Decentralized Identity for Stateless Persons

Manual verification of stateless individuals is a high-cost, high-risk process prone to fraud and inefficiency. A blockchain-based DID system automates credential verification, slashing administrative overhead.

• Example: The World Food Programme's 'Building Blocks' project cut transaction costs by 98% by using blockchain for beneficiary identity and aid distribution.
• ROI Driver: Reduces the need for physical documentation, in-person checks, and manual data reconciliation, allowing aid budgets to go further.

Stateless persons often lose their history each time they move or interact with a new agency. A self-sovereign identity (SSI) stored in a digital wallet gives individuals control over their verified credentials (e.g., vaccination records, skills certifications).

• Efficiency Gain: NGOs and governments can instantly verify pre-attested credentials, accelerating access to housing, education, and employment services.
• Real-World Parallel: The European Blockchain Services Infrastructure (EBSI) is pioneering this for cross-border educational diplomas, a model directly applicable to humanitarian credentials.

No identity means no bank account, loan, or insurance. A verifiable DID is the first step to a financial identity, enabling access to blockchain-based DeFi services, micro-savings accounts, and credit histories.

• Long-Term ROI: Moves individuals from perpetual aid dependency to economic participation, creating taxpayers and consumers.
• Case Study: Projects like ID2020 are partnering with governments to provide digital ID as a gateway to essential financial services for displaced populations.

The UN Refugee Agency piloted a self-sovereign identity system on the IOTA Tangle to provide refugees with verifiable credentials for accessing services. This replaces fragile paper documents, enabling:

• Secure, portable credentials for education, healthcare, and financial inclusion.
• Reduced administrative overhead for aid organizations by up to 70% through automated verification.
• Enhanced privacy and control for individuals over their personal data. This pilot showcases a direct path from costly, manual processes to an efficient, scalable digital infrastructure.

Leveraging Ethereum-based biometric identity, the WFP's BuildingBlocks project streamlines aid delivery for over 1 million refugees. The system creates an immutable audit trail for every transaction, delivering:

• 30% reduction in transaction costs by eliminating financial intermediaries.
• Near-instant settlement of aid vouchers, increasing operational agility.
• Fraud prevention through a transparent, tamper-proof ledger of entitlements and distributions. This is a proven model for converting aid budgets directly into beneficiary value.

The Sovrin Network provides a global framework for verifiable credentials, crucial for stateless persons who lack official documentation. Institutions can issue diplomas, training certificates, and work permits as digital assets, enabling:

• Lifetime portability of credentials, independent of national borders.
• Instant employer verification, reducing hiring friction and unlocking economic participation.
• Compliance with KYC/AML regulations through cryptographically proven identity, without exposing raw personal data. This turns identity from a barrier into a business enabler for workforce integration.

The ID2020 Alliance, with partners like Microsoft and Accenture, develops open-source, user-centric digital identity standards. Their pilots focus on providing legal identity to those without, which is a prerequisite for accessing banking, property rights, and government services. The business case includes:

• Driving financial inclusion by creating a gateway to formal banking and credit systems.
• Establishing a clear audit trail for public and private sector service delivery.
• Future-proofing systems against fraud and ensuring interoperability across service providers. This represents a strategic investment in market creation and stability.

Replace paper vouchers and cash-based aid with programmable digital vouchers tied to a self-sovereign identity. This eliminates duplicate claims and diversion, ensuring aid reaches the intended recipients.

• Real Example: The World Food Programme's 'Building Blocks' project in Jordan reduced bank transfer fees by 98% and ensured aid reached over 100,000 refugees directly.
• ROI Driver: Direct cost savings from eliminating intermediaries and reducing fraud, with full auditability for donors.

Enable access to basic financial services by creating an immutable credit history and asset registry. A portable digital identity allows individuals to prove their transaction history to lenders, even across borders.

• Real Example: Projects in Thailand and Myanmar use blockchain IDs to help migrant workers open bank accounts and access microloans without local guarantors.
• ROI Driver: Unlocks new customer segments for financial institutions and creates economic activity, moving populations from aid dependency to productivity.

Create secure, patient-controlled health records that travel with the individual. This is critical for stateless children and those with chronic conditions, ensuring continuity of care across different aid agencies and host countries.

• Real Example: The ID2020 Alliance partners with governments to provide digital IDs with vaccination records, as piloted in Bangladesh.
• ROI Driver: Reduces administrative overhead for NGOs and governments, improves health outcomes, and provides verifiable data for public health initiatives.

Anchor claims to land, assets, or intellectual property on an immutable ledger. For displaced persons, this provides a verifiable claim that can be recognized by new host nations or used in restitution processes.

• Business Justification: Creates a foundation for long-term economic stability and investment. Reduces legal disputes and administrative costs associated with verifying historical claims.
• ROI Driver: Transforms displaced populations from liabilities into economic participants with assets, fostering sustainable development.