R3 Partners With Dutch Tech Company to Pilot Blockchain-Based Digital IDs

Blockchain consortium R3 has deployed a digital ID application developed by Dutch digital security company Gemalto on the latest version of the Corda Platform, according to an announcement published September 18.

Corda is an open-source blockchain-powered platform developed for financial establishments by R3 in collaboration with more than 200 of its partners. The platform is geared to work within finance to operate massive transactional volumes and restrict access to transaction data.

The parties expect to conduct several pilots of the application — called the Trust ID Network —  that will reportedly be launched later this year.

Per the announcement, Trust ID Network enables digital service providers to operate “fully verified and secured” user personal data by creating a Digital ID. Consumers can register within various banking, e-commerce and e-government services while avoiding repeated due diligence procedures in each instance.

The integration of Trust ID Network will reportedly allow users to control their data through a mobile app dubbed ID Wallet, where they can enter, certify, and share their personal information with specific service providers. Bertrand Knopf, EVP of Banking and Payment for Gemalto, explained:

“Trust ID Network solves the profound weaknesses of traditional, 'siloed' identity frameworks: the clumsy user experience, rising costs and difficulties in complying with stricter regulations... Financial institutions are best-placed to lead this self-sovereign identity revolution, but it will prove similarly attractive to a wide array of other service providers."

In July, R3 released a “version” of its Corda blockchain platform aimed specifically at businesses. The new version of the platform is reportedly “optimized to meet the demands of modern day businesses,” and includes a “Blockchain Application Firewall” to enable the platform operate within corporate data centers and still communicate with Corda’s nodes.