ArcBlock uses verifiable credentials to carry statements an application can check: identity and access credentials in Passport, certificates held in a wallet, and claims associated with assets. DID identifies the subject; VC carries the issuer’s statement about it.
A verifiable credential (VC) expresses claims made by an issuer about a subject, protected by a cryptographic mechanism so that their origin and integrity can be checked. A holder can present it to a verifier. W3C standardizes the data model; the verifier decides which issuers and claims to accept.
ArcBlock’s SDK and DID Connect flow connect the issuer, holder and verifier. These are separate roles; the holder is not necessarily the subject described by a credential.
The issuer defines the credential type and subject, then signs the credential. ArcBlock’s SDK supports fields for expiry, display and a status endpoint.
An application requests a credential through DID Connect. The holder presents it, with a signed presentation and the challenge requested by the verifier to bind the proof to that request.
Check the issuer, signature, holder binding, expiry and presentation challenge. Apply any required status checks and the application’s access policy. A valid signature proves integrity and source, not that every claim is true.
On ArcBlock Chain, an NFT has its own DID and an ownership record. A VC expresses an issuer’s claims. An NFT can carry a VC in its data; the asset record and the credential proof then answer different questions about the same application object.
ArcBlock’s NFT and VC tooling share display and endpoint conventions. A credential can define how it appears in the wallet and where the application supplies status or available actions, instead of leaving the holder with raw signed data.
Technical guideThe ledger records asset ownership and protocol actions. Credential verification checks a claim’s proof. A VC does not have to be stored on a blockchain, and an NFT’s ownership does not by itself establish copyright or an application permission.
Explore the productArcBlock’s work on credentials sits alongside its DID implementation and participation in the standards community. These dated publications record how that work developed.
2020 · 04
ArcBlock published a practical introduction to issuers, holders, subjects and verifiers, with credential use cases and the W3C model.
Read the announcement2020 · 04
An April 2020 demonstration showed verifiable credentials issued to a wallet and used with applications. It provides a dated example of the issuer-to-holder flow.
Read the announcement2025
The January 2025 announcement records Matt McKinney’s DID Method Working Group co-chair and DIF Labs mentor roles, continuing ArcBlock’s participation since joining DIF in 2019. In November 2025, DIF announced his election to its Steering Committee.
Read the announcement