W3C Community Group · Est. February 2026

Verifiable trust
in global supply chains

Global trade still runs on paperwork nobody can fully trust — certificates, customs filings, and shipment records that can be forged, lost, or disputed after the fact. We design open, W3C-backed standards that turn that paperwork into cryptographic proof: linking real shipment events to Verifiable Credentials, binding digital identities to the people and companies handling goods, and speaking the same regulatory language customs authorities, banks, and auditors already use.

vsc-event-credential.jsonld
{
  "@context": [
    "https://www.w3.org/ns/credentials/v2",
    "https://w3c-cg.github.io/vsc/contexts/v1"
  ],
  "type": ["VerifiableCredential", "VscObjectEvent"],
  "issuer": "did:web:mfr.example.com",
  "credentialSubject": {
    "eventType": "ObjectEvent",
    "bizStep": "shipping",
    "hsCode": "3004.90",
    "incoterms": "CIF:2020:Mombasa",
    "tradeFinance": "LC:irrevoc:USD250K"
  }
}
4Published specifications
6Industry profiles
14Standards & regulations mapped
5Layer architecture
About VSC
What the Verifiable Supply Chain framework does

In plain terms: VSC gives supply chains a way to prove things cryptographically instead of asking everyone to trust paperwork. It takes the event data companies already generate — a shipment leaving a factory, clearing customs, changing hands — and turns each event into a signed, tamper-evident credential. The result is a single document that shows what a product is, who's responsible for it, and how it's being paid for, and that anyone can verify independently, with no phone calls and no central authority.

EPCIS → VC Mapping
A lossless translation of all five standard supply chain event types into Verifiable Credentials with built-in tamper-evidence. Every event becomes independently checkable.
DID Identity Binding
Every credential is signed by the actor asserting it, using a decentralized identifier. Verifiers check signatures directly — no central registry to trust.
Normative Vocabularies
HS Codes for commodity classification, INCOTERMS® for commercial terms, and UCP 600 for trade finance — all standardized and machine-readable inside every credential.
Event Matrix
A five-dimensional cross-domain verification schema, designed to stay forward-compatible as new event types and jurisdictions are added.
Specifications
Read the specs

Each specification is a standalone, browsable ReSpec document, open for public comment.

VSC Requirements & Use Cases
The foundational specification — twenty functional requirements, eleven use cases, the Event Matrix, the Regulatory Rule Compiler, and all three normative vocabularies.
Open specification
Pharma Supply Chain Profile
VC/UORA credential schema for pharmaceutical traceability. Maps DSCSA, FDA identifiers, and GS1 EPCIS to W3C Verifiable Credentials.
Open specification
Critical Minerals Traceability
Provenance and due-diligence credentials for lithium, cobalt, and rare earth elements. Aligned with EU Battery Regulation and OECD guidance.
Open specification
Trust Framework Template
Customizable governance, accreditation, and compliance rules for supply chain networks issuing verifiable credentials.
Open specification
Industry profiles
VC/UORA profiles by vertical

Reusable, public credential schemas tailored to specific industry regulatory contexts.

Pharmaceuticals & Healthcare
Lot-level chain-of-custody attestation and serialization credentials aligned with US drug traceability law.
In progress
DSCSAFDA 21 CFRGS1 EPCIS
Critical Minerals
Provenance and due-diligence credentials for lithium, cobalt, rare earths, and other strategic minerals.
Draft
CBAMEUDRISO 14001
Automotive & Aerospace
Component traceability, recall management, and EV battery passport credentials for multi-tier supply chains.
Planned
EU Battery Reg.AS9100
Food & Beverage
Farm-to-fork provenance, allergen disclosure, and deforestation-free sourcing attestations.
Planned
EUDRGS1 EPCISFSMA 204
Luxury Goods
Anti-counterfeiting authenticity credentials and ownership attestation linked to the EU Digital Product Passport.
Planned
EU DPPCSRD
Electronics
Component origin, conflict minerals disclosure, and repair/recycle credentials for the circular economy.
Planned
EU ESPRDodd-Frank §1502
Deliverables
What the group produces

Four concrete output types — all public, all under W3C Document License.

Industry Blueprints
A library of public, reusable VC/UORA profiles for major supply chain verticals.
Formal JSON-LD credential schemas
Regulatory mapping documents
Issuer and verifier role definitions
Data minimization guidance
Interoperability Toolkit
Specifications and software tools for translating supply chain event data into verifiable attestations.
EPCIS-to-VC mapping specifications
Translation libraries (Python, TypeScript)
Conformance test suites
Sample implementations
Trust Framework Template
Customizable governance, accreditation, and compliance rules for credential issuers.
Trust anchor accreditation criteria
Governance models for consortia
Dispute resolution frameworks
Liability & legal entity mapping
Business Implementation Guide
Non-technical playbook with quantified ROI case studies and pilot program templates.
Anti-counterfeiting ROI models
ESG & Scope 3 reporting guides
Recall management reference arch.
Vendor evaluation criteria
Standards alignment
Grounded in real regulations

VSC maps directly to regulatory requirements across pharmaceuticals, food safety, critical minerals, and trade finance.

Regulatory frameworks
US DSCSAPharma
EU CBAMMinerals · Industrial
EUDRFood · Timber
EU Digital Product PassportLuxury · Electronics
EU Battery RegulationAutomotive · EV
CSRDCross-vertical
FSMA 204Food & Bev.
Data & technical standards
W3C VC Data Model 2.0Core standard
W3C DID CoreIdentity layer
UORAPhysical assets
GS1 EPCIS 2.0Event data
WCO HS NomenclatureCommodity codes
ICC INCOTERMS® 2020Commercial terms
UCP 600Trade finance

Open to anyone.
No W3C membership required.

This is a community-driven initiative — anyone with a free W3C account can join, help shape the specifications, and contribute to open discussion. All work is public and licensed under the W3C Document License.

Shape the VSC Requirements and Use Cases specification
Contribute a VC/UORA profile for your industry vertical
Represent your industry's regulatory and implementation constraints
Help build conformance tests and reference implementations
Join on W3C → View GitHub