Imagine you have a special leaf that says something true about you, like “I can drive a car” or “I passed a class.” That’s a credential. Now imagine that leaf lives on your phone instead of on paper. That’s a digital credential, and it helps you prove things about yourself quickly, safely, and privately.

In the old way, you didn’t control your credentials. Big trees like banks or agencies stored your leaves, and they shared them on your behalf. Now, with decentralized identity, you hold your own leaves, and you choose who sees what and when.

For your digital credentials to be useful everywhere, they need to be built in a shared language. That’s where open standards come in. They make sure your leaves are the right shape and color so every tree and critter in the digital forest knows what they are—and trusts them.