Welcome to "Micro-credentials in a Minute," produced by Micro-credential Multiverse.

In this episode, micro-credential and digital badge experts Rob Bajor and Allison Fromm (Proofspace.id) share their insights on the key differences between the two largest digital credentialing standards; Open Badges (OB) and Verifiable Credentials (VC).

Allison explains that OBs are a standard way to share information about skills and accomplishments, but they have the potential to be fraudulent and compromise privacy. On the other hand, VCs provide a means for anyone to independently verify the accuracy of data - without compromising security or privacy. Rob chimes in with some historical context, sharing that OBs were initially created with two variants: a hosted version and a cryptographically signed version. He notes that VCs have carried the torch of the signed credential and that the open badges version three (3.0) effort is now looking to combine the best of both worlds and competition between the two standards is ultimately making the products better.

Tune in to learn more about the differences and similarities between OBs and VCs in digital credentials.