

  • Users must safeguard wallet and credentials
  • Revocation requires issuer DID control
  • Some platforms still rely on centralized credential formats

Best Practices

For Issuers

  • Use stable, persistent DIDs
  • Anchor revocation lists onchain
  • Avoid including unnecessary personal data
  • Use credential types aligned with global schemas (e.g., W3C)

For Holders

  • Make secure encrypted backups of credentials
  • Use selective disclosure whenever possible
  • Keep DID keys rotated and secure

For Verifiers

  • Always check DID signature and timestamp
  • Verify revocation status
  • Use VC-compliant parsers for best interoperability