Why decentralized digital identity looks different in every country

Governments globally are developing and launching digital identity schemes. A variety of models exist, and many of the largest are activated in the global south.

India’s Aadhaar, the world’s largest biometric digital ID system, uses a centralized architecture, in which everything runs through the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI).

In a federated architecture, multiple credential issuers can issue credentials that are mutually recognized across sectors through conformance to a common framework, without the need for centralized databases.

Then there is decentralized identity, which allows credentials to be issued once, stored by the user in a secure digital wallet, and reused across systems – theoretically giving users full control over their data through technologies like verifiable credentials, digital ID wallets and distributed ledger or blockchain technology. No central authority manages a user’s identity, and privacy-preserving tools like selective disclosure are built into wallet systems. MOSIP, the Modular Open-Source Identity Platform, aims to support these systems globally, and now has MOUs with 29 countries for rollouts and pilot programs, including the Philippines, Sri Lanka and Togo.

But, even as these distinctions provide a framework for understanding different models for digital ID, there are still questions about what, exactly, decentralization means in national ID, depending on the context.

Africa set to lead in on digital ID globally

In a recent appearance on the Biometric Update Podcast, Claire Ma, founder of Sign, says as governments look to transform their digital infrastructure, including identity, they are all starting from a different perspective – and often need help managing the transition. “Different countries don’t start from a blank page,” she says. If, for example, India wanted to move Aadhar to a decentralized model, “there has to be a hybrid model in between, where they take it step by step.”

Ma has suggested that Africa could emerge as a leader in digital ID globally, fueled by models  like MOSIP, which was spun off from Aadhaar, and now underpins national digital ID systems in Ethiopia, Uganda, Sierra Leone and elsewhere. Morocco was the first country to implement MOSIP, and is now cited among the platform’s major success stories. (See Biometric Update’s new Understanding MOSIP report for detailed case studies.)

In Ghana, says Ma, the Ghana Card (which is not MOSIP-aligned) has reached about 20 million people – somewhere around 90 percent of the population.

“I definitely see a harder push from these African countries on digital ID initiatives,” she says.

ID4Africa 2026 underscores importance of trust

Takeaways from the recent ID4Africa 2026 AGM support the theory. Liberia is about to resume national ID card issuance, as it works on digital ID. Speaking with Biometric Update on location in Abidjan, Dr. Joseph Atick suggests that African ID authorities are leading thought in the national digital ID space globally, as evidenced by dramatic improvements in registrations, and in practical use cases. The market appears to be on the verge of a boom, and many voices at the event advocated for decentralized digital identity as the way forward in building the infrastructure of trust.

As per usual, trust is the supporting beam of the conversation. The challenge is, that, too, means different things in different places. Claire Ma notes that, while the Indian government may be able to pre-load the Aadhaar app onto devices by default, that would never fly in a place like the U.S., where digital ID is still often perceived as a surveillance threat. Various governments will be comfortable with different levels of action in pushing digital ID on their citizens.

The common factors across the spectrum are those on which trust depends. Regardless of what a decentralized digital ID scheme looks like, it needs strong governance frameworks, clear architecture, transparency, and the option to choose not to use it. “I think voluntary enrolment is really important,” says Ma. “Citizens need to feel like they are adopted into the system, not like they’re forced to accept it.”

In comments made at the ID4Africa 2026 AGM, Ramamohan Reddy, CEO of Digital Trust Technologies, expresses similar sentiments. “While ID and identity verification are key enabling aspects of trust, they are only necessary conditions, not sufficient ones.”

“Primarily, if citizens are to feel happy, empowered, and benefited, what do they want? They want safe, secure service delivery, and they want predictable service delivery by the government.”

The lesson emerging from Africa, MOSIP and the broader digital identity ecosystem is that technology alone does not determine success. Trust, governance and local context shape how identity systems are designed, adopted and used. While common platforms may provide shared building blocks, the path to digital identity will remain different for every country.

Article Topics

biometrics  |  decentralized ID  |  digital ID  |  digital ID infrastructure  |  ID4Africa  |  MOSIP (Modular Open Source Identity Platform)  |  Sign