ACA-Py (and Aries VCX) Upgraded to Fully Support cheqd🆙

We are pleased to announce that, alongside the ACA-Py community, we have successfully completed the upgrade of the SDK to decouple reliance on Hyperledger Indy, and support alternative networks, through a plugin-based model. The plugin enables builders to use the full suite of cheqd functionality within ACA-Py, joining the ecosystem of tooling supporting cheqd: Credo (formerly Aries Framework Javascript, AFJ), Walt.id’s Community Stack, Veramo, Universal Registrar & Resolver and Dock.

Furthermore, we are thrilled to share Anonyome has contributed to the inclusion of cheqd support in Aries VCX for use in Anonyome’s Edge Agent SDK. Anonyome’s work is exactly the type of effort we hoped to see result from building in public. 

This now means we have support for Credo (formerly AFJ, ACA-PY & VCX) within the Aries family of SDKs. 

What have we achieved?

We have worked alongside the ACA-Py maintainers community to establish a far more modular architecture for the ACA-Py SDK, whereby DID Method Plugins can be created, maintained and used with ACA-Py core.

Through the use of a DID Method Plugin architecture, this enables DID Methods with unique traits or features to be used within ACA-Py without breaking any of the core functionality. Through this approach, we have been able to fully support cheqd DIDs, including DID-Linked Resources for handling AnonCreds Objects (schemas, CredDefs and Revocation). This matches the functionality we developed into Credo (formerly AFJ) in partnership with Animo. Credo underpins Paradym and Hovi and we expect more to come as the market matures.

What are the benefits of this work?

With Sovrin unfortunately coming to the end of its service, there are a selection of identity applications and platforms that are looking to migrate away from Hyperledger Indy-based infrastructure. Many of these ecosystems also use ACA-Py in production or pre-production environments. Therefore, through this new architecture and support for cheqd, we are providing an immediate migration pathway for these companies, which is much easier than moving to a completely new SDK. 

Moreover, the plugin architecture allows the future potential for introducing more specific functionality into ACA-Py, including functions for cheqd trust registries and also credential payments. This is similar to the benefits of the Veramo SDK, through its modular design. 

Therefore, we expect that this work will lead to a steady increase in the amount of adoption and utility of the cheqd Network, with increasingly more real world projects being built on top. 

We are already aware of two partners who will be making use of cheqd support within ACA-Py and expect more to come.

How do I use cheqd with ACA-Py?

We have put together a set of easy to follow tutorials to set up your ACA-Py agent and begin using cheqd’s functionality via the plugin. This includes DIDs, credentials and DID-Linked Resources – all which are now available. 

Get started with our ACA-Py tutorials here, which we will continually update where necessary! Or alternatively, if you want support in getting set up, or would like more information, you can get in contact with the ACA-Py community within the Open Wallet Foundation here, or cheqd’s developer team here.

Under the hood

For anyone more technically minded or interested in the underlying architecture, the diagram below shows the modular architecture developed with the ACA-Py maintainers group. This introduces a common set of create, update and deactivate endpoints for both DIDs and Resources, that is initially used for cheqd but can be expanded to other DID methods in future. We incorporated the updated Universal Registrar and Resolver changes made by DanubeTech – funded in our community spend proposal here – to achieve this. As well as maintaining our principle of interoperability, this will reduce the maintenance burden in the future as we will not need to maintain anything specific or dedicated to ACA-Py support.

 

Figure 1: Diagram showing new modular plugin architecture for ACA-Py

Meet the Successful Applicants of the cheqd Foundation Delegation Programme 2024

Following the last iteration of the programme in 2023, we were overwhelmed with quality applications both from our existing validators and those wishing to join and support the cheqd ecosystem, a huge thank you to all of those who applied.

We would also like to thank the validators (both existing and prospective) for their patience whilst the core team has focused on executing the Dock migration, since the migration meant the amount of $CHEQ available to be delegated was a constantly moving target.

We are thrilled to be delegating ~240m $CHEQ to ~30 validators providing a wide range of support to the cheqd ecosystem, from providing relaying to other Cosmos networks (Lavender.Five, Whispernode & DECALI, Blockval), support with network deployment (Vitwit) through to marketing support (Stake.capital) as we head into a busy year for the cheqd ecosystem. Special mention should also go to our SSI partners who maintain nodes and use their rewards to provide cheqd utilities to their clients, and to those planning to use cheqd’s identity functionality going into 2025.

Whilst we would love to be able to delegate to all of those who applied, we have needed to focus and prioritise those providing solid infrastructure, support (e.g. hackathons or marketing) or using cheqd identity utilities to ensure that any delegations were material rather than spread too thin.

We hope the cheqd community will help support any validators who have not been successful.

cheqd Foundation Delegations Programme | Cycle 2

Validator Name : Delegation Amount ($CHEQ): Support area

We will also separately continue to delegate to “small” validators in the interests of both decentralising the network per the principles of increasing entropy outlined by Alex in this blog, as well as to help these small validators become more economically viable and hence sustainable and successful over the long term.

Maintenance of the Network

Once the delegations are distributed, validators who have received a delegation will retain the delegated tokens for a period of 1 year from delegation (9th January 2025), provided they continue to maintain a healthy node and avoid any infractions (slashing or tombstoning). If a validator does incur an infraction, the delegation will be assessed on a case-by-case basis, depending on how the infraction occurred, how the validator responds, and whether the infraction is remunerated.

Given the nature of delegations, it is important to be clear that these are not the same as grants. It is the sole discretion of the cheqd Foundation to retract a delegation if there is, for example, poor node maintenance, poor governance participation, or bad behaviour within the active delegation set.

Accelerate Adoption of Trusted Data through Hovi’s Platform

cheqd and Hovi are excited to announce a partnership to accelerate the adoption of verifiable credentials and decentralised identity worldwide, leveraging cheqd’s trust and payment infrastructure coupled with Hovi’s APIs, a wallet, and a no-code platform.

The Partnership

SSI or decentralised identity is an emerging disruptive technology for exchanging trusted (also referred to as authentic) data, between people and companies in a more secure manner, giving entities ownership and control over their own data. According to a meta-analysis by cheqd published on Bloomberg, the SSI market is projected to be worth over US$550 billion, which demonstrates the significant opportunity the technology poses.

Hovi’s platform integrates SSI functionalities with ease, allowing businesses to issue, verify, and manage verifiable credentials across multiple identity ecosystems. By joining forces, cheqd and Hovi are working together to simplify and accelerate SSI adoption, offering organisations a comprehensive toolkit to unlock a range of use cases. With Hovi’s no-code platform and developer friendly APIs, businesses can deploy verifiable credentials tailored to their specific needs with minimal technical investment without the risk of vendor lock-in.

Start an ecosystem on Hovi-cheqd now

cheqd's Infrastructure and Commercial Models

cheqd’s decentralised data network forms the backbone of this collaboration, offering a range of utilities that enable secure, privacy preserving, and interoperable digital identity solutions. At its core, cheqd facilitates the decentralised verification of trusted data, eliminating reliance on centralised entities and ensuring privacy respecting interactions. The network also incorporates flexible payment rails, allowing businesses to monetise data sharing through payment-gated models powered by $CHEQ tokens. This approach gives organisations control over the financial aspects of their data exchanges.

The platform is designed for scalability, supporting high transaction volumes across a variety of use cases without compromising on performance. This makes it ideal for businesses aiming to deploy trusted data solutions at scale. Additionally, cheqd’s commitment to interoperability ensures seamless integration across multiple ecosystems, offering organisations the freedom to operate without vendor lock-in. By providing these capabilities, cheqd delivers a future-proof infrastructure that empowers businesses to build reusable data models aligned with global regulatory standards such as eIDAS 2.0 and GDPR.

“This partnership with Hovi represents a significant step forward in simplifying access to decentralised identity solutions. By combining cheqd’s robust infrastructure with Hovi’s comprehensive APIs, and wallet platform, we’re making it easier than ever for organisations to adopt and scale trusted data exchanges. We’re shaping the foundation for a more secure and user centric digital economy.” said Fraser Edwards, Co-founder and CEO of cheqd.

Simplifying Verifiable Credentials Building for a Trusted Internet

Positioned as a catalyst for innovation in the Self-Sovereign Identity space, Hovi provides tools that make adopting verifiable credentials not just feasible but seamless, redefining how businesses approach identity and trust. Through its platform Studio and APIs, Hovi empowers businesses to focus on what matters most, building trusted, privacy-first relationships with their users.

As the SSI market matures, businesses are looking for solutions that combine usability, scalability, and compliance. Hovi meets this need with a future-proof platform that adapts to global regulatory shifts while maintaining a strong focus on interoperability.

“Our platform is built with a clear goal, eliminating the friction businesses face when adopting decentralised identity solutions. We’ve worked hard to ensure our tools are robust, adaptable, and designed to integrate into any environment and meet the unique needs of each organisation. This isn’t about replacing existing systems; it’s about enhancing them with trust and reusability at their core.” said Omer Shafiq, Founder and CEO of Hovi.

Future Focus: Accelerating SSI Adoption Together

Our collaboration with Hovi is centered on accelerating trusted data adoption by helping organisations deploy SSI in a flexible, scalable manner. Together, we’ll focus on:

  • Expanding Ecosystem Interoperability: By continuing to expand compatibility with multiple identity ecosystems, we’re ensuring that businesses can build scalable, flexible solutions without vendor lock-in.
  • Supporting Diverse Use Cases: We’re committed to providing solutions for a variety of sectors, from AI, finance to healthcare and retail. Hovi’s wide credential and wallet support allows companies to innovate and create new use cases with ease.
  • Enabling Privacy Preserving, Compliant Solutions: Privacy and compliance remain top priorities. Our solutions will help businesses manage verifiable credentials securely and efficiently in line with global standards like eIDAS 2.0 and GDPR.

Together, these initiatives will drive the adoption of self sovereign identity and reusable data solutions, empowering organisations to innovate while ensuring trust and compliance.

Looking Forward

By combining cheqd’s trust and payment infrastructure with Hovi’s comprehensive SaaS platform, this partnership offers an interoperable, scalable APIs and no-code solution that can be adopted across various industries including AI, Finance, Education, and Health. This collaboration simplifies the issuance, verification, and management of digital identities, making it easier for organisations and governments worldwide to implement secure, privacy-preserving digital identity solutions.

Start an ecosystem on Hovi-cheqd now