Aoife Houlihan

By the end of 2026, all EU member states will be required to issue the European Digital Identity Wallet (EUDI), with a goal of achieving 80% voluntary adoption by 2030.  

While much of the current focus has been on user adoption and interoperability, a more fundamental shift in the economy is underway: the rise of AI agents capable of acting, transacting, and coordinating on behalf of individuals and businesses. This raises a critical question: how can these agents be trusted to act, transact, and take decisions safely across platforms and jurisdictions? 

Identity-wallets and verifiable credentials hold the potential to become foundational trust infrastructure that unlocks this shift, by authenticating identity, delegating authority from human to agent, and resolving KYC and liability questions. With the right design choices today, the EUDI could evolve into a global benchmark not just for digital identity, but for programmable, interoperable trust. 

Yet, critical questions remain around adoption, sustainable business models, and resilience to emerging technological risks. As the deadline draws closer, this roundtable will convene financial institutions, digital identity and verifiable credentials providers, technologists, and policymakers to examine key design and coordination challenges and trade-offs facing identity wallet ecosystems today.