DIF Labs Beta Cohort 2 officially kicks off tomorrow, June 24th at 8 AM PST! This cohort brings together three projects that will advance privacy, legal frameworks, and governance in verifiable credentials.
Meet Our Beta Cohort 2 Projects
Legally-Binding Proof of Personhood for Verifiable Credentials via QES
Led by Jon Bauer and Roberto Carvajal
This project creates a standardized method to anchor Verifiable Credentials to legally recognized, high-assurance proof of an individual's identity through Qualified Electronic Signatures (QES). By leveraging eIDAS-recognized QES technology, this work will enable any W3C Verifiable Credential to carry the same legal weight as a handwritten signature.
Privacy-Preserving Revocation Mechanism
Led by Kai Otsuki and Ken Watanabe
This research project delivers an analysis of privacy-preserving revocation mechanisms for W3C Verifiable Credentials. The team will catalog real-world revocation scenarios, benchmark cryptographic mechanisms including status lists, dynamic accumulators, zk-SNARK proofs, and short-term credentials, and provide an open-source prototype evaluating computational costs for Issuers, Holders, and Verifiers.
Anonymous Multi-Signature Verifiable Credentials
Led by Seohee Park and Lukas Han
This protocol enables Verifiable Credential issuance that requires m-of-n multi-signature approval while maintaining anonymity of individual signers. Using Semaphore, it enables decentralized governance for VC issuance in organizations such as DAOs or government agencies, cryptographically proving sufficient participation without revealing participating member identities.
Gratitude to Our Leadership Team
We extend our thanks to our project leads who will be driving these initiatives forward. Their expertise is essential to advancing the state of verifiable credentials technology.
We're grateful to our mentors who share their knowledge and experience with our cohort participants. You can learn more about our mentor network in our directory.
Recognition goes to our chairs who provide strategic guidance and oversight:
What's Next?
Tomorrow's kick-off session will bring together all participants to align on project goals, establish collaboration frameworks, and set the stage for three months of research and development. These projects address challenges in legal compliance, privacy preservation, and decentralized governance.
Stay tuned for updates as Beta Cohort 2 progresses.
DIF Labs continues to foster innovation in decentralized identity through collaborative research projects. Learn more about Lab's work at labs.identity.foundation.