Digital wallets: How to build for an emerging identity landscape - our new white paper

The global landscape of digital identity, particularly digital wallets, is evolving rapidly. Different regions across the globe are adopting varied approaches, shaped by factors such as digital infrastructure, market conditions, and technology ecosystems. These emerging systems offer immense opportunities for users, public entities, and private sector organisations alike, but navigating this evolving landscape can be challenging.

Earlier in January 2025, the UK Government unveiled its plans for a new GOV.UK wallet, with mobile driver’s licences one of the first digital documents to be made available for citizens on the service, alongside the Veteran’s Card. The optional service is set to expand to every credential issued by Government by 2027, as part of its wider goals to improve ways for people to interact with government digitally – laid out in the recent Blueprint for modern digital government policy document.

The plans mark a substantial pivot in the UK’s digital identity and wallet strategy. Amidst excitement, some voices express their concerns over the impact of the service on existing wallets issued under the UK (Digital Identity & Attributes Trust Framework) DIATF – and wider concerns of mandatory ID schemes from privacy groups. 

Darren Hutton, Chief Digital Officer at Hippo shared thoughts on the announcement in a recent article from Think Digital Partners:

“At the 2024 Think Digital Identity and Cyber Security event Hippo curated a panel from across the digital wallet ecosystem to bring this topic to a wider audience, so it’s great to see this starting to take shape.

As seen across Europe with eIDAS 2.0, there are many potential use cases for digital wallets. Here the importance of open standards for interoperability will ensure that users are empowered and see the benefits of wallets. Hippo’s work on NHS England’s Digital Staff Passport, a wallet enabling movement of staff, has shown that users need a compelling use case to adopt. Open standards should ensure that users can utilise credentials in multiple scenarios, which will lead to more compelling reasons and wider adoption.

Collaboration across Government isn’t always straightforward. Hopefully, along with this announcement, DSIT can bring together programmes of work across Government to bring the best outcomes for users.”

As plans take shape, the opportunity that digital wallet technology offers is ever evolving and there are many key considerations that need to be made for it to be designed and implemented across services and sectors effectively.

Trust, user experience, interoperability and de-centralised identity

Our new white paper offers core strategies, considerations and best practices for implementing digital wallet and ID solutions. We explore: 

• The global ID wallet landscape: What can we learn? – Lessons and insights from the contrasting regional strategies: the centralised, interoperable, and privacy-first EU vs. the fragmented, private sector market driven US, and the UK’s opportunity for a hybrid model. 

• Strategies and opportunities for digital wallets – Uncover best practices across the design and development of wallet solutions, from building trust with users through decentralised identity, key considerations around user experience and onboarding, and the importance of interoperability.

• Use cases for digital wallets – From empowering both patients and professionals in a healthcare setting, to enhanced security and streamlined transactions for financial services, and seamless mobility in travel, we’ll explore some key use cases for wallets. 

Digital wallets are redefining how we manage identity and credentials, offering convenience and security for individuals and organisations alike. For government, business, and tech innovators, now is the moment to shape a digital wallet ecosystem. Download the white paper Digital Wallets: How to build for an emerging identity landscape to find out more.