Open-Source Technologies for Critical Infrastructure Projects: Digital Identity, CBDC, and DPIs

Open-source technologies are transforming critical infrastructure by driving innovation, transparency, and collaboration in key areas like Digital Identity, Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDC), and Digital Public Infrastructure (DPIs). These systems serve as the backbone of modern economies, enhancing efficiency, security, and inclusion.

OSS development offers a new way to foster an inclusive design process for CBDCs, allowing a broad spectrum of stakeholders to participate rather than confining the design process to a few experts or institutions. OSS is software whose source code is available for anyone to view, modify, and distribute. The central philosophy of open source revolves around transparency, community collaboration,

and unrestricted access, enabling developers worldwide to contribute to its development and improvement. OSS is typically governed by specific licenses, such as the GNU General Public License (GPL), the MIT License, or the Apache License 2.0, which define how the software can be used and redistributed.

Key Benefits of Open-Source in Critical Infra:

1. Transparency and Trust

  Open-source projects are publicly accessible, allowing for rigorous peer review and scrutiny. This ensures that the systems are transparent, secure, and free from hidden vulnerabilities—essential for public trust in critical infrastructure. 

2. Interoperability and Standardization

   Open-source solutions encourage the development of common standards. This fosters interoperability across systems, enabling seamless integration between nations, industries, and technologies. For example, Digital Identity frameworks can operate across borders, ensuring accessibility for global citizens.

3. Cost-Effectiveness

    Open source reduces reliance on expensive proprietary software. It minimizes licensing costs and allows governments and organizations to allocate resources more efficiently. This is especially critical for large-scale deployments like CBDCs and DPIs, where scalability is key. 

4. Innovation and Collaboration

   Open-source communities bring together developers, researchers, and stakeholders worldwide. Collaborative innovation accelerates advancements, making cutting-edge technologies available faster. In the case of CBDCs, open-source platforms enable experimentation with features like programmability and interoperability

5. Security and Resilience

   Public code review helps identify and fix vulnerabilities quickly, ensuring robust security. Open-source projects have the flexibility to adapt to evolving threats, making them more resilient for critical applications. 

6. Flexibility and Customization

   Open-source solutions are highly customizable, allowing adaptation to specific national or regional needs.For instance, Digital Identity systems can be tailored to align with local regulations while ensuring global compatibility.

7. Inclusive Development

  Open-source fosters inclusivity by encouraging participation from diverse stakeholders, including governments, academia, and the private sector.It ensures that critical infrastructure solutions are built with the needs of all users in mind, promoting equity and inclusion.

8. Avoiding Vendor Lock-In

    Open-source eliminates dependency on a single vendor, giving organizations full control over their infrastructure. This independence is crucial for sovereign functions like CBDCs and DPIs.

Why Open Source ?

Proprietary software is created, owned, and controlled by a single entity, often a commercial company, which maintains exclusive rights to its source code. Users are granted a license to use the software but typically lack the ability to modify or redistribute it. Access to proprietary software is limited to those who purchase or license it. In contrast, open-source software (OSS) is freely available, allowing anyone to view, modify, and improve its code. Proprietary software is developed by dedicated in-house teams or commercial organizations, whereas OSS is often driven by a global community united by a shared mission and supported by a diverse ecosystem of contributors.

The OSS model redefines the power dynamics of software development, transitioning from a closed, proprietary structure—often bound by service-level agreements (SLAs)—to an open and collaborative framework. This open model fosters participation from a wide range of stakeholders, including technology providers, end-users, legal experts, academics, government agencies, and civil society organizations. Through shared access to source code and transparent development practices, OSS enables collective innovation and more inclusive decision-making processes.

Open-source technology is becoming the cornerstone for building and enhancing critical infrastructure, especially in areas like Digital Identity, Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs), and Digital Public Infrastructure (DPIs).  Open-source technology is not just a technical choice but a strategic one for building secure, scalable, and inclusive critical infrastructure. By leveraging open source, nations and organizations can ensure transparency, innovation, and long-term sustainability in systems that form the backbone of modern society. It’s a paradigm that drives inclusive and sustainable progress for critical infrastructure worldwide.

My favorite organization is IBM always lead the enterprise adoption of technology with open source way, IBM drives every emerging technology momentum with open source way, blockchain to GenAI. First, they have open-sourced enterprise blockchain Hyperledger fabric to Linux foundation and now Granite LLM model with Apache2.0 license.

Linux foundation – Transforming technology adoption 

The Linux Foundation is a 501(c)(6) non-profit that provides a neutral, trusted hub for developers and organizations to code, manage, and scale open technology projects and ecosystems. Linux foundation have 900+ open source projects in Programming languages, Open cloud, Networking, Deployment, Blockchain, AI, Cryptography, Wallets.

LF Decentralized Trust is the premier open source foundation for collaborative development of a broad range of technologies and standards that deliver the transparency, reliability, security, and efficiency required for a digital-first economy.

Source :

https://home.digital-euro-association.de/working-groups

https://www.ibm.com/granite/docs/models/granite/

https://www.lfdecentralizedtrust.org

https://www.linuxfoundation.org

#opensource #blockchain #genai #community #digitalidentity #cricticalinfra #dpis