Remove Ed25519VerificationKey

Status: Draft
Published: 14.08.2026
Effective: xx.12.2026 (December 2026, exact date TBD
Affected Components: DID Resolver, Wallet, Generic Issuer, Generic Verifier, Base Registry, Trust Registry
Internal Reference: EIDARTFE-1951

This dossier announces the Contract phase of the verification method key format. As of the effective date, support for Ed25519VerificationKey as a verification method format is removed from the DID Resolver and DID Toolbox across all implementations (Java, Kotlin/Android, Swift). This step is only executed once the Migrate phase has fully completed, i.e. once no DID Document in active use across the ecosystem still relies solely on Ed25519VerificationKey for authentication. After the effective date, DID Documents that still rely only on Ed25519VerificationKey for authentication will no longer resolve or verify. Note that Ed25519 keys as verification method in the JWK format is still supported and was introduced with DID Toolbox 2.3.0.

Action required

Tag ⚠️ Required soon Tag 🚨 Breaking Tag 🆕 Optional Tag ✅ Improvement Tag 🐞 Fix

DID Resolver

🚨 Support for Ed25519VerificationKey as a verification method format is removed. The DID Resolver no longer resolves or accepts Ed25519VerificationKey as a valid authentication verification method, across all implementations (Java, Kotlin/Android, Swift).

Generic Issuer

⚠️ Confirm before the effective date that issuance does not depend on any key published only as Ed25519VerificationKey in a DID Document. Update to the DID Resolver release that removes Ed25519VerificationKey support.

Generic Verifier

🚨 After the effective date, verification of credentials whose key is published only as Ed25519VerificationKey will no longer succeed. Update to the DID Resolver release that removes Ed25519VerificationKey support.

Wallet

⚠️ Ensure DID Documents used by the Wallet no longer rely solely on Ed25519VerificationKey for authentication before the effective date. Update to the DID Resolver release that removes Ed25519VerificationKey support.

Base Registry

⚠️ Update to the DID Resolver release that removes Ed25519VerificationKey support and confirm no dependency on Ed25519VerificationKey-only DID Documents.

Trust Registry

⚠️ Update to the DID Resolver release that removes Ed25519VerificationKey support and confirm no dependency on Ed25519VerificationKey-only DID Documents.

Migration steps

  1. Migrate phase completes: all DID Documents in active use have been migrated to JsonWebKey/JsonWebKey2020 (EIDARTFE-1950).
  2. Confirmation obtained that no active DID Document in the ecosystem still relies solely on Ed25519VerificationKey for authentication.
  3. Ed25519VerificationKey support is removed from all DID Resolver implementations (Java, Kotlin/Android, Swift).
  4. Updated DID Resolvers are deployed and verified in all consuming components: Wallet, Generic Issuer, Generic Verifier, Base Registry, Trust Registry.
  5. Contract phase becomes effective: Ed25519VerificationKey is no longer resolved or accepted as a valid authentication verification method.

Timeline

xx.12.2026 - Contract phase effective, Ed25519VerificationKey support removed (exact December date to be confirmed).

Updated: