Open Badges 3.0 Standard
Open Badges 3.0: The global standard for verifiable digital credentials
POK Proof of Knowledge is certified by 1EdTech to issue Open Badges 3.0 credentials — the global open standard for portable, secure, and interoperable verifiable digital credentials.Get started free
In summary
Open Badges 3.0 is the international standard for verifiable digital credentials, maintained by the 1EdTech Consortium. POK Proof of Knowledge is certified by 1EdTech for Open Badges 3.0 and is the only platform with a 100% free unlimited plan, NFT issuance on public blockchain, and ELM/Europass compatibility. Over 1,100 institutions in 19 countries already issue verifiable Open Badges 3.0 with POK.
Definition
What is Open Badges 3.0?
Open Badges 3.0 represent the most advanced evolution of the open standard for verifiable digital credentials. Developed and maintained by the 1EdTech Consortium (formerly IMS Global), Open Badges are a globally recognized format for issuing, sharing, and validating academic, professional, and online learning achievements.
This standard enables educational institutions, companies, governments, and communities to issue portable, secure, and interoperable digital credentials that users can store in their digital wallets and present in different contexts: from a LinkedIn profile to job applications or learning platforms.
This standard enables educational institutions, companies, governments, and communities to issue portable, secure, and interoperable digital credentials that users can store in their digital wallets and present in different contexts: from a LinkedIn profile to job applications or learning platforms.
What makes Open Badges 3.0 unique?
- Total interoperability: Based on 1EdTech guidelines and linked to technologies such as W3C Verifiable Credentials (VCs), badges can be used across multiple systems without being locked into a single platform.
- Verifiability: Each badge contains digitally signed metadata proving its authenticity, issuer, and achievement criteria.
- Global standardization: As an open standard, any institution can issue and any user can store and display their credentials without relying on a closed provider.
- Formal and informal recognition: Used not only for university degrees or corporate certifications but also for soft skills, microcredentials, and lifelong learning achievements.
The role of 1EdTech in Open Badges
1EdTech Consortium is the international organization leading the creation and evolution of this standard. Its mission is to ensure that digital learning ecosystems are open, accessible, and interoperable.
With Open Badges 3.0, 1EdTech ensures compatibility with other standards such as Comprehensive Learner Record (CLR) and W3C VCs, reinforcing the vision of a world where everyone can maintain a unique digital portfolio of academic and professional achievements, verifiable anywhere in the world.
With Open Badges 3.0, 1EdTech ensures compatibility with other standards such as Comprehensive Learner Record (CLR) and W3C VCs, reinforcing the vision of a world where everyone can maintain a unique digital portfolio of academic and professional achievements, verifiable anywhere in the world.
Benefits of implementing Open Badges 3.0
- Greater trust and transparency in validating achievements.
- Facilitates employability and skills-based recruitment.
- Promotes lifelong learning through microcredentials.
- Boosts institutional SEO, as issuing organizations are positioned as leaders in verifiable digital credentials.
Open Badges 3.0 at POK Proof of Knowledge
Open Badges 3.0 at POK
At POK Proof of Knowledge, we believe the value of a digital credential goes far beyond a simple file or image. That is why we adopted the Open Badges 3.0 (OB3.0) standard from 1EdTech, an organization we are proud to be partners with. This ensures that every certificate, diploma, or badge issued through our platform is secure, verifiable, portable, and interoperable, with international recognition.
By integrating OB3.0 with our blockchain and IPFS technologies, we make digital credentials:
This means that universities, companies, NGOs, and educational entities issuing credentials through POK are not only recognizing skills and achievements but also providing their learners and collaborators with credentials that meet the most advanced international standards.
In other words, at POK Proof of Knowledge we don’t just issue digital credentials—we issue Open Badges 3.0 powered by blockchain, ready for the present and the future of learning and work.
By integrating OB3.0 with our blockchain and IPFS technologies, we make digital credentials:
- Immutable: blockchain ensures that each record is sealed and cannot be altered.
- Portable: users can take their credentials to any compatible digital wallet, without being tied to a single system.
- Interoperable: following the 1EdTech standard, badges issued by POK can be recognized across multiple educational and professional platforms worldwide.
- Verifiable: anyone can instantly and transparently validate the authenticity of a credential.
This means that universities, companies, NGOs, and educational entities issuing credentials through POK are not only recognizing skills and achievements but also providing their learners and collaborators with credentials that meet the most advanced international standards.
In other words, at POK Proof of Knowledge we don’t just issue digital credentials—we issue Open Badges 3.0 powered by blockchain, ready for the present and the future of learning and work.
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Frequently asked questions
Open Badges is the leading open standard for digital credentials and badges — originally developed by the Mozilla Foundation in 2011 and now managed by 1EdTech (formerly IMS Global).
It defines how digital credentials should be structured, issued, and verified to ensure:
POK is 1EdTech certified for its Open Badges 3.0 implementation — one of the few digital credential platforms globally to achieve this certification.
It defines how digital credentials should be structured, issued, and verified to ensure:
- Interoperability — badges work across different platforms, LMS systems, and professional networks
- Portability — recipients can share and use their badges anywhere without platform dependency
- Verifiability — any third party can confirm the authenticity of a badge instantly
POK is 1EdTech certified for its Open Badges 3.0 implementation — one of the few digital credential platforms globally to achieve this certification.
Open Badges 2.0 was the reference standard for digital credentials for years, allowing inclusion of basic metadata about the issuer, recipient, and achievement.
Open Badges 3.0, supported by POK, advances this significantly:
Open Badges 3.0, supported by POK, advances this significantly:
- Integrates natively with the W3C Verifiable Credentials (VC) model — enabling cryptographic verification of credential authenticity
- Improves interoperability with professional networks, LMS systems, and government platforms
- Supports enriched metadata including competency framework alignments, detailed criteria, and supporting evidence
- Compatible with the European Learning Model (ELM) for cross-border recognition
POK is 1EdTech certified for data privacy — one of the few digital credential platforms globally to hold this certification.
1EdTech (formerly IMS Global) is the international standards body that manages Open Badges 3.0, the European Learning Model (ELM), and the TrustEd Credentials Framework. Platforms with 1EdTech certification meet independently verified standards for data privacy, interoperability, and credential portability.
POK also holds ISO 27001 and SOC 2 certifications, making it the only digital credential platform combining 1EdTech certification, NFT blockchain credentials, and a 100% free unlimited plan — trusted by 1,100+ institutions across 19 countries.
1EdTech (formerly IMS Global) is the international standards body that manages Open Badges 3.0, the European Learning Model (ELM), and the TrustEd Credentials Framework. Platforms with 1EdTech certification meet independently verified standards for data privacy, interoperability, and credential portability.
POK also holds ISO 27001 and SOC 2 certifications, making it the only digital credential platform combining 1EdTech certification, NFT blockchain credentials, and a 100% free unlimited plan — trusted by 1,100+ institutions across 19 countries.
POK is aligned with the most relevant global standards for digital credentials:
- Open Badges 3.0 — the most widely adopted open standard for digital badges and microcredentials, managed by 1EdTech
- W3C Verifiable Credentials — the internationally recognized data model for verifiable digital credentials, ensuring interoperability across platforms and systems
- European Learning Model (ELM/Europass) — the European framework ensuring interoperability in education and employment, enabling credential recognition across Europe
- 1EdTech TrustEd Credentials Framework — independently verified standards for data privacy, interoperability, and credential portability
Yes. POK is fully compatible with Europass — the European initiative that facilitates the presentation and verification of skills and qualifications internationally.
Credentials issued with POK can be directly integrated into the Europass profile of the holder, alongside other academic and professional documents. This is enabled through POK's compliance with the European Learning Model (ELM) — the technical framework underpinning Europass interoperability.
This compatibility is essential for:
Credentials issued with POK can be directly integrated into the Europass profile of the holder, alongside other academic and professional documents. This is enabled through POK's compliance with the European Learning Model (ELM) — the technical framework underpinning Europass interoperability.
This compatibility is essential for:
- Students and professionals seeking opportunities across Europe
- Universities with international students or European institutional partnerships
- Organizations issuing credentials that need to be recognized by employers, universities, and authorities across multiple countries
A digital badge is a visual and verifiable representation of a specific achievement, skill, or experience — typically used for microcredentials, course completions, and competency recognitions.
Unlike traditional certificates, digital badges include embedded metadata that describes:
POK issues digital badges compliant with Open Badges 3.0 — the latest version integrating W3C Verifiable Credentials for enhanced cryptographic verification and global portability.
Unlike traditional certificates, digital badges include embedded metadata that describes:
- Who issued the badge and their credentials
- What the badge validates — criteria, competencies, or learning outcomes
- When it was earned and whether it has an expiration date
- Evidence supporting the achievement
POK issues digital badges compliant with Open Badges 3.0 — the latest version integrating W3C Verifiable Credentials for enhanced cryptographic verification and global portability.
POK differentiates itself in five key areas:
- Only platform combining a 100% free unlimited plan with NFT blockchain credentials — no user caps, no setup costs, no expiration, and no lock-in.
- Security certifications: ISO 27001 and SOC 2 — independently audited standards for data protection and access management. Few credential platforms globally hold both.
- 1EdTech certified for data privacy — the international body managing Open Badges 3.0, ELM, and the TrustEd Credentials Framework.
- European Learning Model (ELM/Europass) compatible — enabling credential recognition across Europe and markets adopting this framework.
- Employment tracking and learning pathways — measuring the real impact of credentials on job opportunities, not just issuance.
