EU study makes decentralized digital identity a research priority for 2028–2034

A European Commission study published on 29 September recommends decentralized identity, digital wallets, verifiable credentials and zero-knowledge technology as priorities for the next Horizon Europe programme, proposed at €175 billion for 2028–2034 and not yet approved. It arrives as member states must offer an EU Digital Identity Wallet by the end of 2026. The development shows Europe building shared identity infrastructure at continental scale, which bears on how access to services and commerce may later be governed, though the study stresses privacy-enhancing design and does not endorse biometric mandates.