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European CommissionEBSI European Blockchain

Introduction

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To begin, let's revisit the actors in the EBSI ecosystem:

ActorDescription
Root Trusted Accreditation Organisation (RTAO)Legal Entity (LE) that can self-accredit and accredit other legal entities to issue certain types of VCs.
Trusted Accreditation Organisation (TAO)Legal entity that accredits issuers with the ability to issue certain types of VCs.
Trusted Issuer (TI)Legal entity that issues verifiable credentials (domain-specific VC) to holders.
HolderIndividual or organisation that owns the issued VC and has full control over its handling, use and verification.
VerifierParty who requests and verifies VCs.

A Trust Chain should contain RTAO, TAO and TI actors, even if a single DID would represent all three roles.

For enhanced trust and clarity within the ecosystem, RTAOs and TAOS should focus solely on issuing accreditations, while TIs remain responsible for issuing domain-specific Verifiable Credentials (VCs). This segregation of roles ensures a well-defined chain of trust and simplifies credential verification for users.

Each actor plays a key role and has unique capabilities within EBSI's Issuers Trust Model, contributing to the ecosystem's trustworthiness and efficiency.

EBSI defines a set of Verifiable Credentials that allow Legal Entities to register themselves, as well as their different roles in EBSI. Below is a summary of the VCs needed for registration.

Refresh your Knowledge

If you need to refresh your knowledge, we recommend revisiting Chapter 5: Issuers Trust Model of the Verifiable Credentials Explained series.

The following subsections will offer a detailed walkthrough on how to become operational in each role, how to issue and revoke credentials, and how each actor's interactions occur within the ecosystem. Additionally, each subsection includes links to instructions and specifications to help you develop these capabilities. We will outline all procedures in a step-by-step format to ensure smooth implementation.

By the end of this section, you will be able to:

  • Create a capability map from your collection of user journeys and user stories,
  • Draft a comprehensive blueprint,
  • Identify the missing capabilities,
  • Assess the effort required to build your solution,
  • Define your roadmap and timelines,
  • Build your first project with EBSI.

Note: During the piloting phase, Root Trusted Accreditation Organisation, Trusted Accreditation Organisation and Trusted Issuer can be onboarded to EBSI by submitting a request to the Support office.