# verifiable-credential

Source: https://startwithidentity.com/glossary/verifiable-credential/
Last updated: 2026-08-29
License: content by Start with Identity. Cite the source URL.

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A tamper-evident, cryptographically signed digital credential following the W3C VC Data Model. Issued by an issuer, held in a wallet, and presented to a verifier without contacting the issuer.

A verifiable credential is the data model that makes the whole decentralized identity stack work: signed by an issuer, held by a subject, checkable by anyone without contacting the issuer. Two things decide whether a deployment succeeds: the format (SD-JWT and mdoc in practice, whatever the abstract model allows) and revocation, which is where most designs get uncomfortable.

See also: [verifiable credentials standard](https://startwithidentity.com/standards/verifiable-credentials/), [decentralized identifier](https://startwithidentity.com/glossary/decentralized-identifier/), [revocation registry](https://startwithidentity.com/glossary/revocation-registry/), [verifiable credentials implementation guide](https://startwithidentity.com/guides/decentralized-identity/verifiable-credentials-implementation-guide/)