Open Badges 3.0: The global standard for verifiable digital credentials

Definition

What is Open Badges 3.0?

What makes Open Badges 3.0 unique?

The role of 1EdTech in Open Badges

Benefits of implementing Open Badges 3.0

Technical anatomy

What's inside an Open Badge 3.0 credential

Every Open Badge 3.0 credential is a JSON-LD document with five essential components: a context that defines the vocabulary, the issuer's identity, the credential subject (the holder), the achievement being recognized, and a cryptographic proof that makes the credential verifiable independently.

The example below uses a real Open Badge 3.0 credential issued by POK to The World University. The complete, live, verifiable version is available at the link beneath the example.

Simplified example of an Open Badge 3.0 credential:

{
  "@context": [
    "https://www.w3.org/ns/credentials/v2",
    "https://purl.imsglobal.org/spec/ob/v3p0/context-3.0.3.json",
    "https://purl.imsglobal.org/spec/ob/v3p0/extensions.json"
  ],
  "id": "https://minter.pok.tech/certificate/5b7dd714-80e5-4c21-8beb-13130c3d0478",
  "type": ["VerifiableCredential", "OpenBadgeCredential"],
  "name": "Frontend Developer",
  "issuer": {
    "id": "did:key:z6MkjMuP7neY5xnb5wRgxgTSVayoV7uZiNmpsZq9jrKQchDn",
    "type": ["Profile"],
    "name": "The World University",
    "url": "https://mint.pok.tech/organization/0xae416b08dbd216c93048c252eb4e15c27f1c4aee"
  },
  "validFrom": "2025-07-01T00:00:00Z",
  "awardedDate": "2025-07-01T00:00:00Z",
  "credentialSubject": {
    "type": ["AchievementSubject"],
    "identifier": [{
      "type": "IdentityObject",
      "hashed": true,
      "identityHash": "sha256$350958bd...",
      "identityType": "emailAddress"
    }],
    "achievement": {
      "id": "https://minter.pok.tech/certificate/5b7dd714-.../achievement",
      "type": ["Achievement"],
      "name": "Frontend Developer",
      "description": "Comprehensive training in user interface design and development using HTML, CSS, JavaScript, React, and Angular...",
      "criteria": {
        "narrative": "Complete 300+ hours of work-study, maintain a 6.0/10 GPA, pass a final project, participate in 3 collaborative projects..."
      }
    }
  },
  "credentialSchema": [{
    "id": "https://purl.imsglobal.org/spec/ob/v3p0/schema/json/ob_v3p0_achievementcredential_schema.json",
    "type": "1EdTechJsonSchemaValidator2019"
  }],
  "proof": [{
    "type": "DataIntegrityProof",
    "cryptosuite": "eddsa-rdfc-2022",
    "proofPurpose": "assertionMethod",
    "verificationMethod": "did:key:z6MkjMuP7neY5xnb5wRgxgTSVayoV7uZiNmpsZq9jrKQchDn#z6MkjMuP...",
    "created": "2025-08-07T17:53:46Z",
    "proofValue": "z3gNfhXu8KyvQm4EM9uipcQpQtuVSx1jX7WSHLVkJ..."
  }]
}

→ See the live, verifiable credential

Related standards

Open Badge 3.0 vs W3C Verifiable Credentials vs ELM

These three standards are often confused. The reality is they are layered, not competing.

• W3C Verifiable Credentials (VC) — the foundational data model for any verifiable claim about any subject (employment, identity, education, healthcare). Maintained by the World Wide Web Consortium.
• Open Badges 3.0 — an Open Badge is a specific type of W3C VC. Maintained by 1EdTech. Specifies the achievement structure: name, criteria, evidence, image, alignment to skill frameworks.
• European Learning Model (ELM / Europass) — the European Union's framework for credential exchange across European education systems. Aligned with W3C VC. Adds fields like NQF level, ECTS credits, and language proficiency descriptors.

Bottom line: W3C VC is the foundation. Open Badges 3.0 specializes it for education and skills. ELM specializes it for European academic interoperability. An Open Badge 3.0 credential is also a valid W3C VC and can be made ELM-compatible by adding ELM-specific fields.

Open Badges 3.0 at POK - Proof of Knowledge

Open Badges 3.0 at POK

Compatibility

Wallets, LMS, and platforms that support Open Badge 3.0

The Open Badge 3.0 ecosystem extends well beyond issuance — it includes wallets, learning management systems, and enterprise integrations:

• Wallets: Apple Wallet (via vendor integrations), Google Wallet (via vendor integrations), POK Credential Holder, and any W3C Verifiable Credentials-compatible wallet.
• LMS: Moodle, Canvas (Instructure), D2L Brightspace, Blackboard, via LTI 1.3 and REST APIs.
• CRM: Salesforce, HubSpot.
• HR systems: most enterprise HR platforms can integrate via REST API or webhooks.
• Automation: Zapier and webhook-based pipelines for instant issuance on milestone completion.

For institutions

Open Badge 3.0 implementation checklist

Before adopting an Open Badge 3.0 platform, evaluation teams should validate these criteria:

• Official 1EdTech certification: is the platform listed in the 1EdTech certifications directory as a certified Open Badges 3.0 Issuer?
• Verification independence: will credentials remain verifiable if the platform shuts down or contracts end?
• W3C VC alignment: does the implementation use the full W3C Verifiable Credentials Data Model?
• DID support: does the platform support decentralized identifiers for issuers and holders?
• Revocation strategy: how are revoked credentials handled — via W3C Status List?
• Migration path: can existing Open Badge 2.0 credentials be reissued in 3.0 format?
• Privacy controls: does the platform support selective disclosure of attributes?
• Wallet portability: can holders move credentials to other compatible wallets without losing verifiability?
• Security certifications: does the provider hold ISO 27001, SOC 2, and 1EdTech TrustEd Apps data privacy certifications?