OpenID Foundation Launched Digital Credential Testing
The new suite allows organizations to verify compliance for digital wallets and issuance protocols before deployment.
Updated on Oct. 6, 2026 in Cybersecurity
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The OpenID Foundation has released a new conformance testing and self-certification program for its OpenID4VC protocol family. This framework is designed to help organizations identify interoperability issues in digital identity systems before they reach production scale.
Why it matters
As digital wallet infrastructure expands globally, this testing suite provides a standardized mechanism to verify compliance with high-assurance protocols. It offers a critical gatekeeping step to ensure secure, reliable data exchange between issuers and verifiers.
Testing for OpenID4VP 1.0 and the High Assurance Interoperability Profile (HAIP) 1.0 achieved a 98% pass rate in interoperability trials. The suite includes negative testing to ensure systems correctly reject malformed or unauthorized credential requests.
The players
OpenID Foundation
An international non-profit organization that manages the development and certification of open identity protocols and standards.
Hopae
A developer of digital identity and authentication solutions that participated in the HAIP 1.0 interoperability event.
The details
The testing framework operates by verifying implementations directly against the OpenID4VCI and OpenID4VP specifications, replacing the need for bespoke counterparty integration tests. OpenID4VCI (OpenID for Verifiable Credential Issuance) governs how digital credentials are issued via an OAuth 2.0-based API, while OpenID4VP covers the presentation of those credentials to verifiers. The High Assurance Interoperability Profile (HAIP) further constrains implementation choices to meet strict security requirements for high-stakes applications.
Timeline
9 July 2025: OpenID4VP 1.0 reached Final status.
16 September 2025: OpenID4VCI 1.0 reached Final status.
November 2025: Hopae participated in the HAIP 1.0 interoperability event.
24 December 2025: HAIP 1.0 reached Final status.
The Tech Race
This certification program establishes a necessary baseline for the EUDI Wallet infrastructure, which will rely on these results to demonstrate regulatory compliance. It marks a shift from ad-hoc integration toward a formal, test-driven validation model for global digital credential standards.
The framework is available free of charge to organizations building on the OpenID4VC protocol family. Developers can now utilize these suites to validate their implementations against established specifications before deploying systems like digital wallets to end users.
The takeaway
Reliable digital identity relies on rigorous adherence to shared protocols rather than proprietary integrations. Industry stakeholders should watch for how conformance results are integrated into upcoming European and global digital wallet rollouts.
Further reading
For more on the latest in identity standards, visit Cybersecurity.
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Should organizations be required to pass standardized compliance tests for digital identity protocols?
