Authors: Marie Austenaa, Daniel Goldscheider, Tracy Kuhrt, and Ruth Puente
As we reflect on the journey of 2023 at the OpenWallet Foundation (OWF), we are filled with a sense of profound gratitude. This year represented a major step forward in our mission to enhance digital trust and wallet ecosystems, demonstrating our dedication to innovation and partnership.
Sponsors and Partners
Our journey this year was made possible by the unwavering support of our sponsors. With our 5 premier sponsors Accenture, FutureWei Technologies, Gen, Google, and Visa, 16 general sponsors and 36 associate sponsors, we’ve seen our mission gain momentum and widespread backing. We extend our heartfelt thanks to each organization that believes in the OWF mission.
Open Source Projects
In 2023, ten technologically diverse projects, ranging from early-stage ideas to more mature projects joined OpenWallet! Projects are the beating heart of OWF and their passion and commitment to advancing digital wallet technology are the foundation of our success.
- SD-JWT Kotlin
- SD-JWT Python
- Farmworker Wallet OS
- VC API
- Wallet Framework .NET
- Identity Credential
- SD-JWT JavaScript
- SD-JWT Rust Lab
- SD-JWT .NET Lab
- Agent Framework JavaScript
Special Interest Groups and Task Forces
Four Special Interest Groups (SIGs) and the OpenID for Verifiable Credentials (OID4VC) Due Diligence Task Force have been formed in 2023, each focusing on distinct but crucial aspects of wallet ecosystems.
Governmental Advisory Council
One innovative aspect of OpenWallet is the Governmental Advisory Council (GAC), whose key role is to advise the Governing Board on various public policy issues that impact the future of the development and regulation of digital wallets. The GAC Inaugural Meeting on November 23rd, 2023, formally established the Council, a critical milestone in the OWF multistakeholder journey.
Ten Governments have already joined the Council: Argentina, Bhutan, China, Mexico, Papua New Guinea, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland, the UK, and the USA, and more than a dozen are on the pipeline. Recently, AAMVA joined as an Observer. As a result of the Council’s recent Elections, the GAC Leadership team will be:
Chair:
- Carol Buttle, Head of Certification, Assurance and Security CISO, Department of Science, Innovation and Technology, United Kingdom (2024 term)
- Jacques von Benecke, Chief Technology Officer, Royal Government of Bhutan Technology Commission, Bhutan (2025 term)
Vice-Chairs:
- David Magård, Senior Advisor, Bolagsverket (Companies Registration Office), Sweden (2024 term).
- Fabio Budris Klaz, Project Manager SSI, Secretariat of Innovation and Digital Transformation, Buenos Aires City Government, Argentina (2024 term).
In 2024, the GAC plans to advance wallet interoperability in the global digital economy by exploring the different developments and regulations across jurisdictions and cross-border collaboration work. Therefore, they will work on opportunities to solve interoperability complexities and identify technical challenges to ensure the desired security, privacy, and user experience levels. In this context, with the new GAC leadership that reflects a balanced representation of the geographic and development diversity of the GAC participants, the Council will strengthen its role and explore ways to bridge the government’s requirements with the private sector’s expectations. Moreover, the GAC seeks to maintain and enhance a cooperative relationship with the TAC and other constituencies.
Standard Development Organizations
We entered our first liaison relationships with the FIDO Alliance and EMVCo, two leaders in their field. The goal is to build great open-source software on top of leading open standards.
Joseph Heenan from OpenID Foundation is the Board Observer of the Associate Members.
Outlook
2023 has been an extraordinary first year for OWF, marked by key milestones, technological innovations, and collaborative achievements. We extend our deepest thanks to everyone who contributed to this success
As we gear up for another exciting year, we invite you to continue this journey with us. Your participation, whether as an individual contributor or a sponsor, is crucial to the development of a secure, efficient, and universally accessible digital wallet ecosystem. We encourage you to connect with us through our mailing lists, Discord, GitHub, and community calendar.
