The SSI Orbit Podcast – Self-Sovereign Identity, Decentralization and Digital Trust

How does an industry of over 360 airlines build digital trust across borders, partners, and countless intermediaries? In this episode, Mathieu Glaude speaks with Gabriel Marquie, Digital Identity Lead at IATA, about how digital identity is transforming both airline operations and the passenger journey.Gabriel explains how airline distribution is shifting from legacy GDS systems to modern NDC APIs, why airlines need verifiable credentials to trust travel agencies and employees, and how digital passports, biometrics, and data minimization will enable seamless and contactless travel. He also shares IATA's roadmap, including new trust frameworks and the Contactless Travel Directory, as the industry moves from pilots to coordinated global rollout.This conversation offers a clear and practical look at the future of digital identity in aviation.Chapters:00:00 - Introduction: The identity challenge in aviation01:50 - IATA's role in airline distribution and trust networks07:44 - IATA Strategic Partnership Program and collaboration12:54 - Trust frameworks: Comparing IATA to payment networks like Visa18:23 - B2B Use Cases: Travel agency verification deep dive24:06 - Why airlines need to verify who's selling their seats30:48 - Northern Block partnership and Air Canada demo36:17 - B2C Use Cases: The complex passenger journey landscape43:37 - Digital passport standards and ICAO coordination50:34 - Apple and Google digital passport announcements57:54 - Biometrics, tap-and-go, and data minimization01:00:47 - Air travel doubling in 10-15 years01:02:04 - Roadmap: Contactless travel directory and next steps01:06:42 - Closing thoughts and call to action

How did Bhutan go from zero to 80% national digital identity adoption in just two years? In this episode of The SSI Orbit Podcast, host Mathieu Glaude welcomes back Pallavi Sharma, Lead of Marketing & Communications for Bhutan’s National Digital Identity (NDI) program, to unpack one of the world’s fastest and most successful digital identity deployments.Pallavi shares how Bhutan integrated banks, telcos, insurers, and government services into a unified trust ecosystem, removing friction for citizens and enabling secure, remote access to essential services. From self-attested biometrics to P2P chat, she explains the surprising features that drove massive user adoption, and why convenience, not privacy, became the real driver of trust.You’ll also hear how Bhutan is preparing for the next wave of digital innovation, including cross-border interoperability with India, support for blockchain networks like Polygon and Ethereum, and long-term plans for e-voting, land tokenization, health credentials, and CBDCs.In this episode:How Bhutan reached 80% adoption across a population of 770,000The role of regulators and public–private alignmentWhat citizens actually care about (hint: it’s not decentralization)eKYC breakthroughs: live-verified photos, signatures & remote onboardingWeb3 readiness, biometrics, and the future of digital public infrastructureTune in to learn what the rest of the world can take from Bhutan’s rapid digital identity transformation.

Can you trust what you see online, when AI can generate anything and anyone can cryptographically sign a lie?In this episode of The SSI Orbit Podcast, host Mathieu Glaude sits down with Scott Perry, Founder & CEO of the Digital Governance Institute, to explore why cryptography alone can’t solve misinformation, deepfakes, fraud, or content manipulation, and why digital trust now depends on governance, provenance, and verifiable accountability.Scott breaks down how the C2PA standard (a coalition of the world’s largest tech companies) is creating a global “nutrition label” for digital content, enabling us to know where a digital asset came from, who touched it, and whether it’s been altered. He also shares how creator assertions, certificate authorities, and rights management frameworks work together to build a multi-layer trust fabric for the next generation of the internet.Whether you’re working in digital identity, trust frameworks, AI systems, journalism, media, or enterprise risk, this episode provides a clear look into the future of trustworthy digital content.

Has the self-sovereign identity (SSI) movement strayed from its original values? Are we witnessing the centralization of digital identity under the guise of decentralization? In this compelling episode of The SSI Orbit Podcast, host Mathieu Glaude sits down with Christopher Allen, a pioneering figure in cryptography, decentralized identity, and internet security. Together, they unpack the troubling trends that suggest SSI ecosystems may be drifting away from foundational principles and towards models that ultimately serve governments and corporations rather than individuals.Christopher shares his deep industry experience, from co-authoring SSL/TLS, which secures the internet today, to leading the development of decentralized identity standards. He discusses how the early promises of user empowerment in digital identity have been eroded by the realities of commercialization, government control, and the re-centralization of power. He also reflects on lessons from history—how identity systems have been weaponized in past regimes—and warns of similar risks emerging in today’s digital landscape.If you care about privacy, autonomy, and the future of digital identity, this episode is a must-listen. Tune in to hear a thought-provoking discussion on whether SSI is still on the right path or if it's time to course-correct before it’s too late.

Are you confident in the environmental and social claims about your products?   In this episode of The SSI Orbit Podcast, host Mathieu Glaude sits down with Steve Capell, Vice Chair of UN/CEFACT and Project Lead of the United Nations Transparency Protocol (UNTP), to explore how transparency and traceability are being revolutionized in global value chains. Together, they unpack the challenges of greenwashing, the urgency of compliance with new regulations, and the transformative potential of a global transparency protocol. Steve shares real-world examples, such as the impact of carbon border adjustments and digital product passports, highlighting how regulatory frameworks and technological innovation intersect. The conversation also addresses the role of decentralized identifiers and verifiable credentials in ensuring the integrity of sustainability claims. Key Insights: Greenwashing is widespread, with over 50% of product claims being misleading or false. The UNTP offers a standards-based approach to ensure transparency and interoperability in value chains. Verifiable credentials are essential for decentralized trust, linking data to trusted sources while ensuring integrity. Regulations like carbon border adjustments and product passports are reshaping trade by enforcing sustainability disclosures. The UN's role as a neutral body provides a trusted space for creating global standards and recommendations. Tune in to this episode to learn how the UNTP is driving a shift from marketing-led sustainability claims to evidence-backed transparency and why this transformation is critical for regulatory compliance and strategic business differentiation. Don't miss this deep dive into the future of transparent global trade!Chapters: 00:00 - Why is the UN pursuing the development of a new protocol to help solve transparency in sustainability disclosures? 09:17 - How to ensure the integrity of claims being made is the d efacto standard? 16:32 - How did the UNTP think through the proper technical and governance architecture to support all transparency use cases? 32:36 - What will become the catalyst for the mass uptake of the UNTP? 40:32 - What makes the UN a good home for the definition of a transparency protocol? 51:03 - Does all data that interacts with the UNTP need to be public? 58:40 - Is there an opportunity for registrars to create value using the UNTP? Resources UNTP Overview: A detailed introduction to the United Nations Transparency Protocol (UNTP). UN/CEFACT: Learn more about the United Nations Centre for Trade Facilitation and Electronic Business (UN/CEFACT).  The digital product passport and its technical implementation Green claims - European Commission - Environment: New criteria to stop companies from making misleading claims about environmental merits of their products and services. Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM): EU regulation on carbon emissions and global trade.