---
title: "Getting Started"
description: "Learn how to issue W3C JWT and SD-JWT credentials via OID4VC using the walt.id issuer API."
stack: "Community Stack (open source) — version 0.21.0"
stack_version: "0.21.0"
stack_comparison: https://docs.walt.id/community-vs-enterprise.md
canonical_url: https://docs.walt.id/community-stack/issuer/getting-started
generated: 2026-07-20
---
# Getting Started

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uywefBo4XL0

<br />

The walt.id issuer API allows you to **sign and issue various types of digital credentials (W3C, SD-JWT-VC and mDL) via OID4VC**. The issuer and
subject can optionally be identified by various DID methods like did:key, did:jwk, did:web, did:cheqd and more.
Use [data functions](https://docs.walt.id/community-stack/issuer/credential-issuance/data-functions.md) to dynamically populate the credential with up-to-date information from
your backend during issuance.

## Supported Standards

|                          |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              |
|:-------------------------|:-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| **Credential Formats:**  | [SD-JWT VC (IETF)](https://docs.walt.id/concepts/digital-credentials/sd-jwt-vc.md), [W3C VC (v1.1+, v2.0)](https://docs.walt.id/concepts/digital-credentials/verifiable-credentials-w3c.md), [ISO 18013-5 mDL](https://docs.walt.id/concepts/digital-credentials/mdoc-mdl-iso.md) |
| **Credential Exchange:** | [OID4VCI](https://docs.walt.id/concepts/data-exchange-protocols.md) (Draft 11/13, v1 coming soon),[ ISO/IEC 18013-7](https://docs.walt.id/concepts/data-exchange-protocols.md)                                                                                                                                                                                |
| **Credential Status:**   | [StatusList2021, Bitstring Status List, Token Status List](https://docs.walt.id/concepts/credential-lifecycle/credential-status-and-revocation.md)                                                                                                                  |
| **Signing Algorithms:**  | ed25519, secp256k1, secp256r1, RSA                                                                                                                                                                                                                           |

## Setup

- [Open-Source](https://docs.walt.id/community-stack/issuer/setup.md) - Use the issuer API available via the [walt.id identity-repo](https://github.com/walt-id/waltid-identity.git).
- [Docker compose quick start](https://docs.walt.id/community-stack/home.md#quick-start) - Spin up the issuer API locally together with the other services.
- [Full API reference](https://docs.walt.id/community-stack/issuer/full-api-reference.md) - Explore all available endpoints via Swagger.

## Features

- [Keys / DIDs](https://docs.walt.id/community-stack/issuer/key-management/overview.md) - Generate and use keys/DIDs secured by an external KMS or your custom storage.
- [Credentials](https://docs.walt.id/community-stack/issuer/credential-issuance/overview.md) - Issue credentials via OID4VC.
- [Data Functions](https://docs.walt.id/community-stack/issuer/credential-issuance/data-functions.md) - Populate credentials with up-to-date information. 

Checkout the full feature overview [here](https://docs.walt.id/community-stack/issuer/features).

## Ecosystems

- [EBSI](https://docs.walt.id/community-stack/issuer/ecosystems/ebsi/overview.md) - Issue credentials that are compliant with the European Blockchain Services Infrastructure (EBSI).

## Configurations

Use [the feature manager](https://docs.walt.id/community-stack/issuer/configurations/feature-manager.md) to enable or disable API functionality depending on your use-case.

## Guides

- [W3C VC issuance](https://docs.walt.id/community-stack/issuer/credential-issuance/vc-oid4vc.md) - Issue W3C Verifiable Credentials with JWT or SD-JWT signatures.
- [SD-JWT VC issuance](https://docs.walt.id/community-stack/issuer/credential-issuance/sd-jwt-vc-oid4vc.md) - Issue IETF SD-JWT VC credentials.
- [mDL issuance](https://docs.walt.id/community-stack/issuer/credential-issuance/mdl-oid4vc.md) - Issue ISO/IEC 18013-5 Mobile Driver's Licenses.