The world’s first truly decentralized, multi-sector credential ecosystem.
When it comes to driving the adoption of decentralized identity, it truly does take a village. It takes credential issuers, credential verifiers, identity owners (consumers), and a behind-the-scenes army of blockchain engineers, cryptographers, and policy wonks all working in unison.
And today, the Canadian province of Alberta has taken the first steps of building this village with the launch of the Alberta Credentials Ecosystem (ACE).
ACE represents the first multi-sector digital credential ecosystem designed to bring together all of these necessary roles under the mission of bringing self-sovereign identity to all Albertans. With a number of leading Alberta organizations already involved, ACE is committed to bringing together the province’s leading organizations to join forces in exploring how they can each engage as issuers and verifiers of digital credentials, and how doing so will add value to the citizens of Alberta.
The initiative is driven by ATB Financial, a Crown corporation owned by the province of Alberta that provides financial services to over 750,000 Albertans, with the support of Evernym, a leading decentralized identity solutions provider. A wide range of sectors and organizations are already involved, including the cities of Calgary and Edmonton, the Alberta Blue Cross, Telus, the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT), the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT), the University of Calgary, and a number of others from around the province to be announced soon.
Through the ACE program, members are put on a personalized fast-track to building a proof-of-concept around decentralized identity, ultimately to run live pilots with real citizens later this year. The program also offers members the latest in decentralized identity tools and hands-on expert technical, regulatory, and business help, as well as access to a cross-sector community of trailblazers developing real citizen use cases.
The Alberta Credentials Ecosystem is inviting new members on a rolling basis and is open to any public, private, or non-profit institution interested in making Alberta a leader in establishing a trusted digital economy.
Those looking to get involved can learn more or inquire into membership by visiting www.aceprogram.ca
