ToIP Lauds Bhutan’s Emerging Digital Identity Program

A new report on Bhutan’s National Digital Identity (NDI) system, developed in collaboration with the Trust over IP (ToIP) Foundation, offers an illuminating review of one of the world’s pioneering digital trust ecosystems.

The NDI system is a comprehensive digital identity framework designed to facilitate secure and trustworthy digital interactions between the government, individuals, and the private sector. Officially launched in 2023, it was founded on the principles of Self-Sovereign Identity (SSI), which is meant to empower individuals to control their personal data and digital identities. The project is part of Bhutan’s broader digital transformation initiative, the Digital Drukyul Flagship Program, aimed at enhancing public service delivery and fostering a robust digital economy.

At the core of the NDI system is the concept of a digital trust ecosystem, in which all interactions are underpinned by strong cryptographic assurances and governed by a modern, inclusive governance framework. The system issues verifiable credentials, such as foundational IDs, residence permits, employment credentials, and academic certificates, which can be securely exchanged and verified using decentralized identifiers (DIDs) and blockchain technology. The idea is to ensure that all data transactions are privacy-preserving, consent-based, and transparent.

The governance of the NDI system is established through the National Digital Identity Act of 2023, which provides the legal and regulatory foundation for the system’s operations. The NDI Governance Framework further details the rules, roles, and responsibilities of ecosystem participants, ensuring compliance with sector-specific regulations and international standards. Trust registries and revocation services are integral to the system, enabling the validation of digital credentials and maintaining the integrity of the digital trust ecosystem.

This is all laid out in much more detail in the full Bhutan NDI case study, which was put together by the Trust Over IP Foundation’s Ecosystem Foundry Working Group in collaboration with the Bhutan NDI team. The Trust Over IP Foundation was established in May of 2020 as a non-profit hosted by the Linux Foundation.

Source: Trust Over IP Foundation

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(Originally published on Mobile ID World)