Verifiable Presentation (VP)

A Verifiable Presentation (VP) is a data format, defined by the W3C Verifiable Credentials Data Model, that allows an entity (the holder) to present one or more Verifiable Credentials (VCs) to another party (the verifier). The VP itself is cryptographically signed by the holder, providing proof of the presentation act and allowing the verifier to cryptographically verify both the authenticity of the presented credentials and the fact that they were intentionally shared by the holder. This creates a chain of trust from the original issuer through to the final presentation.

The structure of a VP is flexible. It can contain the full credential data, selective disclosures of specific claims from a credential, or even zero-knowledge proofs derived from credentials to enhance privacy. The core components include metadata about the presentation itself, the set of verifiable credentials being presented, and a proof property containing the holder's digital signature. This design enables user-centric data control, as the holder decides what to share, with whom, and for what purpose, without relying on the credential issuer to be online.

Verifiable Presentations are fundamental to Decentralized Identity (DID) and Self-Sovereign Identity (SSI) ecosystems. Common use cases include age verification without revealing a full birthdate, proving professional qualifications to a potential employer, or accessing a service by demonstrating membership. By using VPs, interactions shift from centralized account-based authentication to a model of portable, user-controlled attestations, reducing data silos and improving privacy and interoperability across different platforms and organizations.

A Verifiable Presentation is a wrapper, typically a JSON-LD or JWT object, that packages one or more Verifiable Credentials (VCs) for presentation to a relying party, known as the verifier. Its core function is to prove control over the credentials without revealing unnecessary information. The presentation itself is signed by the holder (the entity presenting the credentials), providing cryptographic proof that they consented to share the data at that specific time. This creates a clear, auditable chain from the original issuer to the final presentation.

The workflow involves three key actors: the issuer who signs the original credentials, the holder who stores and controls them, and the verifier who requests and validates the presentation. When a verifier requests proof (e.g., "prove you are over 21"), the holder's wallet constructs a VP. This can include the full VC, a zero-knowledge proof derived from the VC, or a selective disclosure of specific attributes. The holder then signs this entire package with their private key, binding the presentation to that specific interaction.

Cryptographic verification is the final and critical step. The verifier checks multiple signatures: the issuer's signature on each embedded VC to ensure its authenticity and integrity, and the holder's signature on the VP to confirm the presentation is fresh and authorized. This dual-layer verification ensures credentials have not been tampered with and are being presented by their legitimate owner. Standards like the W3C Verifiable Credentials Data Model define the structure, while Decentralized Identifiers (DIDs) often provide the cryptographic underpinnings for the signatures.

Advanced privacy features are a hallmark of VP architecture. Techniques like derived predicates allow a holder to prove a statement about a credential (e.g., "age > 21") without revealing the exact birth date. Presentation exchange protocols, such as those defined by the Decentralized Identity Foundation (DIF), standardize how verifiers request presentations and holders respond, enabling interoperability across different wallets and verifier systems without centralized coordination.

In practice, a Verifiable Presentation enables use cases requiring trusted, user-centric data sharing. For example, applying for a loan might involve a VP containing a VC from a government issuer (proving identity), a VC from an employer (proving income), and a VP-signed proof of credit score from a bureau—all shared directly by the user without intermediary data brokers. This shifts the paradigm from countless insecure copies of personal data to cryptographically verifiable presentations shared under the user's direct control.

A Verifiable Presentation (VP) is a cryptographically signed wrapper, typically formatted as a JSON Web Token (JWT) or a JSON-LD Linked Data Proof, that packages one or more Verifiable Credentials (VCs) for submission to a verifier. Its primary function is to prove control over the credentials and to selectively disclose information from them. The presentation itself is signed by the credential holder, not the original issuer, which allows the holder to prove possession and consent to share the data. This mechanism ensures the integrity and authenticity of the presented claims while allowing for selective disclosure and data minimization.

The core components of a VP's data model include the @context, type (which is VerifiablePresentation), the verifiableCredential array containing the actual credentials, and a proof section with the holder's digital signature. Advanced presentations may also include a holder field identifying the presenter and a challenge or domain to prevent replay attacks. Unlike a VC, which is issued and signed once, a VP is created dynamically by the holder for each specific interaction, enabling context-specific proofs—such as proving one is over 21 without revealing their exact birthdate.

From a technical perspective, creating a VP involves the holder's wallet or agent retrieving the relevant VCs from storage, potentially applying zero-knowledge proofs or BBS+ signatures for selective disclosure, and then signing the entire presentation package. The verifier receives the VP, checks the holder's signature on the presentation, and then validates the signatures and status of each embedded VC. This two-layer verification—of the presentation's freshness and the credentials' validity—is crucial for trust in interactions across decentralized ecosystems like SSI (Self-Sovereign Identity) and DID (Decentralized Identifier) frameworks.