The Self-Sovereign Identity industry has evolved dramatically over the past few years. In the early days, the landscape was relatively simple. Networks like Sovrin provided decentralised infrastructure. Companies like Evernym developed SDKs, enterprise solutions, and sometimes even acted as system integrators for organisations looking to adopt the technology. However, as SSI adoption deepened, the ecosystem matured and segmented into clearly defined layers. Today, the industry is more nuanced, reflecting the complexity of different network capabilities, credential formats, and use cases. This article breaks down how the digital identity industry now stacks up and how cheqd and our partners fit into this new model.
1. Networks and Trust Registries
Networks and trust registries form the foundational infrastructure that makes it possible to create, manage, and verify decentralised identifiers and verifiable credentials securely and at scale.
Networks provide the decentralised infrastructure where identifiers are anchored, ensuring persistence and verifiability without reliance on a central authority. Trust registries, meanwhile, offer a way to manage the reputation and authenticity of issuers, making it easier for verifiers to decide whether to trust a credential based on metadata linked to its origin.
cheqd operates squarely at this foundational layer. We provide an enterprise-grade, private, and secure DID infrastructure built for applications. Our network is designed to enable organisations to:
- Issue, manage, and revoke verifiable credentials.
- Update the status of the credential, i.e. verified, suspended, revoked
- Store metadata linked to credentials off ledger
- Facilitate credential payments, unlocking new commercial models where issuers can charge for credential issuance or verification in a transparent, decentralised way.
In doing so, cheqd helps build a trusted backbone for SSI ecosystems, removing barriers to commercial adoption without sacrificing the decentralised principles the industry was founded upon.
We are different from many early networks by going beyond simple identifier anchoring. Our credential payments and trust registry features bring monetisation, assurance, and compliance capabilities natively into the network layer. This enables partners and intermediaries to offer richer, more valuable identity services on top.
Other examples in this layer include Sovrin. Historically, it was one of the first production focused SSI networks, though its activity has declined in recent years, leading them to cease activities in early 2025.
2. SDKs, Registrars, and Resolvers
Sitting just above the Networks and Trust Registries are the tools and components that developers use to interact with decentralised identity infrastructure. This layer includes SDKs (Software Development Kits), registrars, and resolvers. They are the essential building blocks that allow other platforms and services to create, read, and resolve DIDs and verifiable credentials across multiple networks.
SDKs provide standardised libraries that abstract much of the complexity of interacting with DID methods and verifiable credential formats. These tools enable developers to integrate identity capabilities into applications without needing deep protocol level knowledge. Examples include Credo (formerly Aries Framework Javascript (AFJ) created by Hyperledger Indy), which simplifies credential issuance and verification workflows, and open-source libraries maintained by communities like Hyperledger Aries.
Registrars and resolvers are often used to interpret and enable interoperability between DIDs across different networks. Tools like the Universal Registrar and Universal Resolver, initially developed by the Decentralized Identity Foundation (DIF), are examples of multi-method, network-agnostic tools that make interoperability possible across otherwise siloed ecosystems.
At this layer, there are also specialist firms focused on maintaining and advancing these components. For instance, DanubeTech, known for its contributions to DID method specifications and tooling, and Animo, which develops and maintains SDKs and registrars while integrating them into practical use cases via their broader identity product offerings.
This tooling layer is critical since it enables higher layer services to remain agile and interoperable, like those for SaaS platforms and end user applications. Without this layer, organisations would have to implement complex DID logic from scratch. This means innovation and deployment timelines would be slowed down, severely.
As the ecosystem grows, we’ve seen these tools become more robust and tailored to specific standards or credential formats (such as JSON-LD or AnonCreds). This specialisation supports the growing diversity in use cases and regulatory requirements, reinforcing the importance of this intermediary layer in the SSI technology stack.
3. SaaS Platforms
A rising number of Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) platforms have emerged to productise the capabilities offered by SDKs, registrars, and resolvers. By removing the underlying complexity and providing ready-to-integrate APIs, dashboards, and services, these platforms are essential in enabling developers, businesses, and solution providers to access decentralised identity.
SaaS platforms typically package core identity functionality, such as credential issuance, verification, storage, and wallet management, into developer-friendly offerings. Many are built directly on top of SDKs and registrars, often developed in-house or in close collaboration with open-source communities.
Dock is a prime example of this category, offering tools and services that make it easy for developers to issue and verify verifiable credentials, previously alongside its own dedicated network, now then having migrated to the cheqd network. Similarly, Animo’s Paradym platform builds on the company’s involvement in open-source SSI tooling, rendering a polished SaaS interface that supports AnonCreds and JSON-LD credentials, credential lifecycle management, and wallet integration.
Walt.id is another notable player, known for its modular identity infrastructure that can be deployed either as a managed service or self-hosted. Its open-source roots make it popular with developers looking to customise or extend the platform to fit specific requirements, whether for education, healthcare, or government use cases.
These SaaS offerings are increasingly serving as the glue between the technical underpinnings of SSI and the higher level solution providers. For many end customers, it’s through these platforms that they first experience verifiable credentials, whether it’s issuing digital diplomas, managing employee credentials, or verifying user identity.
As adoption expands, the role of SaaS platforms continues to grow in importance. They serve as technical enablers and also as commercial accelerators, shortening time to market and providing the operational scaffolding required for scalable deployments.
4. Solutions-Focused Companies
Above the SaaS platforms are solutions focused companies that deliver specific, end-to-end Identity products tailored to customer needs. These firms are often the bridge between technical platforms and the end user organisations, packaging SSI capabilities into complete solutions for sectors such as finance, healthcare, education, and government.
Solutions focused companies typically engage directly with business decision makers, in contrast to SaaS providers who often serve developers. They craft bespoke implementations of verifiable credentials, integrate them into existing enterprise systems, and guarantee adherence to relevant regulations and data protection standards.
Vera, for instance, works closely with organisations to deploy digital credentialing systems that meet real world needs. Their work often involves wrapping complex identity workflows into user-friendly apps and dashboards. Rather than building their own infrastructure from scratch, these companies often leverage networks like cheqd, enabling them to put their head down on polished, value-driven products.
 ID Crypt is another example, providing identity verification and credential management solutions that can be tailored to fit various industry use cases. Their focus is less on developing new DID methods or SDKs while more on operationalising the technology for clients who want to adopt verifiable credentials without needing to understand the underlying architecture.
These companies are often the ones converting abstract identity concepts into tangible benefits for end customers. This layer is where the commercial value is most easily demonstrated as well, making it a critical part of driving mainstream SSI adoption.
5. System Integrators
System integrators play a crucial role in large scale enterprise and government deployments. These firms specialise in integrating new identification systems into an organisation’s present IT environment, making sure that they seamlessly connect with operational, compliance procedures and legacy infrastructure.
Generally speaking, system integrators have a wider scope than solutions focused businesses that provide items tailored to a certain industry. They integrate multiple suppliers and technologies into an all encompassing framework, customising every implementation to the client’s risk tolerance, company goals, and legal framework.
Global consultancies such as Accenture are increasingly active in the digital identity space, helping clients navigate the transition to decentralised models. They may not develop SSI components themselves, but they partner closely with networks, SaaS providers, and solutions companies to architect, test, and roll out verifiable credential ecosystems at scale.
As the SSI industry becomes more fragmented and specialised, the role of system integrators becomes undeniably valuable. They provide the connective tissue between different layers of the stack, ensuring interoperability and smooth delivery for high-stakes deployments.
For network providers like cheqd, engaging with System Integrators can unlock access to major clients and projects, particularly in highly regulated or institutional environments where trust and experience matter as much as technical capability.
6. End Clients
At the top of the SSI stack sit the end clients, the organisations from the public and private sectors that ultimately adopt and benefit from verifiable credentials in their daily operations. These include governments, enterprises, universities, healthcare providers, financial institutions, and other entities looking to improve trust and user experience in identity processes.
Most end clients do not engage directly with the infrastructure or tooling layers of the ecosystem. In practice, they work with solutions companies, SaaS platforms, or system integrators who abstract the complexity and deliver a polished, end-to-end solution.
Examples of use cases among end clients include:
- Governments implementing national digital ID programmes or verifiable credentials for public services.
- Universities issuing digital diplomas that can be instantly verified by employers.
- Banks and fintechs using reusable KYC credentials to simplify onboarding while maintaining compliance.
- Healthcare providers verifying professional licenses or enabling privacy-preserving sharing of health data.
While these organisations may not always be aware of the underlying networks or DID infrastructure, they are the primary beneficiaries of the trust, interoperability, and efficiency enabled by the SSI ecosystem.
7. Firms Across Multiple Layers (and Why That’s Changing)
In the early stages of SSI, many companies in fact operated across multiple layers of the stack: building infrastructure, SDKs, SaaS platforms, and even end user solutions themselves. This was often out of necessity, given the lack of mature tooling and standards as you can imagine.
Today, that’s changing. As the ecosystem matures, specialisation is becoming the norm. It’s increasingly rare for firms to span the full stack, as doing so requires significant technical depth and commercial focus across very different domains.
Some companies still straddle layers, for example, building SDKs while also offering SaaS products or solutions. But gradually, the industry is shifting towards modularity and collaboration. Infrastructure providers like cheqd focus on scalable, monetisable networks; SaaS platforms abstract technical complexity; and solutions companies deliver tailored value to end clients.
This trend supports faster innovation and clearer commercial models. The interoperability is a positive sign of a healthy growing SSI ecosystem.
What’s Driving the Layered Model
The shift towards a layered SSI ecosystem is largely driven by growing complexity and specialisation. Each layer, from networks to SaaS to solutions, now requires deep expertise in areas like credential formats (e.g. AnonCreds vs. JSON-LD), DID methods, revocation models, governance frameworks, and regulatory compliance.
For example, differences in how credentials are issued or verified can have profound impact on user privacy, interoperability, and legal standing. Networks must support these nuances at a foundational level, whereas SDKs and platforms must abstract them without losing flexibility. As a result, it’s become more efficient and commercially viable for companies to focus on one part of the stack and collaborate with others to deliver complete solutions.
This specialisation is a sign of industry maturity, enabling organisations to innovate faster, deliver higher-quality products, and meet the diverse needs of enterprise and public sector clients.
Market Movements: Consolidation and Niche Entrants
In addition to this technical evolution, the market has advanced a lot. On one hand, there’s consolidation, which means companies combining forces to scale faster, share resources, or unify product offerings. A recent example is the merger of Northern Block and Sphereon to deliver digital credentials across jurisdictions.
On the other hand, new entrants are appearing, often with a narrow focus. These companies specialise in niche fields like wallet UX to fill gaps in the market. Interestingly, they aren’t necessarily big corporations. They could be smaller ones but come up with ideas that bigger firms miss out. This wave of new entrants push the boundaries of what are feasible with verifiable credentials. Their agility allows them to experiment and react swiftly to market demands.
The mix of consolidation and specialisation reflects both healthy, competitive pressure and a growing addressable market.
Looking Ahead
We expect this layered structure and market dynamism to continue. While SSI adoption grows, so too will the demand for interoperable, standards based components that can be mixed and matched to serve specific use cases.
This means more partnerships, more modular product architectures, and more clarity in commercial roles where each player knows where they fit, how they add value, and how to monetise sustainably.
At cheqd, we’re building for this future. Our network is designed to support commercial SSI at scale, offering trust registries, credential payments, and flexible metadata storage to empower our partners across every layer of the stack.
As the ecosystem continues to evolve, collaboration between layers — not vertical integration — will be the key to delivering identity systems that are secure, user-centric, and ready for the real world.