We’re thrilled to announce the official launch of Beta Cohort 2 of DIF Labs, kicking off on June 24, 2025! Building on the success of our inaugural cohort, we’re expanding our mission to push the boundaries of decentralized identity with three groundbreaking projects that tackle some of the most pressing challenges in the verifiable credentials ecosystem.
What’s New in Beta Cohort 2
Beta Cohort 2 represents a significant evolution in our approach to decentralized identity research and development. While our first cohort focused on foundational technologies like Bitcoin-based credentials, linked trust systems, and anonymous verification, this new cohort dives deep into the critical infrastructure needed for real-world adoption of verifiable credentials.
Enhanced Mentorship Program
We’re excited to welcome Brian Richter and Agnes Koinange as mentors for Beta Cohort 2. Both bring invaluable experience from leading projects in our first cohort and were previously leads in the last cohort:
- Brian Richter: Founder of Aviary Tech and creator of Ordinals Plus, brings deep expertise in Bitcoin-native identity solutions and verifiable credentials
- Agnes Koinange: Previously lead of the LinkedTrust project. Software engineer with immense experience in decentralized identity.
They join our existing expert mentor team, ensuring project leads receive world-class guidance throughout their development journey.
The Three Pioneering Projects
1. Legally-Binding Proof of Personhood for Verifiable Credentials via QES
Led by Jon Bauer and Roberto Carvajal
This project addresses a critical gap in current verifiable credentials: the lack of legal recognition and high-assurance identity binding. The team is developing a standardized method to anchor any W3C Verifiable Credential to Qualified Electronic Signatures (QES), which carry the same legal weight as handwritten signatures under European eIDAS regulation.
Key Innovation: Any existing VC can be “upgraded” with legally binding attestation, providing embedded KYC assurance and regulatory compliance for high-value transactions.
Timeline: June 24, 2025 - September 24, 2025
Learn more about the QES project →
2. Privacy-Preserving Revocation Mechanism
Led by Kai Otsuki and Ken Watanabe
Revocation is essential for credential ecosystems, but current solutions often expose sensitive information about who requested revocation checks and when. This project delivers the first comprehensive Systematization of Knowledge (SoK) for privacy-preserving revocation in verifiable credentials.
Key Innovation: A comparative analysis and reference implementation covering status lists, dynamic accumulators, zk-SNARK proofs, and short-term credentials, with practical guidance for implementers.
Timeline: June 24, 2025 - September 24, 2025
Explore the privacy revocation research →
3. Anonymous Multi-Signature Verifiable Credentials
Led by Seohee Park and Lukas Han
Many organizations require collective decision-making for credential issuance, but lack the tools to do so while preserving privacy. This project introduces a protocol for m-of-n multi-signature VC issuance using Semaphore zero-knowledge proofs.
Key Innovation: Enables DAOs, government agencies, and multi-stakeholder organizations to issue credentials with cryptographic proof of sufficient approval, while keeping individual signer identities anonymous.
Timeline: June 24, 2025 - September 24, 2025
Discover anonymous multi-sig credentials →
Why These Projects Matter
The three projects in Beta Cohort 2 address fundamental barriers to widespread verifiable credential adoption:
- Legal Recognition: QES integration provides the regulatory compliance needed for government and enterprise adoption
- Privacy Infrastructure: Advanced revocation mechanisms protect user privacy while maintaining system integrity
- Decentralized Governance: Multi-signature protocols enable new organizational models for credential issuance
Together, these innovations create a more robust, privacy-preserving, and legally compliant foundation for the future of digital identity.
Kick-Off: June 24, 2025
Beta Cohort 2 officially begins on June 24, 2025, with all three project teams starting their intensive development phase. Over the next three months, we’ll be sharing regular updates on progress, breakthrough moments, and technical insights from each project.
Join the Journey
Follow along with Beta Cohort 2’s progress:
- GitHub: All projects are developed in the open at github.com/decentralized-identity/labs
- Community Calls: Monthly technical discussions and progress updates
- Directory: Meet the project leads and mentors supporting each initiative
- Discord: Check the discord link
The future of verifiable credentials is being built today. We invite you to explore these projects, engage with the teams, and help shape the next generation of decentralized identity infrastructure.
DIF Labs continues to serve as the premier incubator for cutting-edge decentralized identity research and development. Learn more about our mission and how to get involved at labs.identity.foundation.