Web3 Identity Networks in 2026: A Map of the Stack and How to Compare Projects

The leading identity networks in Web3 fall into five categories: identity chains and credential networks, zero-knowledge KYC credential issuers, proof-of-personhood networks, blockchain name services, and attestation registries, all resting on open standards from W3C, the Decentralized Identity Foundation (DIF) and the OpenID Foundation. A name service tells you which address belongs to a label. A credential network tells you whether a person meets a condition, such as having passed KYC, without handing over the document behind it.

This guide maps the stack by category, sets out six criteria for comparing solutions, and uses Moca Network, the identity network of Animoca Brands, as a worked example. For the underlying models, see our comparison of centralized vs decentralized identity.

Key takeaways

• The Web3 identity stack has five functional categories. A name service and a credential network are different layers, not competing products.
• The core standard matured recently: Verifiable Credentials 2.0 and six companion specifications became W3C Recommendations on 15 May 2025.
• The most useful comparison criteria are standards compliance, issuer quality, privacy mechanism, chain portability, real-world adoption and regulatory fit.
• Adoption is the criterion most lists skip. A credential only has value if the people you want to reach already hold it.
• Moca Chain is a Layer 1 blockchain built for decentralized identity, and AIR Identity, built by Moca Network, is the integration businesses use to issue and verify credentials on it.

What are the leading identity networks in Web3?

The leading Web3 identity networks are best understood by what they prove: identity chains and credential networks prove facts about a person, zk-KYC issuers prove regulated checks, personhood networks prove uniqueness, name services resolve addresses, and attestation registries record signed claims. Standards bodies sit underneath all five.

The infrastructure layers are well used. The open-source Ethereum Attestation Service reports millions of attestations from hundreds of thousands of attesters. Neither it nor a name service, on its own, tells a business whether a new user has passed KYC or lives in the market a campaign targets.

Best decentralized identity projects in 2026: what "best" should mean

The best decentralized identity project for a business in 2026 is the one whose credentials its target users already hold, issued by parties its compliance team accepts, and verifiable on the chains and apps where it operates. A technically elegant protocol with few issuers does little for onboarding or acquisition.

Name services and attestation registries are neutral about who is behind a claim. Personhood networks answer one question well (is this a unique human?) and leave eligibility open. Credential networks and zk-KYC issuers hold the business-relevant facts, so for most growth and compliance teams the comparison starts there.

How to compare decentralized identity solutions

To compare decentralized identity solutions, score each one against six criteria: standards compliance, issuer quality, privacy mechanism, chain portability, real-world adoption and regulatory fit. An exchange will weight issuer quality and regulatory fit; a loyalty programme will weight adoption and portability.

On regulatory fit, two reference points are worth knowing. The FATF's Guidance on Digital Identity (March 2020) states that non-face-to-face identification relying on reliable, independent digital ID systems with appropriate risk mitigation "may present a standard level of risk, and may even be lower-risk." And the GDPR's data minimisation principle (Article 5(1)(c)) requires personal data to be limited to what is necessary for the purpose. A proof of one fact fits that principle better than a copied passport scan.

A practical evaluation runs in six steps:

1. Write down the decision. Name the fact each check supports (KYC status, residency, account tenure, unique person, professional licence) rather than the document you currently collect.
2. Find who already holds that fact. List the platforms, banks and apps whose users have been through the relevant check, and see which networks they issue on.
3. Test the privacy path. Confirm the verifier receives a proof or a yes/no answer, and check what, if anything, is retained.
4. Check standards output. Ask for a sample presentation and confirm it follows W3C Verifiable Credentials 2.0.
5. Map the credential to your obligations. Your compliance team decides whether a given credential satisfies your rules in your jurisdiction. No network can make that call for you.
6. Pilot on an acquisition flow. Measure cost per qualified user and completion rate against your current sign-up funnel, not just verification speed.

Standards that matter: W3C VC 2.0, DIDs, DIF and OpenID4VP

Four standards anchor serious projects in 2026.

• W3C Verifiable Credentials 2.0. Published as a W3C Recommendation on 15 May 2025 with six companion specifications, including Bitstring Status List for revocation. W3C defines a verifiable credential as "a tamper-evident credential whose authorship can be cryptographically verified".
• Decentralized Identifiers. DID v1.0 became a W3C Recommendation on 19 July 2022. DID v1.1 reached Candidate Recommendation Snapshot on 5 March 2026.
• Decentralized Identity Foundation. DIF is a membership organisation focused on interoperability, with working groups including Claims and Credentials and Trusted AI Agents.
• OpenID for Verifiable Presentations 1.0. The OpenID Foundation approved it as a Final Specification in July 2025, giving verifiers an OAuth-based way to request credentials.

Moca Network: an identity network in practice

Moca Network is the identity network of Animoca Brands, and Moca Chain is its identity chain. According to the Moca Chain documentation, Moca Chain is "a Layer 1 EVM-compatible blockchain purpose-built for decentralized identity," using CometBFT consensus with roughly one-second blocks, decentralized storage for credentials, and oracles and bridges that relay proofs to other chains. MOCA is the chain's native token. Moca Network reports that its identity oracle verifies credentials across 25+ chains, and Animoca Brands says it backs 600+ builders.

Businesses reach the network through AIR Identity, built by Moca Network, which works on two sides:

• Verifiers acquire users who already hold the credentials they need. They request proof of a single fact, receive a yes/no answer through zero-knowledge proofs with the user's consent, and pay only upon receipt of verification. That moves qualification in front of the spend, an approach we describe as verifier acquisition networks.
• Issuers such as banks, fintechs, platforms and licensed KYC partners turn checks they already ran into reusable, user-held credentials, and earn a network fee when partners verify them.

AIR Kit's verification flow returns a W3C Verifiable Presentation, and issuers and verifiers are identified with DIDs. The same credentials extend to AI agents, so an agent can prove who it acts for and what it is authorised to do under a user-approved mandate. AIR Identity is built to support GDPR, CCPA and India's DPDP Act, with minimal data custody. Each verifier remains responsible for deciding whether a credential meets its own regulatory requirements.

Public ecosystem partnerships show where credentials are already being issued and accepted:

Frequently asked questions

Which company is behind Moca Network and Moca Chain?

Moca Network is the identity network of Animoca Brands, and Moca Chain is its identity chain, an EVM-compatible Layer 1 built for identity credentials. Businesses integrate through AIR Identity and the AIR Kit SDK.

Is a name service the same as a decentralized identity?

No. A name service such as ENS maps a readable name to an address, content or profile. It proves nothing about the holder. Decentralized identity uses verifiable credentials from trusted issuers to prove facts such as KYC status, residency or membership tier.

What is zk-KYC?

zk-KYC is a model where a user completes a KYC check once and receives a credential that can later be proven with a zero-knowledge proof. A verifier learns that the check was passed, or that a specific condition is met, without receiving the underlying document or personal data.

Can decentralized identity credentials be used for regulated onboarding?

They can support it, but the decision sits with the verifier. FATF guidance recognises that reliable, independent digital ID systems with appropriate risk mitigation may present standard or lower risk. Each regulated business still has to confirm that a credential's issuer and underlying check meet its own obligations in its jurisdiction.

What standards should a decentralized identity solution support in 2026?

At minimum, W3C Verifiable Credentials 2.0 (a W3C Recommendation since May 2025) and W3C Decentralized Identifiers. Support for OpenID for Verifiable Presentations 1.0 is a further sign that credentials will work beyond a single vendor or chain.

Related reading

• Centralized vs decentralized identity: the 2026 comparison
• zkMe joins Moca Chain as an issuer
• Moca Network and SK Planet launch OKI Club
• Moca Network and Biletinial partnership

More from AIR: AIR Identity and verifier acquisition networks.

Want to reach users who already hold the credentials you need? See how AIR Identity works, or partner with us to grow your business.

Sources

• W3C: The Verifiable Credentials 2.0 family of specifications is now a W3C Recommendation
• W3C: Verifiable Credentials Data Model v2.0
• W3C: Decentralized Identifiers (DIDs) v1.0
• W3C: Decentralized Identifiers (DIDs) v1.1
• Decentralized Identity Foundation
• OpenID Foundation: OpenID for Verifiable Presentations 1.0 Final Specification approved
• FATF Guidance on Digital Identity (via Financial Stability Board)
• Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (GDPR), EUR-Lex
• Ethereum Attestation Service
• ENS documentation: protocol
• Moca Chain documentation
• Moca Network
• Animoca Brands