The Future of Identity

Hosted by Riley Hughes

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Latest episode

May 2026

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About the show

The Future of Identity podcast talks to the people building the IDtech products of tomorrow. In each episode, Trinsic CEO Riley Hughes dives deep with founders and product builders to discuss their insights about what it takes to successfully launch an identity product. We hope you join us as we highlight the people at the forefront of making IDtech consumable for every day users and what is needed to reach mass adoption.As a leader in the self-sovereign identity movement, Trinsic has seen hundreds of companies attempt to use decentralized identity to build products that help people take control of their identity and data. Learn more about Trinsic at https://trinsic.id/.

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43 recent

May 28, 2026Episode 4232 min

Rob White – Expanding Digital Identity Through Samsung Wallet and Samsung ID

In this episode of The Future of Identity Podcast, I’m joined by Rob White, Head of Samsung Wallet US, to discuss Samsung’s role in the rapidly evolving digital identity ecosystem. From mobile driver’s licenses to the newly launched Samsung ID with CLEAR, Robert shares how Samsung is thinking about identity as a foundational layer for secure digital experiences across its devices and services.Our conversation explores the challenges and opportunities of scaling digital identity adoption, the importance of balancing security and privacy, and why wallets may play a critical role in addressing the growing trust challenges created by AI-generated fraud and impersonation.In this episode we explore:How Samsung provisions and secures digital IDs, from document verification and liveness checks to state-issued credential delivery.Why mobile IDs offer stronger privacy protections than physical credentials through selective disclosure and consent-based sharing.The launch of Samsung ID with CLEAR and how it expands access to trusted digital identity beyond states currently issuing mDLs.Why AI-driven fraud, synthetic identities, and online impersonation are increasing the urgency for trusted digital credentials.How Samsung is working with issuers, identity providers, and relying parties to grow acceptance and accelerate adoption worldwide.This episode is essential listening for anyone interested in the future of digital wallets, mobile driver’s licenses, and identity verification. Robert offers a unique perspective from one of the world’s largest wallet providers on what it will take to move digital identity from early adoption to mainstream use.Hope you enjoy the conversation and if it resonates, feel free to share it with others interested in where identity is headed.Learn more about Samsung Wallet.Reach out to Riley (@rileyphughes) and Trinsic (@trinsic_id) on Twitter. We’d love to hear from you.Listen to the full episode on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or find all ways to listen at trinsic.id/podcast.

April 22, 2026Episode 4145 min

Amit Sharma – Rethinking Digital Identity in the Age of AI and Verifiable Credentials

In this episode of The Future of Identity Podcast, I’m joined by Amit Sharma, Global Head of Digital Strategy at IDEMIA Public Security, to explore a more foundational question than usual: why digital identity matters right now. Rather than focusing on a single deployment or ecosystem, this conversation zooms out to examine how accelerating AI capabilities, data exploitation, and digital-first lives are reshaping the role of identity in society.Our discussion connects big-picture philosophy with real-world infrastructure - covering everything from verifiable credentials and mobile driver’s licenses to identity acceptance networks and the economics of data. Amit shares a compelling perspective on why the current model of identity - built around detection, data aggregation, and exploitation - is breaking down, and what needs to replace it.In this episode we explore:Why AI and agentic systems are breaking traditional fraud detection models - and forcing a shift toward proving authenticity instead of detecting bad actors.How verifiable digital credentials enable trust-first identity, reducing reliance on data brokers and improving both security and user experience.The role of identity acceptance networks in unlocking real-world utility for credentials like mDLs across industries.Why today’s data economy is fundamentally misaligned, and how user-controlled identity could reshape incentives around privacy and monetization.The importance of incremental progress over perfection, and why deploying imperfect digital ID systems today is critical to driving adoption and learning.This episode is essential listening for anyone thinking about the future of identity beyond just technology - spanning business models, regulation, AI, and the fundamental question of how we build a more trustworthy digital world. Amit brings a rare combination of policy, security, and commercial perspective to one of the most important shifts happening in identity today.I hope you enjoy the conversation and if it resonates, feel free to share it with others interested in where identity is headed.Learn more about IDEMIA.Reach out to Riley (@rileyphughes) and Trinsic (@trinsic_id) on Twitter. We’d love to hear from you.Listen to the full episode on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or find all ways to listen at trinsic.id/podcast.

March 25, 2026Episode 4048 min

Robin Tombs – Building Reusable Identity at Scale and Driving Real-World Adoption with Yoti

In this episode of The Future of Identity Podcast, I’m joined by Robin Tombs, co-founder and CEO of Yoti, one of the earliest and most widely adopted reusable digital identity wallets globally. Robin shares the long journey behind Yoti - from early frustrations with knowledge-based identity checks to building a biometric, user-controlled identity app years before reusable identity became a mainstream concept.Our conversation explores what it really takes to build a reusable identity network from the ground up. Robin reflects on the challenges of solving the cold start problem, navigating regulatory friction, and earning user trust, while steadily growing Yoti to over 23 million downloads across multiple markets. We also dig into how adoption is finally accelerating as governments, businesses, and users begin to align around the value of portable, privacy-preserving identity.In this episode we explore:Why knowledge-based verification failed and how biometrics and document verification changed the game.The realities of the cold start problem in identity and why utility and acceptance must grow together.How regulation both slows and unlocks adoption, from right-to-work checks to age verification laws.The importance of trust frameworks and certification in helping relying parties confidently accept reusable identity.Why acceptance networks are critical to scaling identity ecosystems and ensuring wallets can be used everywhere they matter.This episode is essential listening for anyone building or investing in digital identity. Robin offers a rare, candid look at what it takes to persist through a decade-long journey in identity and why the next phase of growth will be driven by interoperability, networks, and real-world utility.Enjoy the episode, and don’t forget to share it with others who are passionate about the future of identity!Learn more about Yoti.Reach out to Riley (@rileyphughes) and Trinsic (@trinsic_id) on Twitter. We’d love to hear from you.Listen to the full episode on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or find all ways to listen at trinsic.id/podcast.

January 7, 2026Episode 3953 min

Ross Freiman-Mendel – Networked Identity, Reusable Personas, and the Future of KYC

In this episode of The Future of Identity Podcast, I’m joined by Ross Freiman-Mendel, Head of Product Growth at Persona, to explore the shift from one-off, siloed KYC toward network-based and reusable identity products. Ross walks through Persona’s consumer and enterprise identity networks, including Reusable Personas, Persona Connect, and emerging work on Know Your Agent (KYA), and explains why redundant verification has become one of the biggest unsolved problems in identity.Our conversation goes deep on the practical realities of building reusable identity at scale. Ross shares concrete adoption metrics, including 2× higher conversion rates, significantly faster completion times, and why over 90% of Persona customers are now activated on the network. We also unpack how network-based identity improves fraud detection while simultaneously reducing user friction - one of the rare win-win scenarios in identity.In this episode we explore:Why redundant KYC is breaking onboarding experiences and how transferable identity solves it.The difference between consumer-owned identity wallets (Reusable Personas) and enterprise-to-enterprise sharing (Persona Connect).How network-based identity acts as a trust signal, improving fraud outcomes without global blocklists.Where mobile driver’s licenses and digital wallets fit into Persona’s platform-agnostic acceptance strategy.Why AI agents are accelerating the need for identity portability and what Know Your Agent could look like in practice.This episode is essential listening for anyone building or buying identity verification technology. Ross offers a grounded, metrics-driven perspective on how reusable identity is finally moving from theory to production and why networks, not standalone checks, will define the next era of digital trust.Enjoy the episode, and don’t forget to share it with others who are passionate about the future of identity!Learn more about Persona.Reach out to Riley (@rileyphughes) and Trinsic (@trinsic_id) on Twitter. We’d love to hear from you.Listen to the full episode on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or find all ways to listen at trinsic.id/podcast.

October 22, 2025Episode 3854 min

Chris Goh – Scaling Mobile IDs in Australia with ISO mDocs

In this episode of The Future of Identity Podcast, I’m joined by Chris Goh, former National Harmonisation Lead for Australia’s mobile driver’s licenses (mDLs) and the architect behind Queensland’s digital driver’s license. Chris played a pivotal role in driving national alignment across states and territories, culminating in the 2024 agreement to adopt ISO mDoc/mDL standards for mobile driver’s licenses and photo IDs across Australia and New Zealand.Our conversation dives into Australia’s path from early blockchain experiments to a unified, standards-based approach - one that balances innovation, security, and accessibility. Chris shares lessons from real-world deployments, cultural challenges like “flash passes,” and how both Australia and New Zealand are building digital ID ecosystems ready for global interoperability.In this episode we explore:Why mDoc became the foundation: Offline + online verification, PKI-based trust, and modular architecture enabling scalable, interoperable credentials.From Hyperledger to harmony: Lessons from early decentralized trials and how certification and conformance reduce fragmentation.Balancing innovation and standardization: Why agility and stability must coexist to keep identity ecosystems moving forward.The cultural realities of adoption: How flash passes, retail constraints, and public education shaped Australia’s rollout strategy.The road ahead: How national trust lists, privacy “contracts,” and delegated authority could define the next phase of digital identity in the region.This episode is essential listening for anyone building or implementing digital credentials, whether you’re a policymaker, issuer, verifier, or technology provider. Chris offers a clear, grounded perspective on what it really takes to move from pilots to national-scale digital identity infrastructure.Enjoy the episode, and don’t forget to share it with others who are passionate about the future of identity!Learn more about Valid8.Reach out to Riley (@rileyphughes) and Trinsic (@trinsic_id) on Twitter. We’d love to hear from you.Listen to the full episode on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or find all ways to listen at trinsic.id/podcast.

August 12, 2025Episode 3746 min

Thomas Mayfield – Building Interoperable Web3 Identity with the Veridian Platform

In this episode of The Future of Identity Podcast, I’m joined by Thomas Mayfield, Head of Decentralized Trust & Identity Solutions at the Cardano Foundation. Thomas leads the development of the Veridian Wallet, an open-source digital identity platform built on the KERI (Key Event Receipt Infrastructure) protocol and funded by the Foundation.Our conversation explores the rapidly evolving Web3 digital identity ecosystem—and how Veridian aims to bridge Web2 and Web3 with universal interoperable identifiers that cut through today’s fragmented identity landscape. We also dig into the growing urgency to rebuild digital trust as data breaches, ransomware, and AI-powered threats escalate.In this episode we explore:Why interoperability—across Web2, Web3, and beyond—is essential to breaking down identity “walled gardens.”How the KERI protocol enables quantum-proof, tamper-evident, and recoverable identifiers for individuals, organizations, and AI agents.Real-world adoption: how the United Nations is using Veridian for organizational identity and passwordless authentication.The potential for verifiable IoT and AI agent identities to transform trust in machine-to-machine and human-to-machine interactions.How developers can leverage Veridian’s open-source infrastructure, sandbox environments, and tooling to build secure, compliant identity solutions faster.The role of regulation in driving adoption—and why future-proofing identity systems now could save billions in breach-related costs.This episode is essential listening for anyone working on decentralized identity—whether you’re building infrastructure, integrating identity into products, or shaping policy. Thomas offers a rare, in-depth look at how to design for both future-proof security and real-world interoperability.Enjoy the episode, and don’t forget to share it with others who are passionate about the future of identity!Learn more about the Cardano Foundation.Reach out to Riley (@rileyphughes) and Trinsic (@trinsic_id) on Twitter. We’d love to hear from you.Listen to the full episode on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or find all ways to listen at trinsic.id/podcast.

July 9, 2025Episode 3658 min

Teresa Wu - Driving Mobile ID Adoption at IDEMIA

On this episode we spoke with Teresa Wu, Vice President of Smart Credentials and Access at IDEMIA. IDEMIA has been involved with many U.S. states for their mobile IDs, including New York, Arizona, Iowa, Delaware and more. Very few people on earth have more experience than Teresa working with governments to issue digital credentials.We asked her what would encourage more states to launch mobile IDs and drive end-user adoption. Her response was: more relying party use cases. So, we spent most of our conversation exploring questions like:Should relying parties wait to adopt until standards mature and more people have digital IDs?How can relying parties get started now?How much should the industry channel its energy towards innovation vs. standardization?How will the wallet landscape evolve? Will operating system wallets dominate, or will there be lots of wallets?We closed out by covering the lessons Teresa has learned through all this experience for public servants. I think this conversation will be relevant to anybody interested in digital IDs, either on the issuance or acceptance side.You can find Teresa on Linkedin and learn more about IDEMIA on their website.Subscribe to our newsletter for more announcements related to the future of identity at trinsic.id/podcastReach out to Riley (@rileyphughes) and Trinsic (@trinsic_id) on Twitter. We’d love to hear from you.

May 7, 2025Episode 3545 min

Rebekah Johnson - Building a Business Identity Ecosystem at Numeracle

On today’s episode we spoke to Rebekah Johnson, Founder & CEO of Numeracle. This was a fascinating conversation about Rebekah’s journey starting Numeracle in 2016 to bring trust back to business communications by tackling robocalling and spam in the telecom ecosystem.We talk about how Numeracle became an early identity issuer in telecom through the implementation of STIR/SHAKEN protocols which have now rolled out to subscribers of carriers like T-Mobile and how she overcame the classic chicken-and-egg problem of launching before carriers were ready. We also discuss how the business identity ecosystem compares to consumer digital identity, and what companies should do when they know a new standard is coming (like eIDAS 2.0), but it’s not here yet.We finish by exploring modern AI's impact on communications, including how to preserve trust when automated agents or AI-powered voice calls are part of the conversation.You can learn more about Numeracle at numeracle.com and connect with Rebekah on LinkedIn.Subscribe to our weekly newsletter for more announcements related to the future of identity at trinsic.id/podcastReach out to Riley (@rileyphughes) and Trinsic (@trinsic_id) on Twitter. We’d love to hear from you.

January 29, 2025Episode 3442 min

Jonas Brännvall - How BankID Became Ubiquitous in Sweden

In this episode, we speak with Jonas Branvall, Head of International Expansion at BankID Sweden, one of the most widely-adopted reusable ID systems in the world. With 99.7% of Swedish adults using BankID and over 7,500 relying parties onboard, it’s a fascinating success story in the digital identity space.I’ve been eager to explore what drives the adoption of a universally embraced digital ID system, and Jonas provides clear answers. We discuss the pivotal role of strong use cases in driving adoption, including the two major relying party use cases that helped BankID achieve its widespread success. Jonas also shares his insights on the tipping point for adoption—approximately 40% penetration—and why that marks the transition to ubiquity for both users and relying parties.BankID’s story offers a powerful model for anyone involved in launching mobile driver’s licenses (mDLs), EUDI wallets, private-sector reusable ID networks, or companies looking to integrate these solutions.Join me for this insightful conversation with Jonas Branvall and learn more about BankID at https://www.bankid.com/en/.

January 15, 2025Episode 3338 min

Diego Fernández - Driving Decentralized Identity in Buenos Aires with QuarkID

In this episode of The Future of Identity Podcast, I’m joined by Diego Fernández, co-founder of QuarkID and Sovra, to discuss the innovative decentralized identity solution rolled out by the city of Buenos Aires. QuarkID has garnered international attention for its self-custodial identity wallet app, and Diego provides a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at its development, challenges, and growing adoption.In this episode, we explore:The journey of QuarkID, from its origin story to its evolution as a decentralized identity solution.Insights into adoption challenges when launching a self-custodial identity wallet app in February and the breakthrough moment of integrating it into the government mobile app.The impressive growth of QuarkID, with over 200,000 users onboarded in just 40 days and adoption accelerating at an increasing rate.Diego’s visionary perspective on the shortcomings of current identity systems and how improved digital identity can drive prosperity and empowerment.Practical lessons for governments and organizations looking to implement decentralized identity systems.This episode is a must-listen for professionals in digital identity, government innovation, and technology ecosystems. Whether you’re interested in decentralized identity, user adoption strategies, or creating impactful public-private partnerships, this conversation offers valuable insights.Enjoy the episode, and don’t forget to share it with others who are passionate about the future of identity!Learn more about QuarkID at https://quarkid.org/.Subscribe to our weekly newsletter for more announcements related to the future of identity at trinsic.id/podcastReach out to Riley (@rileyphughes) and Trinsic (@trinsic_id) on Twitter. We’d love to hear from you.