Building Trust in Every Credential
The way credentials are earned, shared, and verified is changing fast. As labor markets shift, opportunities for noncredit and workforce programs expand, and digital credentials become the norm, one question has become impossible to ignore: Who actually issued this credential, and can we verify them?
The Issuer Identity Registry (IIR) provides a consistent and efficient way to verify credential issuers so the data behind every credential stays trustworthy, no matter where it travels.
Built to work alongside the Credential Registry, the IIR links data about the credential and the organization with verified issuer identities in one unified, transparent system. Supported by a public governance framework, it provides a strong foundation for a trust infrastructure that supports credentialing ecosystems.
Why Issuer Identity Matters
Verifying that a credential is real is only half the equation. We also need to know that the organization that issued it is real and valid.  That’s the gap the IIR fills.
As the credential marketplace grows with more providers, more platforms, and more digital formats, it becomes harder to know whether the issuer behind a credential is who they say they are. The IIR makes verifications much faster than current manual methods, making the data instantly trustworthy regardless of how it moves through ecosystems.Â
This matters for everyone:
Learners & Workers
Deserve credentials they can trust and control.
Systems & Platforms
Benefit from infrastructure built on clear, accountable practices.
Employers & Institutions
Need quick, reliable ways to verify them
Built on Research and Collaboration
The IIR didn’t happen overnight. It builds on a year-long research project conducted in partnership with the Digital Credentials Consortium (DCC), which explored how issuer identity can be standardized and verified across systems. That work produced two foundational resources:
Issuer Identity Registry Research Report: This report explores the trust challenges, technical standards, and governance considerations essential for scalable, privacy-preserving credential ecosystems. It offers practical guidance on implementing W3C Verifiable Credentials and Open Badges 3.0 using OpenID Federation, DIDs, and the Credential Transparency Description Language (CTDL) standards. Credential Engine has put those learnings into action.
Governance Framework for Issuer Identity Registries: Co-developed through extensive stakeholder collaboration, this framework provides clear, adaptable practices to help organizations establish transparent and accountable registry operations grounded in the principles of ability, integrity, and benevolence.
How It Works
The IIR is designed to work seamlessly with the W3C Verifiable Credential (VC) specification and the Open Badge 3.0 specification, supporting privacy-preserving and efficient verification.
Credential issuers are validated through a well documented vetting process and their identifier, called a Decentralized Identifier (DID), is verified.Â
Information about the issuer organization along with its CTID globally unique identifier is published to the Credential Registry, and the DID is registered in the IIR.
When a credential is shared, the recipient or verifier can query the IIR to confirm the issuer’s identity.
That verification happens quickly, reliably, and in a way that works across platforms and systems. By integrating with the Credential Registry, the IIR creates a single, connected source of truth for both credential and organization data and issuer identity.
Get Involved
Credential IssuersÂ
Register in the Credential Registry and IIR to make your credentials more trustworthy and recognizable across platforms and employers.
Employers and VerifiersÂ
Use the IIR to streamline how you verify credentials and the organizations behind them.
Platform ProvidersÂ
Integrate the Credential Registry and IIR into your systems to build trust directly into your credential workflows.
State Agencies and AdvocatesÂ
Connect with Credential Engine to explore how the IIR can support your workforce and credentialing goals.
Get in Touch
Our team of experts is ready to help you embark your credential transparency journey. Whether you have questions about our technologies, services, or don’t know how to get started, we’re here to assist.