Europe Digital Identity Pilots: DC4EU, EWC, NOBID and POTENTIAL Explained

The eIDAS 2.0 regulation and the European Blockchain Services Infrastructure (EBSI) are pivotal frameworks for advancing digital identity and trust services across Europe. eIDAS 2.0 aims to create a unified, secure digital identity ecosystem, while EBSI leverages blockchain to enable secure, decentralized services like credential verification.

Photo by Onur Binay on Unsplash

Several pilot programs are testing the European Digital Identity Wallet (EUDI Wallet) under these frameworks to ensure secure, interoperable digital credentials. Below, I discuss the four main large-scale pilot programs, their objectives, websites, social media handles, and how EveryCRED aligns with potential partnerships.

1. DC4EU (Digital Credentials for Europe)

What is DC4EU doing?

DC4EU is a large European project that is making it easier for people to use and prove their education and social security credentials — like university diplomas or social security cards across different European countries. Instead of using paper documents, DC4EU is testing secure digital versions of these credentials. The goal is for people to have these digital credentials in a digital wallet on their phone or computer, which they can use to study, work, or access social benefits anywhere in the EU, without hassle or delays.

Key Points:

• DC4EU focuses on two main areas: education (like degrees and qualifications) and social security (like health insurance cards and work documents).
• The project is testing how these digital credentials can be securely issued, shared, and verified across borders using the European Digital Identity Wallet (EUDIW).
• This will help students, workers, and citizens move more easily between countries for study, work, or living, since their credentials will be trusted and recognized everywhere in the EU.
• Over 80 partners from more than 20 countries are involved, including universities, government agencies, and private companies.
• The project is also providing feedback to the European Commission to help improve the rules and technology for digital identity in Europe.

Where is DC4EU based?

DC4EU is coordinated by the General Secretariat for Digital Administration (SGAD) at the Spanish Ministry for Economic Affairs. The project’s kickoff ceremony was held at the Royal Mint of Spain in Madrid, making Madrid, Spain, the main base for the project coordination. However, since it is a large European collaboration, it involves partners and activities across many countries.

In summary:

DC4EU is building and testing a system so people in Europe can easily use digital versions of their education and social security documents across borders, coordinated from Madrid, Spain

Website: DC4EU Project

2. EWC (EUDI Wallet Consortium)

What is EWC doing?

The EUDI Wallet Consortium (EWC) is a major European initiative developing a digital wallet app that lets people securely store, control, and share their personal credentials like mobile driving licenses, health records, and payment information across all EU countries. The wallet puts users in charge of their own data, allowing them to decide what information to share and with whom, while keeping privacy and security as top priorities.

Key Points:

• The EUDI Wallet is designed to be citizen-centric: users have full control over their digital identity and credentials, and can give or withdraw consent for sharing their data at any time.
• Privacy is built in: only the minimum necessary information is shared, and advanced privacy techniques (like selective disclosure and zero-knowledge proofs) are used to protect user data.
• The wallet is interoperable across borders, so it works in all EU countries and with both public and private services making it easier to travel, access healthcare, prove your identity, or sign contracts anywhere in Europe.
• EWC is testing the wallet in real-world pilots, focusing on use cases like:
• Mobile driving licenses
• eHealth credentials (medical records, prescriptions)
• Payments and banking
• Travel documents
• Organizational digital identity (proving you represent a company).
• The wallet is being developed as open-source software, so anyone can review the code and help improve its security and usability.
• Over 80 organizations from both the public and private sectors are involved, including tech companies, banks, airlines, and government agencies.

Where is EWC based?

The EUDI Wallet Consortium was initiated by Finnish and Swedish government agencies, and its activities are coordinated across Europe. The consortium held a major general assembly in Amsterdam, Netherlands, and its leadership includes representatives from Sweden and Finland. There is no single city headquarters, as it is a collaborative European effort, but its coordination is closely linked to these Nordic countries and major EU cities like Amsterdam.

In summary:

EWC is building and testing a secure, user-controlled digital wallet for all Europeans, focusing on privacy, cross-border use, and open-source development, with coordination led by Finnish and Swedish agencies and activities spread across Europe.

Website: https://eudiwalletconsortium.org/

3. NOBID (Nordic-Baltic Digital Identity)

What is NOBID doing?

NOBID is a collaborative project involving the Nordic and Baltic countries, along with Italy and Germany, to make digital identity work seamlessly across borders. Its main focus is to let people use their national digital IDs (eIDs) for secure payments, digital signatures, and accessing both public and private services in any participating country. This means, for example, a citizen from Norway could use their digital ID to pay for services or sign documents in Latvia, or access government services in Sweden.

NOBID is testing how these digital IDs can be used for:

• Cross-border payments (like bank transfers and instant payments)
• Digital signatures (signing documents electronically)
• Accessing eGovernment and private sector services (such as registering for healthcare, banking, or studying abroad)

The project leverages the region’s already strong digital identity systems and trust frameworks, aiming to expand these benefits to more countries and use cases.

Key Points:

• NOBID is piloting the EU Digital Identity Wallet, focusing on payments as a core use case, including instant payments and account-to-account transfers.
• It ensures strong security and privacy, meeting the highest EU standards (eIDAS regulation).
• The project is supported by the European Commission and includes more than 26 partners from 6+ countries, such as banks, tech providers, and government agencies.
• NOBID builds on existing digital infrastructure, making it easier for citizens to use their digital identity across borders for both public and private services.
• The solution supports features like QR code payments, push notifications, and deep linking for payment requests.
• It aims to support future EU-wide initiatives, such as the Digital Euro.

Where is NOBID based?

NOBID is coordinated by the Norwegian Digitalisation Agency (Digdir), making Norway — specifically Oslo — the central base for the project’s management. However, the project is a broad collaboration involving national agencies and partners from Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Sweden, Italy, and Germany.

In summary:

NOBID is a Nordic-Baltic-led project, managed from Norway, that is building and testing cross-border digital identity solutions — especially for payments and public services — so people can use their national eIDs securely and easily throughout the region and beyond

Website: https://www.nobidconsortium.com/

4. POTENTIAL (Pilots for European Digital Identity)

What is POTENTIAL doing?

POTENTIAL is a large European project testing how a digital identity wallet called the EU Digital Identity Wallet (EUDIW) can be used in everyday life across Europe. The goal is to let people securely store and use digital versions of important documents (like ID cards, driving licenses, and prescriptions) on their phones or computers, and use them for a wide range of services in any participating country.

Key Points:

• POTENTIAL is testing over 20 real-world use cases, including:
• Accessing eGovernment services (like filing taxes or applying for benefits)
• Opening a bank account in another country
• Registering a SIM card online
• Using a mobile driving license
• Signing documents digitally (qualified eSignature)
• Using electronic prescriptions at pharmacies
• The project is focused on making the digital wallet work smoothly across borders, ensuring it’s secure, private, and easy to use.
• It aims to integrate the wallet with existing national systems, so people can use their digital identity for both public and private sector services.
• The project is user-centered, emphasizing privacy, security, and control users decide what information to share and with whom.
• POTENTIAL is the largest of the EU’s digital identity pilots, involving more than 140 organizations from 19 EU countries and Ukraine, coordinated by Germany and France.
• The pilot is expected to engage over 7,000 users and process more than 70,000 wallet transactions across 20 countries.
• The experiences and feedback from POTENTIAL will help shape the final technical standards and regulations for digital identity in Europe.

Where is POTENTIAL based?

POTENTIAL is coordinated by Germany and France, but it is a pan-European effort involving partners from 19 EU member states and Ukraine. Its activities and pilots are spread across Europe, with no single city as its headquarters.

In summary:

POTENTIAL is Europe’s largest digital identity wallet pilot, led by Germany and France, testing how people can use secure digital IDs for banking, government, travel, and more across borders and sectors while keeping user privacy and control at the center.

Website: https://www.digital-identity-wallet.eu/

What is eIDAS 2.0 and EBSI

• eIDAS 2.0: The updated regulation (electronic Identification, Authentication, and Trust Services) establishes the EUDI Wallet as a secure, user-controlled digital identity tool. It mandates interoperability and privacy, with pilots testing compliance.
• EBSI: EBSI(European Blockchain Services Infrastructure) supports these pilots by providing a blockchain-based infrastructure for secure credential issuance and verification, ensuring data integrity and decentralization. All pilots integrate with EBSI for use cases like diploma verification and professional certifications.

What is eIDAS 2.0?

**eIDAS 2.0** is the updated European law that sets the rules for digital identity and trust services across all EU countries. Its main goal is to make it easy and safe for people and businesses to prove who they are and use digital services anywhere in Europe.

Key Features:

• EUDI Wallet: eIDAS 2.0 introduces the European Digital Identity Wallet (EUDI Wallet), a secure app where you can store your digital ID, driving license, diplomas, and more on your phone or computer.
• User Control: You decide what information to share and with whom — privacy is a top priority.
• Interoperability: The wallet and digital IDs must work in all EU countries and with both public and private services.
• Legal Trust: Digital signatures and transactions done using the wallet are legally recognized across Europe.
• Pilots: Many projects (like DC4EU, EWC, NOBID, POTENTIAL) are testing the wallet to make sure it meets these rules.

What is EBSI?

**EBSI (European Blockchain Services Infrastructure)** is a special European blockchain network that helps make digital identity and credential services more secure and trustworthy.

Key Features:

• Blockchain-based: EBSI uses blockchain technology to issue, store, and verify digital credentials (like diplomas or professional certificates) in a way that is tamper-proof and decentralized.
• Data Integrity: Once a credential is issued or verified on EBSI, you can be sure it hasn’t been changed or faked.
• Decentralization: No single organization controls the data — multiple trusted parties across Europe run the network.
• Integration: All the major digital identity pilots in Europe (DC4EU, EWC, NOBID, POTENTIAL, etc.) use EBSI to issue and verify credentials, such as university diplomas, professional qualifications, and more.

In Summary

• eIDAS 2.0 is the law that makes digital identity wallets possible and trusted across Europe, focusing on privacy, security, and cross-border use.
• EBSI is the blockchain infrastructure that supports these wallets, making sure digital credentials are secure, authentic, and can be verified anywhere in the EU.

EveryCRED and Partnership Opportunities

EveryCRED, a platform for issuing and verifying digital credentials, aligns closely with eIDAS 2.0 and EBSI goals. It offers blockchain-based solutions for secure, verifiable credentials, which can complement the pilot programs’ objectives. EveryCRED is open to partnerships in the following ways:

• Integration with EUDI Wallet: EveryCRED can collaborate with pilot consortia to integrate its credential issuance and verification tools into the EUDI Wallet, enhancing use cases like education and professional qualifications.
• Cross-Sector Collaboration: EveryCRED’s platform supports credentials for education, employment, and healthcare, making it a potential partner for DC4EU, EWC, NOBID, and POTENTIAL.
• Interoperability and Standards: EveryCRED adheres to global standards like W3C Verifiable Credentials, aligning with eIDAS 2.0 requirements, and can work with EBSI to ensure blockchain compatibility.
• Contact for Partnership: Organizations interested in partnering can reach EveryCRED via their website or LinkedIn EveryCRED LinkedIn.