Merkle Tree Certificates (MTCs) are more than a serialization or transport optimization since they change the way trust is built. This is a challenge for European qualified trust service providers (QTSPs) and the regulatory supervision. The talk will sketch challenges and advantages when applying MTC concepts to the eIDAS ecosystem, like Cosigner role, certificate revocation, interplay with Qualified Website Authentication Certificates (QWACs), Qualified Signatures and other eIDAS services. MTCs are not presented as a ready-made replacement for today’s infrastructure, but to identify the protocol, governance and policy questions that must be resolved before Merkle-based certificates can support European trust services at scale.
Speaker
Jan Klaußner is Senior Product Architect at Bundesdruckerei in Berlin with more than two decades of experience in security engineering focusing on innovative solutions for digital identity and trust services. In his current work, he develops and evaluates prototypes for quantum‑safe public key infrastructures and hybrid post‑quantum cryptography deployments in real‑world environments. Jan is actively involved in standardization efforts in IETF, ISO and ETSI on hybrid PQC schemes for Internet PKI and smart‑card ecosystems. He regularly shares insights at international conferences and industry events.
