Ethereum Attestation Service (EAS) vs Veramo

Global, immutable registry: All attestations are stored on-chain (Ethereum, Arbitrum, Optimism, etc.), creating a single source of truth. This matters for public verifiability and composability across dApps like Gitcoin Passport or Optimism's AttestationStation.

Inherits base-layer security: Relies on the underlying L1/L2 for consensus and data availability. This matters for high-value, trust-minimized credentials where the integrity of the attestation graph is paramount and must be censorship-resistant.

Pluggable architecture: Developers can mix and match DID methods (ethr, key, web), data stores (ORM, Ceramic), and messaging protocols. This matters for building custom identity agents that need to support multiple standards (DIDComm, W3C VCs) in a single application.

Private, portable data: Credentials can be stored locally or in private databases, with selective disclosure. This matters for privacy-sensitive use cases (KYC, healthcare) or mobile apps where on-chain costs and latency are prohibitive.

Growing schema library: Over 10,000 unique schemas registered on mainnet. This matters for interoperability—attestations issued for one app (e.g., Otterspace badges) can be read and trusted by any other app scanning the same chain.

TypeScript/Node.js SDK: Provides high-level abstractions for complex identity operations. This matters for teams wanting to move fast without implementing core cryptography or protocol logic from scratch. Integrates with frameworks like Next.js.

Protocol-native schema registry: All attestations are anchored to Ethereum (or L2s like Optimism, Arbitrum, Base). This creates a universal, verifiable source of truth. This matters for public reputation systems (like Gitcoin Passport) and cross-protocol credentials where composability is critical.

Optimized for L2 economics: With a fixed, predictable gas cost per attestation (~$0.01 on Optimism), it's built for high-volume, low-cost operations. This matters for mass airdrop eligibility proofs or DAO voting credentials where issuing millions of attestations is cost-prohibitive on Ethereum L1.

TypeScript/Node.js SDK: A comprehensive, modular toolkit for building complex identity agents and wallets. It abstracts blockchain complexity, offering a unified API. This matters for teams building self-sovereign identity wallets or custom attestation logic that needs to run server-side or in-browser.

Chain constraint: Native support is for EVM-compatible chains only. While powerful within that ecosystem, it cannot natively attest to data or events on Solana, Cosmos, or other non-EVM chains. This is a trade-off for teams in a multi-chain environment.

No hosted service: You must run your own agent infrastructure, manage key storage, and define your own revocation and resolution logic. This matters for startups or projects that want a 'batteries-included' service rather than a framework to build upon.

Public, immutable registry: All attestations are anchored to Ethereum L1/L2s (Optimism, Arbitrum, Base). This provides cryptographic proof of existence and timestamping that is globally verifiable without trusting a central server. Critical for public credentials, KYC proofs, and reputation systems where third-party auditability is non-negotiable.

Standardized schema ecosystem: Attestations are built on a shared, open protocol. This enables native interoperability between applications like Gitcoin Passport, Optimist, and ETHGlobal projects. Developers can build on top of existing attestation graphs without vendor lock-in, accelerating ecosystem growth.

Pluggable DID & data store: Swap out key management (Ed25519, Secp256k1), storage (SQL, Ceramic, IPFS), and messaging (DIDComm) modules to fit your stack. This flexibility is essential for enterprise deployments requiring custom identity providers or compliance with specific cryptographic standards.

Full control over data lifecycle: Issue, hold, and verify W3C Verifiable Credentials entirely off-chain using JSON-LD proofs. This is mandatory for GDPR-sensitive user data, private enterprise attestations, or high-volume micro-transactions where on-chain fees and public exposure are prohibitive.

Transaction fees for every write: On L1 Ethereum, attestations cost ~$2-10; on L2s, ~$0.01-0.10. This creates friction for high-frequency applications (e.g., game achievements, IoT data). Requires active management of gas pricing and L2 bridge economics.

Self-hosted infrastructure burden: You must deploy and maintain key management servers, secure storage, and DID resolvers. This introduces DevOps complexity and liability, making it less suitable for small teams or prototypes that need to move quickly without infrastructure management.