Anonyome Labs and UVU launch groundbreaking pilot program
The next generation of digital student credentials is being tested live at Utah Valley University (UVU). Anonyome Labs is proud to announce a pilot program where UVU students will be among the first in the US to carry verifiable, digital versions of their Student IDs and academic credentials in a mobile wallet app.
What is the UVU pilot program?
UVU students in the pilot will get digital versions of their Student ID and key academic credentials. They store and share these cryptographic credentials directly from a mobile wallet app on their phone.
The purpose of the pilot is to explore how this new type of digital credential can be used in select online (and also upcoming in-person) situations, how they function in real-world settings, and to gather feedback in preparation for a future campus-wide rollout. A parallel focus group is running in Australia at the same time, adding a global perspective.
Student feedback will shape the full campus rollout. This is a collaborative program, not a top-down technology deployment.
A future pilot phase will also incorporate Utah’s State Endorsed Digital Identity (SEDI) technology to help students obtain and use SEDI credentials. UVU is helping define what a future digital Student ID looks like at the state level.
This pilot will lead into the future of no more plastic IDs, paper transcripts, or waiting weeks for a verification letter. Students will carry secure, tamperproof digital records that are instantly verifiable and fully owned by them, accessible anytime, shareable anywhere, and built for a truly connected world.
Why verifiable credentials for universities make sense
Education is one of the strongest use cases for verifiable credentials (VCs). Students collect many records over time: diplomas, transcripts, certifications, micro-credentials, and skills badges. Today, most of these sit in paper files or locked institutional systems.
Sharing them is slow. Verifying them is manual. And they are easy to falsify.
A digital student ID, based in strong cryptography, changes all of that. Here is what students and institutions gain:
- Instant verification. Employers and institutions confirm credentials in seconds, with no phone calls or paperwork.
- Tamperproof records. Each credential is cryptographically signed by the issuing institution. Fake diplomas will become a thing of the past.
- Student-controlled privacy. Students decide who sees their data and what gets shared.
- Lifelong portability. Micro-credentials, certifications, and degrees live together in one portable digital wallet.
- Less admin work. Institutions automate credential issuing, verification, and record keeping.
Universities also unlock new revenue opportunities: alumni upskilling programs, employer-backed credentials, and stronger employment pathways for graduates.
Student credentials will move to the digital world. The only question is which institutions lead the way. UVU is choosing to lead.
A different philosophy on student credentials
While most educational institutions issue digital credentials as a reward for course or degree completion, Anonyome Lab’s view is different – digital student ID credentials should be issued to students on their first day of school so they can start working for students immediately.
With Anonyome’s digital student ID credentials, students will soon be able to use them to take tests, access the gym, enter secure labs, purchase food, and even for public transportation. Making digital credentials part of the student learning experience will benefit students while they earn their degrees and not just afterwards.
How verifiable credentials work
The process has three steps:
- Enrollment Verification. The institution verifies the student’s identity once, using existing enrollment documents.
- Issue. A digital credential goes to the student’s mobile wallet over an encrypted channel. It is signed by the institution and cannot be changed.
- Validate. When a student needs to prove their enrollment, degree, or ID, they share the credential from their wallet. The other party verifies it instantly with one click.
This technology is built on the Open Badges 3.0 standard, which inherits from the W3C Verifiable Credentials Data Model, and uses both OpenID4VC and DIDComm for secure, encrypted communication between wallets, issuers and verifiers. Together, these open standards ensure credentials work across different platforms and are not locked to any one system.
The verifiable credentials ecosystem connects three roles: an issuer (the university), a holder (the student), and a verifier (an employer or institution). Each party uses open, interoperable standards.
Anonyome Labs’ verifiable credentials platform powers the credential wallet and issuance infrastructure behind this pilot.
What makes this pilot stand out
- Real-world testing. Students use credentials on campus and online, in the same situations they will face after graduation.
- Student-shaped design. UVU students give direct feedback that shapes the final rollout.
- State-level integration. Upcoming pilot phases will incorporate Utah’s SEDI technology, which will enable students on campus and beyond.
- Global insight. A parallel focus group in Australia adds international perspective to the findings.
The bigger picture
This pilot is part of a global shift. Governments, employers, and institutions are moving toward cryptographically-verifiable digital identity. Education is one of the most natural places to start.
Digital credentials travel with the holder. They cannot be changed. They give students full control over their records, with a level of trust that paper documents cannot provide.
Hiring teams want fast, reliable credential verification. Institutions that give graduates a digital student ID wallet will have a real edge in student recruitment and employer partnerships.
Learn more about how Anonyome Labs supports educational institutions on our Education industry page.
About Anonyome Labs and UVU
Anonyome Labs builds privacy and digital identity tools for individuals and institutions. From the MySudo consumer app to enterprise decentralized identity infrastructure, the company puts people in control of their data.
Utah Valley University serves over 45,000 students and is one of Utah’s largest public universities. Their commitment to security and innovation made them the right partner for this program. We are proud to work alongside them.
Ready to bring digital credentials to your campus?
If you are a university, employer, or organization exploring verifiable credentials for universities, we would love to connect. This pilot is the beginning. The future of academic credentialing is being built right now.
Book a demo with Anonyome Labs and see how a digital student ID wallet can work for your institution.
