Digital Identity
Standards 2026
A complete map: W3C, ISO, IETF, eIDAS — how they fit together and what they mean for the future of identity.
| Organization | Standard | Status | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| W3C | DID Core 1.0 | Recommendation (2022) | Defines Decentralized Identifiers — globally unique, resolvable, user-controlled identifiers. The foundation of SSI. |
| W3C | VC Data Model 2.0 | Candidate Recommendation | Verifiable Credentials — cryptographically signed claims. Enables selective disclosure and privacy-preserving verification. |
| ISO | 18013-5 (mDL) | Published (2021) | Mobile Driver's License standard. ISO's entry into digital identity. Being adopted by US states and EU countries. |
| IETF | SATP v1.0 | Draft | Sovereign Autonomous Trust Protocol — decentralized identity for autonomous machines and AI agents. |
| IETF | SVTP v1.0 | Draft | Sovereign Verification & Trust Protocol — closely related to SATP, focused on verification. |
| EU | eIDAS 2.0 | Enacted (2024) | Mandates SSI-compatible digital identity wallets for 450M EU citizens by 2027. The largest identity infrastructure deployment in history. |
| FATF | Virtual Asset Guidance | Updated (2025) | Exploring decentralized identity for AML/KYC compliance in crypto. Signals regulatory acceptance of SSI. |
| MyShape | Motion-Signature Protocol | Genesis (2026) | The first standard for Proof of Continuity — verifying not just who you are, but that you are continuously present. |
These standards are not competing. They form a layered architecture: W3C DIDs provide the identifier layer. VC Data Model provides the credential layer. ISO 18013-5 bridges physical and digital credentials. IETF SATP/SVTP extend identity to autonomous machines. eIDAS 2.0 provides the regulatory framework for deployment at continental scale.
MyShape Protocol fits into this architecture as a new category: proof of continuity. No existing standard addresses the temporal dimension of identity — verifying that a subject has maintained unbroken sovereignty across time. As the standards landscape matures, continuity will become a recognized layer alongside identification, authentication, and credential verification.
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