Important points
- "Presentation Exchange" Removed from OpenID for Verifiable Presentations Specification
- Instead, the Digital Credential Query Language (DCQL) is the only query language available.
- This change marks a significant turning point in the world of digital identity.
A quiet revolution: significant changes in digital identity
A major inflection point quietly occurred in the world of digital identity technology in April 2025. The OpenID for Verifiable Presentations (OpenID4VP) specification removed "Presentation Exchange," leaving only "Digital Credential Query Language (DCQL)." Although this change was not announced with much fanfare, it is a very important development for the field of digital identity and verifiable credentials (VC).
What was Presentation Exchange?
Presentation Exchange (PE) was the first query language for querying VCs. It was an ambitious Swiss army knife of a specification that aimed to allow complex queries across multiple certificates.
Specifically, we were able to:
- Serves as a general-purpose query language for certificates represented in JSON format
- You can query not only the contents of a certificate, but also attributes such as algorithms and formats.
- Complex conditions can be set, such as "two of this, three of that, and either X, Y, or Z format."
But this complexity was also a problem: it violated the principle of "keeping simple things simple."
Why was the change necessary?
This change didn't happen overnight: many experts, including Michael Jones, have been calling for a new specification to replace Presentation Exchange for several years.
The problems with PE were:
- Overly complicated specificationsPE had too many features, and most implementations only used a few of them.
- Interoperability Issues: Implementation tended to be piecemeal, making it difficult to integrate systems
- Negative feedback from implementersAs the complexity increased, so did the criticism from implementers.
The new DCQL, on the other hand, is a purpose-built query language. All the functionality you need is based on actual real-world use cases. It may not be as simple as one would hope, but it is designed to serve real needs, not hypothetical ones.
What is the new DCQL?
Digital Credential Query Language (DCQL) is a purpose-built query language that abstracts the complexities of PE and provides functionality based on real-world use cases.
DCQL Features:
- Simpler and easier to understand design
- Includes only features based on real use cases
- Designed specifically for the OpenID4VP protocol
DCQL was developed by Daniel Fett with the cooperation of many experts, including Oliver Terbu, Tobias Looker, and Michael Jones. Discussions at the Internet Identity Workshop and the IDUnion Hackathon also contributed greatly to the development.
Background of the change
This change took nearly two years to complete. Specifically, the process is as follows:
- January 2023:
- OAuth Security Workshop begins discussion on "What does Presentation Exchange do, and what parts are actually needed?"
- February, 2023
- Similar discussions will continue in the Internet Identity Workshop, leading to increased recognition and consensus on the need to replace PE.
- February, 2023
- DCQL has been added to OpenID4VP, temporarily supporting both query languages
- 2024
- DCQL will be further improved through discussions at the IDUnion Hackathon.
- June 2025, 4 (June 4, Japan time)
- Presentation Exchange was eventually removed and DCQL became the sole query language.
A historic turning point
It is important to note that this change was made before OpenID4VP became a final specification. The evolution of the OpenID4VP specification can be tracked as follows:
- Specifications when only PE was supported
- Specifications when both PE and DCQL were supported
- Current specification supports only DCQL
This change:GitHub pull requestsThis has been done calmly through the project, but its impact has been enormous.
Conclusion
The creators of Presentation Exchange deserve credit for their work, but this change builds on that experience. As a result, the world of digital identity is evolving in a more user-friendly and efficient direction. This change marks a significant inflection point that will impact the fundamental aspects of how VC is presented.
In the evolution of technology, sometimes the hardest thing to do is to make the complex simple. This change to OpenID4VP is one example of that challenge, and we hope it will be a step towards a more widely understood and adopted world of digital identity.