Request For Proposals -- Beta Cohort 2

DIF Labs is launching Beta Cohort 2 to drive focused, high-leverage work at the intersection of identity, trust, and emerging technologies. This cohort emphasizes not just experimentation, but building projects that can be maintained and extended over time.

We are seeking proposals from builders, researchers, and collaborators passionate about decentralized identity, cryptography, authenticity, and verifiable AI.

Successful applicants will receive mentorship, ecosystem support, and opportunities to collaborate with leading initiatives in decentralized infrastructure.

The full proposal process is outlined here: DIF Labs Proposal Process.

Focus Areas

We encourage proposals aligned with one or more of the following tracks:

Personhood Credentials

Scalable, privacy-preserving systems for verifying human identity in decentralized environments.

Content Authenticity and Assertions

Tooling and frameworks to verify the authenticity of digital content and fight misinformation.

Applied Cryptography

Advancement of cryptographic tools critical to decentralized identity.

Verifiable AI

Mechanisms for verifying AI-generated outputs, ensuring transparency and trust.

Industry-Aligned Applications

Practical decentralized identity solutions in areas like Industrial IoT and operational privacy.

If you are working on a different focus area that you believe is relevant, please reach out to the Labs Chairs to discuss before submitting.

Eligibility

  • Project Leads must be current DIF members.
  • Mentors may come from any organization and do not need to be DIF members.

Proposal Requirements

Proposals should briefly cover:

  • Title and Summary (2–3 sentences)
  • Problem and Approach (What you are solving and how)
  • Outcomes (Expected deliverables)
  • Timeline (2–3 months target)
  • Team (Key participants)

Submissions should be no more than 2–3 pages in PDF or Markdown format.

Submission Details

Shortlisted proposals may be invited to a short interview or project pitch.

Evaluation Criteria

Acceptance will depend on:

  • A clear use case aligned with the cohort focus areas
  • A focused and actionable project plan
  • Passionate maintainers willing to actively work on the project for 2–3 months
  • A path toward long-term maintenance and ecosystem integration
  • Feasibility and technical quality
  • Potential for ecosystem impact and future adoption
  • Openness to community collaboration

Questions?

If you are unsure whether your idea fits or have questions about the program, please reach out to the DIF Labs Chairs or to labs@identity.foundation for more details.

We’re thrilled to see your innovative proposals and can’t wait to collaborate with you in shaping a transformative, sustainable future for decentralized identity. Let’s build something extraordinary together!

— DIF Labs Team

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