sd-jwt-vc-intro

SD-JWT VC is a credential format for Verifiable Credentials that supports selective disclosure, enabling a Holder to share only specific claims with a Verifier while the Issuer's JWT signature remains valid.

The Issuer-Holder-Verifier model defines the trust flow: an Issuer creates the SD-JWT, the Holder stores and selectively discloses its claims, and the Verifier checks the issuer-signed JWT and disclosures.

An SD-JWT VC payload includes standard JWT claims, the Verifiable Credential Type (vct) claim, and selectively disclosable claims, all structured within a JOSE header and JWT claims set.

Verifying an SD-JWT VC involves checking the issuer-signed JWT, validating the verification key, and processing the provided disclosures to ensure the selectively disclosed claims match the hashed values in the payload.

You should use SD-JWT when integrating systems that issue or verify Verifiable Credentials requiring selective disclosure, allowing users to share only necessary data while maintaining cryptographic proof.

Processing SD-JWT VCs requires cryptographic libraries capable of handling JOSE headers, JWT signatures, and hash disclosures, without relying on external specialized dependencies for the credential format itself.