Turn identity into trusted decisions

Trust is everything online. Every account created, every transaction approved, every digital interaction assumes that we know who’s on the other side.

For years, identity verification has carried that responsibility. And ID wallets have made that process dramatically better by providing more convenience and give users control

But the environment has changed. Fraud no longer operates in isolated moments. It moves across accounts, devices, and platforms. At the same time, users expect seamless experiences. They want security but without friction and constant interruptions.

This creates a gap. The question is no longer just “Is this person real?” but “What does this identity mean in context?”.

That’s where a new layer becomes essential. Not instead of wallets or verification but on top of them. A layer that connects signals and turns verified data into actionable insight.

This is identity intelligence.

Why is Identity Intelligence important now?

Fraud today doesn’t look like it did a few years ago.

We’re now seeing AI-generated identities that pass basic checks. Deepfake-enabled KYC attempts that convincingly mimic real users. Even AI agents acting autonomously on behalf of bad actors.

Meanwhile, users expect faster, frictionless digital experiences without compromising their privacy or security.

In this environment, organizations are often forced into a false choice: strengthen security or protect the user experience. The result is repetitive checks, added friction for everyone and higher drop-offs.

ID Wallets already provide a simple and fast way to verify identity, in just one click. But we need an approach that is as dynamic as the world we operate in, and for this on top of them, we need additional context, and this is done through identity intelligence.

What is Identity Intelligence?

Identity intelligence goes beyond checking whether a credential is valid.

Instead of focusing on a single proof at a single moment, it adds a layer that connects signals — across behavior, transactions, devices, and time — to build a clearer picture of risk.

It’s the difference between verifying a document and understanding an identity.

By analyzing patterns and context, identity intelligence helps organizations detect anomalies, uncover coordinated activity, and assess intent, not just authenticity.

At its core, identity intelligence turns fragmented identity data into actionable insight.

And that’s what allows organizations to strengthen fraud protection without adding unnecessary friction.

How Gataca applies Identity Intelligence on top of ID Wallets

Gataca builds on the foundation of ID wallets and adds intelligence where it matters.

Instead of applying the same static process to every interaction, we combine wallet-based verification with AI-driven analysis, cross-transaction risk assessment, and machine learning models that continuously evaluate behavior over time.

The result is dynamic trust scoring that evaluate each situation and adjusts accordingly, tightening security when threat levels are high and allowing one-click verification when the risk is low.

Organizations can configure risk scenarios specific to their operations, adapting controls to their threat models, compliance requirements, and customer journeys.

Additionally, Gataca generates behavioral and market-level insights derived from identity interactions.

And it’s all built on a privacy-first architecture. Every insight is powered by explicit user consent and anonymized data. That means businesses gain meaningful intelligence without compromising user privacy.

What are the benefits of using Identity Intelligence?

Identity intelligence is often viewed purely as a fraud defense tool but it’s much more than that as it can also unlock growth, efficiency, and better user experiences.

Because when you understand identity in context, you can make smarter decisions.

Smarter User Segmentation

With verified attributes and behavioral signals combined, organizations can segment users based on real trust indicators, not assumptions.

This enables:

• User segmentation based on verified attributes
• Trust tiering aligned with risk profiles
• Clear differentiation between new, unknown, and established users

Not every user should go through the same journey. Identity intelligence makes that possible.

Risk-Based UX and Adaptive Friction

Trusted users don’t want to be treated like suspects.

When organizations can confidently identify low-risk behavior, they can reduce unnecessary checks, making verification simple and fast without lowering security standards.

Automated Compliance

With continuous monitoring and compliance signals, organizations can automate verification processes based on regulatory requirements and automatically adapt to regulatory changes.

Fewer compliance headaches. Greater audit readiness.

Identity Intelligence is the new standard

In a world where fraud is adaptive and AI accelerates both opportunity and risk, trust cannot rely on isolated checks. It must be contextual and intelligent.

Wallets give us trusted data. Identity intelligence turns that data into actionable insights.

Together, they create a new standard for digital trust: one where security and user experience don’t compete, where fraud prevention and growth reinforce each other, and where identity becomes not just verified but understood.

Starting December 1, 2025, Germany will step up enforcement of age verification rules for adult sites and other 18+ platforms. State media regulators will be able to go beyond blocking websites, stopping banks and payment providers (PSPs) from processing payments for sites that don’t comply.

Germany Age Verification Requirements

Germany’s Interstate Treaty on the Protection of Minors in the Media (JMStV) requires that content harmful to minors—including pornography, online casinos, betting, alcohol and tobacco sales, or violent and sexual user-generated content—must be restricted to adults.

This obligation applies to all “telemedia” services, including websites, streaming platforms, and apps.

In practice, this means that online services with 18+ content must use an approved age verification system (AVS) before users can access their content. Only AVS approved by the Commission for the Protection of Minors in the Media (KJM), such as Gataca age verification solution, are legally valid.

The KJM requires all approved age verification systems to:

• Confirm identity: Make sure the person presenting proof of age is actually the individual associated with it.
• Minimize data: Collect only the information needed for age verification.
• Ensure security: Use encrypted, secure transmission for all data.
• Protect privacy: Fully comply with GDPR and German data protection laws.

What Changes on December 1, 2025?

From this date according to the Sixth Interstate Amendment to Germany’s media treaties, regulators can target payment flows, not just the website itself.

This means, banks and payment providers can be forced to block payments to adult sites that ignore age verification requirements or lack adequate AVS. Plus, non-German websites serving German users are in scope so mirror domains or routing tricks won’t protect against enforcement.

What Methods Are Allowed?

The KJM doesn’t mandate a single system but sets strict standards. Simple “age gates” or self-declared checks are not enough. The KJM’s AVS grid lists positively assessed systems, which are continuously updated.

For a long time, the classic solutions were POSTIDENT, ID upload or credit card verification, but these provide a bad user experience for users and are sensitive in terms of data protection.

There are now more innovative approaches that have been recognized by the KJM and which Gataca provides:

• Facial Age Estimation: A quick selfie confirms age with AI and liveness detection—no ID upload or personal data storage.
• Digital ID Wallets: Users verify once, then can instantly access sites with a click using a secure digital wallet.

How to ensure compliance with Gataca

Meeting Germany age verification requirements doesn’t have to be complicated. Gataca makes it easy with a fully compliant solution designed with the fastest and simplest user experience to drive top conversion rates when users reach the age verification step.

We offer KJM certified methods, so you can choose what works best for your business:

• Facial Age Estimation – Users take a quick selfie and our AI estimates their age and confirms they’re real through liveness detection. No ID uploads, no stored images, no personal data.
• Gataca App (ID Wallet) – Users complete a one-time ID check to receive a verified proof of age in their digital wallet. They can then share it with just one click to access instantly your site or anywhere digital ID wallets are accepted.

Both options use passkeys for returning visitors, making verification faster and safer.

This is aligned with the EU Digital Services Act (DSA) and the upcoming EUDI Wallet, which should be available by the end of 2026, ensuring your platform is not only compliant now but future-ready.

While the European Union is leading the charge with the European Digital Identity (EUDI) Wallet initiative, it's far from alone. From Argentina to South Korea, countries across continents are designing and deploying their own wallet solutions, each shaped by local needs, regulations, and digital readiness.

In this article, we explore a selection of current digital identity wallet initiatives from around the world. While not exhaustive, this snapshot illustrates one key point: ID wallets are not just a futuristic idea, they're already a global reality.

European Digital Identity Wallet Initiatives

The European Digital Identity Wallet (EUDI Wallet) is a flagship project under the EU’s eIDAS 2.0 regulation, which was approved in 2024.

By 2026, all EU citizens, residents, and businesses will be able to use a digital ID wallet to prove their identity and share personal information online in a simple, private, and secure manner.

Large scale pilots were initiated in April 2023, involving over 350 organizations from 26 EU Member States, as well as Norway, Iceland, and Ukraine to validate the wallet's functionality, interoperability, and security before its widespread adoption. Additional pilots are scheduled to commence in mid-2025, including the WE-BUILD Consortium which Gataca is part of.

In the meantime, Member States are actively rolling out national versions in preparation for full-scale adoption. Here's a look at what’s happening across Europe:

Austria

Austria has complemented its digital identity solution "ID Austria," with the "eAusweise" app, which allows citizens to carry digital versions of their identification documents, such as driving licenses, national IDs and proof of age, on their smartphones.

Currently, around 3,045,000 people (34% of the total population ) are registered with ID Austria and more than 70,000 digital identity certificates have already been loaded in the "eAusweis" app.

Belgium

In May 2024, Belgium launched a digital wallet application named myGov.be, designed to hold official documents and allow users access to public services.

The Belgian government has announced Belgian citizens will be able to apply for a digital version of the national identity card from November 2026.

Czechia

The Czech Republic launched eDoklady in January 2024, the country’s digital ID application, compatible with the European Digital Identity (EUDI) Wallet.

This year, the government tested mobile ID verification in Senate elections (Jan 17–18) using the eDoklady app with ISO 18013-5 proximity flow. The app has 600,000 downloads since January 2024 and is accepted at banks, post offices, insurers, polling stations, and municipalities.

Denmark

Denmark has announced in April 2025 its plans to launch a national digital wallet, with development starting in April 2025, go-live in Q1 2026, followed by two years of support and continued development.

In subsequent project phases, the functionality will be expanded to include a wide range of digital credentials and comply with the requirements of the EU’s eIDAS 2.0 regulation.

Estonia

Already a digital government pioneer, Estonia is building its EUDI-compliant wallet through Cybernetica. Additionally, during its next local elections, Estonia plans to allow its citizens to identify themselves through the private digital identity app Smart-ID, combining public and private sector innovation.

Finland

The Ministry of Finance has set up a project to guide the implementation of a national digital identity wallet. The Digital and Population Data Services Agency will be responsible for the technical implementation.

France

End of 2023, France launched France Identité as the French EUDI Wallet prototype. Among its current use cases, is the use of National ID cards as a digital solution for presenting tickets on the TGV, France's high-speed train network.

Germany

Germany is actively developing its digital identity infrastructure through the "SPRIND Funke EUDI Wallet Prototype" initiative, which ends September 2025. Launched by the Federal Agency for Disruptive Innovation, this innovation competition seeks to develop and test technical solutions for future German EUDI wallets in the form of prototypes.

Greece

Greece is preparing for the EU Digital Identity Wallet with the Gov.gr digital wallet app through which greek citizens can create, save and check digital documents such as digital identity cards, driving licences or the digital disability cards.

Italy

Italy has introduced the IT Wallet, a national digital identity initiative integrated into the country's public services application, IO.

Launched in December 2024, the IT Wallet allows Italian citizens and residents to digitally store key documents. The initiative is set to expand its functionalities to include additional documents like ID cards and passports, as well as services such as payments and is expected to evolve in coordination with the broader EUDI Wallet framework.

Netherlands

The Netherlands's EU Digital Identity Wallet, NL-Wallet, is currently in the making through the EDI System programme implemented on behalf of the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations.

Poland

The mObywatel application, developed by Poland's Ministry of Digital Affairs, serves as the country's official digital identity application and is poised to become Poland's implementation of the European Digital Identity Wallet.

Spain

In 2022, Gataca was appointed by the Spanish Royal Mint (FNMT) as the technology partner to implement Self-Sovereign Identity technology in a pilot in collaboration with Spanish universities.

The initiative provided a mobile application, Cartera Digital, which allowed users to generate and store verifiable credentials, providing reliable, easy, and secure access to digital services, such as those offered by the participant universities.

Sweden

Sweden announced in February 2025 that its DIGG agency is developing a national wallet to support the EUDI framework.

Switzerland

Since late March 2025, the public has been able to test Switzerland’s electronic identity via the digital wallet app called ‹SWIYU›. Moreover, the government has announced plans to start issuing eIDs from 2026 and explore interoperability with the EUDI framework.

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom has announced that it will launch a digital wallet this year for easier access to public services. The UK government is developing a digital wallet integrated into the GOV.UK app, aiming to streamline citizens' access to various official documents. Scheduled for launch in June 2025, the wallet will initially support digital versions of driving licences and veteran ID cards.

Ukraine

Ukraine is set to integrate with the EU Digital Identity Wallet framework by the end of 2026. Through its "Diia" platform, Ukrainians will be able to use digital documents across the EU, and Europeans will have reciprocal access in Ukraine. This development follows successful compatibility testing with the EU's eIDAS 2.0 regulation, ensuring seamless cross-border digital identification.

United States

In 2024, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) launched a major initiative under its Silicon Valley Innovation Program (SVIP) to drive the development of secure digital credential wallets.

As part of this effort, six companies were selected to create wallet solutions capable of storing and presenting verifiable credentials, such as mobile driver’s licenses (mDLs) and other government-issued digital IDs.

These projects focus on privacy-preserving architectures, interoperability, and adherence to global standards like ISO/IEC 18013-5, which governs mobile driver's licenses.

Meanwhile, adoption at the state level is accelerating.

As of April 2025, at least 15 U.S. states allow residents to add mDLs and other digital credentials to wallets like Apple Wallet, Google Wallet, or state-backed apps such as LA Wallet in Louisiana and myColorado in Colorado.

One of the most visible use cases is at TSA checkpoints in select airports, where travellers can now present digital IDs for secure, contactless identity verification.

Canada

To ensure consistency and trustworthiness across various digital ID systems, Canada is employing the Pan-Canadian Trust Framework (PCTF). This framework, overseen by the DIACC, sets out standards for digital identity verification and authentication.

Moreover, some provinces are also pursuing their own digital ID initiatives, like Ontario’s Digital ID program, which aims to provide residents with secure digital wallets to store identification documents.

Australia

Australia passed its Digital ID Bill in 2024. Backed by a AU$145.5 million funding package, the new system aims to concentrate identification documents into a single digital wallet. Citizens will be able to use this wallet to seamlessly access a broad range of government and private sector services, from healthcare and education to banking and travel.

The framework is built to align with global digital ID standards, including frameworks like the EU’s eIDAS, opening doors for potential cross-border compatibility in the future.

New Zealand

New Zealand is advancing its digital identity infrastructure through the Digital Identity Services Trust Framework (DISTF), which officially came into effect on November 8, 2024. This framework establishes a regulatory environment for accredited digital identity services, including digital wallets and apps, to ensure they operate with high standards of privacy, security, and user control.

Argentina

Starting in October 2024, Buenos Aires integrated QuarkID, a blockchain-based self-sovereign identity (SSI) system, into its official government platform, miBA. Being one of the first to implement a decentralized digital identity solution at scale, providing over 3.6 million residents with enhanced control over their personal data through the miBA app.

It allows citizens to verify credentials—such as age or residency—without revealing unnecessary personal information, thereby enhancing privacy and reducing the risk of identity theft. Pilot programs are also underway in other Argentine provinces.

South Korea

South Korea started a trial in January 2025, allowing citizens 17+ to store resident registration cards on smartphones. Piloted in nine regions with nationwide rollout in March.

Taiwan

Taiwan began trialing its Digital ID Wallet in April 2025, enabling secure digital interactions with government and services.

Is Your Business Ready for ID Wallets?

As governments across the globe race toward implementing digital ID wallet solutions, one thing is clear: this transformation is no longer a matter of if but when.

For businesses, this shift is a strategic opportunity. Digital identity wallets will redefine how users prove who they are, interact with services, and protect their data. Organizations already adapting by updating systems and rethinking customer experiences will not only stay ahead of the curve but also be best positioned to capture new opportunities and build lasting trust.

At Gataca, we help businesses stay ahead by making it easy to work with digital ID wallets. Our platform enables you to issue and verify digital credentials to and from your customers' ID wallets so you can allow trusted interactions with them.