Verifiable Credentials at scale: lifecycle and revocation

Issuing a Verifiable Credential is straightforward. Keeping it trustworthy over time is where real-world complexity appears.

Why lifecycle matters

At scale, the hard problems are operational:

• Refresh and expiry: short validity improves assurance but increases operational load.
• Status and revocation: verifiers need reliable signals without creating privacy leakage.
• Change propagation: changes in authority or eligibility must be reflected quickly.

Design choices that matter

Good lifecycle design balances risk, cost, and usability:

• Credential type (identity, authority, entitlement) should dictate status and refresh behaviour.
• Verifier expectations determine whether real‑time checks are required or bounded staleness is acceptable.
• Governance defines who can revoke, how disputes are handled, and what evidence is required.

A practical path forward

Start with a narrow use case, but exercise the full lifecycle:

• Issue credentials through authoritative systems.
• Test revocation and status checks early.
• Measure verifier behaviour and user impact.

VC ecosystems succeed when lifecycle is treated as a first‑order capability, not a bolt‑on.