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Why wallets matter beyond payments
A digital wallet can be the interface for several different tasks: paying, proving something about yourself, and presenting access items such as tickets or keys. Those tasks have different requirements, but users increasingly encounter them through apps and services that may not recognize one another.
The Linux Foundation describes today’s wallet landscape as fragmented, with risks of vendor lock-in, weak interoperability and uneven security. The practical consequence is that a credential, payment method or access pass that works in one app, on one device or in one country may not travel easily to another service or context.
This is not an argument that every wallet should be replaced by one universal app. It is an argument for portable building blocks: common ways to represent and verify credentials, connect payment systems, and let users move between devices and services without being trapped in a single provider’s ecosystem.
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Why the need is timely
Identity wallets are moving toward deployment in Europe
The European Commission says the EU Digital Identity Regulation entered into force in May 2024 and that European Digital Identity (EUDI) Wallets are expected to be available from 2026. Under the Commission’s policy description, each Member State will provide at least one wallet built to open-source common specifications. The 2026 date is a policy timeline, not proof that every national wallet is already deployed or that all countries will offer identical functions.
The Commission also reports two Eurobarometer findings: 14% of key public-service providers allowed cross-border authentication via eID, and 63% of users wanted a secure single digital ID for all online services. These are indicators of interoperability difficulty and user interest as reported by the Commission; they are not current adoption rates for EUDI Wallets.
Cross-border use exposes gaps between systems
Travelers, migrants, businesses and online services can run into regulatory differences, currency conversion and technical incompatibilities when a wallet crosses a border. The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) argues that global interoperability requires open standards and cooperation among governments, standards bodies and developers. Its Secretary-General, Doreen Bogdan-Martin, said on 22 January 2025: “From making payments easier to proving identity, digital wallets can make meaningful differences in people’s lives.”
Payments depend on more than an app interface
Cross-border payments also require compatible ways to handle payment data. The Financial Stability Board recommends aligning cross-border payment data frameworks while preserving transaction security, anti-money-laundering and counter-terrorist-financing controls, sanctions objectives and individual privacy. A wallet can present a convenient interface, but it cannot make incompatible payment rails or legal requirements disappear.
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- Smart backup: Use your second Tangem Wallet as your Backup keys with end‑to‑end encryption; no more papers, pictures. If one card is lost, the remaining can still restore full access, with an optional seed phrase available for advanced users.
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What open source can—and cannot—solve
Open-source software makes source code available for inspection, use and collaboration under its license. In a wallet ecosystem, that can help developers and institutions examine how components work, build compatible implementations and share development effort rather than each creating an isolated system.
The European Commission’s digital-identity FAQ points to transparency and developer collaboration as benefits of open source. It also says common standards can improve interoperability, simplify verification, reduce development costs and enable new entrants. The Linux Foundation’s wallet work similarly identifies possible gains in cost efficiency, time to market, interoperability, security, privacy and simplicity.
These are opportunities, not automatic outcomes. Public code can still contain vulnerabilities; a project can be poorly maintained; and independently built wallets can behave differently. Open source is most useful when paired with clear governance, responsible updates, independent scrutiny and agreed standards.
Shared standards make portability more plausible
Open code and open standards are related but not interchangeable. A wallet can publish its code yet use formats or interfaces that other services do not support. Conversely, a standard can be publicly specified even if a particular implementation is proprietary. Portability depends on systems adopting compatible protocols, credential formats, payment connections and verification rules—not simply on a source repository being visible.
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Security still requires accountable design
A trustworthy wallet needs secure key storage, cryptographic validation, revocation processes, a safe update path, privacy-by-design and clear responsibility when something goes wrong. It also needs accessible interfaces and understandable recovery options. The ITU’s 2025 work item on wallet security explicitly spans blockchain, identity, payment, central bank digital currency (CBDC) and digital-key use cases.
Governance matters because a wallet involves several parties: an issuer creates a credential, a wallet provider stores or presents it, and a relying party decides whether to accept it. Open code does not by itself decide who certifies implementations, handles disputes, responds to incidents or ensures that a revoked credential is no longer trusted.
How privacy and user control should work
The Commission says the EUDI Wallet is intended to let people share only the information required for a transaction and use credentials across borders. This is a data-minimisation goal: disclose less personal information when less is all a service needs.
For example, a site checking whether someone meets an age threshold should, where the credential and implementation support it, receive an age assertion rather than a full identity record containing a name, address and birth date. That approach is commonly called selective disclosure. It reduces unnecessary exposure, but the policy objective does not guarantee that every wallet, credential or service will implement it perfectly.
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1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesPrivacy assessment should also consider what information is stored locally, what is transmitted, whether activity is logged, how credentials can be revoked, and whether users can understand what they are authorizing. A wallet that uses open code but sends excessive data to a provider would not deliver meaningful user control.
How an open approach compares with familiar wallets
Apple Pay, Google Wallet, bank apps and national identity apps address different needs; the issue is not that each is inherently unsuitable, but that separate ecosystems can have different coverage and compatibility. An open, standards-based model is a way to make those systems more interoperable, not necessarily a replacement app for every existing service.
| Approach | Typical focus | Portability question |
|---|---|---|
| Device or platform wallet | Payments and other items supported by its provider ecosystem | Will the service, device and region involved support the same item and flow? |
| Bank app | Services offered by a particular bank | Can the user carry the relevant function or credential to another provider or country? |
| National identity app | Identity credentials and public or private services connected to a national scheme | Will another country or relying service recognize the credential and verification method? |
| Open-source wallet using common standards | Potentially multiple credential, payment and access use cases, depending on implementation | Do other wallets, issuers, services and payment systems actually adopt compatible standards? |
The last row describes a design direction, not a single finished product. No evidence establishes that one universal wallet already works across all countries, devices, currencies and services.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Is an open digital wallet the same as a crypto wallet?
No. “Open source” describes how software is developed and licensed; it does not mean cryptocurrency. A wallet can be open source and handle identity credentials, payment functions, tickets or keys without being a cryptocurrency wallet. A crypto wallet, in turn, is defined by its relationship to digital assets and cryptographic keys, not by whether its source code is open. Some products may overlap categories, but the terms are not synonyms.
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- Proven security at scale: Over 9 years and millions of cards issued with no known remote hacks, while military‑grade EAL6+ security keeps your private keys locked inside the chip. Your cryptocurrencies stay strongly protected from online attackers.
- Tap once to manage your entire crypto wallet across 90 blockchains - no USB cables or Bluetooth, no batteries, no setup. Access 14,100+ coins & tokens, DeFi, NFTs, and staking instantly from your phone
- Smart backup: Use your second Tangem Wallet as your Backup keys with end‑to‑end encryption; no more papers, pictures. If one card is lost, the remaining can still restore full access, with an optional seed phrase available for advanced users.
- Engineered to last up to 25 years: Waterproof (IP69K), shockproof and tested for extreme temperatures from −25°C to 50°C. A durable cold wallet with long‑term protection and independently audited security.
- Trusted by 6 million users worldwide - buy, sell, swap, stake, and spend cryptocurrency directly. The secure offline storage wallet designed for how people actually use crypto wallets
What to compare before trusting a wallet
Before relying on any wallet, assess both its software and the surrounding ecosystem. These questions apply whether the wallet is open source, government-provided, bank-operated or tied to a device platform.
- Interoperability: Which protocols, credential formats, payment rails, devices and borders does it support? Can you use the item with more than one provider?
- Privacy: Can it disclose only the necessary claim? What data is stored or transmitted, and what does the provider log?
- Security: How are keys generated, stored and recovered? How are credentials validated or revoked? What is the update process, and who handles incidents?
- Governance: Who controls the specification, source repository and release decisions? Is there a certification process and a clear route for resolving disputes?
- Usability and inclusion: Does it support accessibility and relevant languages? Can it work offline where needed? What happens when a user loses or replaces a device?
- Scope: Does it handle only identity or payments, or also tickets, keys, licenses, health or academic credentials? Are those functions accepted by the services you need?
These checks help distinguish a technically open project from a wallet people can safely and practically use. Compatibility claims should be judged by the specific issuers and services that accept the wallet, not by the label “open.”
What an open wallet ecosystem would mean for users
The strongest case is for choice and portability: people should not have to depend on one company’s app or one country’s scheme to prove something, pay, or present an access credential. Common specifications and open collaboration can make that goal more achievable, while privacy-preserving credentials can reduce how much personal data must be shared.
The result depends on implementation and adoption. Standards must be compatible across systems, wallet providers must meet security and accessibility needs, and institutions must take responsibility for verification and recourse. Open source is an important foundation for that work, not a substitute for it.
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