Standards & technology
Open Badges 3.0
Open Badges 3.0 is the latest version of the Open Badges standard, maintained by 1EdTech and aligned with the W3C Verifiable Credentials data model. This alignment makes badges cryptographically verifiable and able to live in digital wallets, while keeping the portable achievement metadata of earlier versions.
Key takeaways
- The newest version of the Open Badges standard
- Maintained by 1EdTech
- Built on the W3C Verifiable Credentials model
- Wallet-ready and cryptographically verifiable
- Keeps the portable achievement metadata of Open Badges 2.0
What is Open Badges 3.0?
Open Badges 3.0 is the convergence of Open Badges and verifiable credentials: a badge’s achievement data is expressed as a W3C Verifiable Credential the holder can store and present.
Why Open Badges 3.0 matters
It brings stronger verification, wallet portability, and future-proof interoperability, badges become cryptographically verifiable while remaining recognizable across the Open Badges ecosystem.
How Open Badges 3.0 works
Badge data is packaged as a verifiable credential with a cryptographic proof. The earner can hold it in a wallet and present it to any verifier that supports the standard.
Open Badges 2.0 vs 3.0
Open Badges 2.0 uses a hosted assertion with embedded metadata. Open Badges 3.0 uses the verifiable credential model with cryptographic proofs and digital-wallet support.