idwallets

An idwallet, or identity wallet, is a digital wallet designed to store, manage, and present a person’s digital identity data and verifiable credentials. It typically runs on a mobile device or computer and aims to let individuals control how their identity information is used when interacting with online services, organizations, or institutions.

Core capabilities include securely storing cryptographic keys and decentralized identifiers (DIDs), holding verifiable credentials issued by trusted authorities, and generating cryptographic proofs to attest identity or attributes to service providers. It supports presenting credentials selectively and with privacy-preserving proofs, and may offer backup and recovery options while maintaining user control.

It aligns with standards such as the W3C Verifiable Credentials and Decentralized Identifiers, and is often part of broader self-sovereign identity (SSI) initiatives. Interoperability aims to enable credential exchange across different platforms and jurisdictions.

Security features include device-backed keys, biometric or PIN access, encryption, and revocation mechanisms to invalidate credentials. Privacy-preserving techniques like zero-knowledge proofs let users minimize data exposure when proving attributes to verifiers.

Use cases include login to services, age and eligibility verification, employment or education records, healthcare credentials, and government-issued digital IDs where available. Adoption depends on policy, regulation, and the availability of trusted issuers and verifiers.

Challenges include ensuring user-friendly experiences, cross-border interoperability, issuer revocation, recovery in case of device loss, and addressing privacy concerns and governance of identity data.