The brief

Analyst view

• EU Digital Identity Wallet rolling to member states by Dec 2026; privacy-preserving credentials.
• IRIS² constellation: 348 satellites (330 LEO + 18 MEO), launches 2029, service 2031. €15.6B+ investment.
• Zero-knowledge-proof age verification: users verify age without exposing name, ID, or photo by end-2026.

Technical approach

As reported

Digital wallets

Privacy-preserving credentials

EUDI Wallet is a mobile app where citizens store ID, driving licenses. Uses zero-knowledge proofs to prove facts without revealing identity.

Age verification

Cryptographic attestation

Age-verification app performs identity check on device, generating zero-knowledge proof of age category without transmitting name, ID, or PII.

Satellite architecture

Multi-orbit constellation design

IRIS²: 330 LEO for global coverage, 18 MEO for high-capacity links, 66 supplementary for backup. Ensures resilience and spare capacity.

Secure government priority

Sovereign EU connectivity

IRIS² reserves capacity for government, military, emergency services. 60% more secure governmental capacity than earlier EU plans.

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