Global Credibility Centre, Global Corporate Reference
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Cross-border company verification:
global credibility, universal access.

The Global Reference for Verifiable Credibility

Free, open infrastructure for cross-border trade. GCR turns official company registry records into a signed credential, the Global Registry Pass, that anyone can check online or offline. Every fact carries its source and its date. No score, no data about people.

Request early access See how it works

Our focus: emerging markets and developing economies (EMDEs), then the wider G20.

GCR ID (example)

GCR 000123 4

Current

Company profile

Legal entity
Sample Company LtdAuthoritative · Registry A
Standing
ActiveRegistry A · as of 2026-10-01 ↗
Ownership
2 levels to Sample Holdings SARegistries A + B · as of 2026-09-28 ↗
Website
Registry record; website not verifiedNo verified representative

Illustrative · synthetic data

Distance turns small doubts into lost deals.

  1. The invisible entity

    A buyer searches for your company and finds no official record they can read or check.

  2. Due diligence that does not scale

    Lawyers and commercial databases are slow and costly per case, and their output is a document no machine can check against the source.

  3. Claims nobody can test

    A website, a brochure or a PDF extract says what the company wants it to say. The buyer has no way to tell it apart from a forgery.

From self-proclamation to fact-mapping.

Self-proclamation

“We are #1 in the industry.”

“Guaranteed quality.”

Readers discount it.

Fact-mapping

GCR reads official registries and records what they say: that the company exists, whether it is active, and which companies own it. It signs those facts so that anyone can check them. We do not score or rank.

Every line is traceable. Trust arrives faster.

Five steps from registry record to signed credential.

  1. Find the company

    Search by GCR ID, registration number, LEI or name. No account needed.

  2. Official source checked

    Code fetches the record from an approved official source and checks it through four fixed gates. No AI model creates, changes or signs a fact.

  3. Signed and timestamped

    The facts become a Global Registry Pass: a W3C verifiable credential with a digital signature, an independent timestamp and a revocation status entry.

  4. Anyone checks it

    A public verify page, a web badge, a downloadable evidence pack, and offline checks with standard tools, free for everyone.

  5. Kept current

    Each credential is rechecked against its source daily or at each registry release. If the record changes, or a public challenge is upheld, it is revoked and reissued.

The Global Registry Pass

A company record anyone can check.

The Global Registry Pass (GRP) is a signed digital credential for a company. It states registration, active status and corporate ownership as the official registries record them, so a buyer can check in seconds what would otherwise take weeks.

Public beta in preparation.

  • Free to issue and free to check, for every company.
  • A W3C verifiable credential with a digital signature and an independent timestamp, checkable offline.
  • A public verify page, a web badge and an evidence pack with a QR code.
  • Registry facts only: no scores, no ratings, no data about people.

See a Global Registry Pass.

Illustrative preview with synthetic data. Public beta is in preparation.

A badge for a website footer or profile. It links to the public verify page and says whether the website itself was verified.

Global Registry Pass
Current
Company
Sample Company Ltd
Registry
Registry A · EX-0001
Jurisdiction
Illustrative jurisdiction
GCR ID
GCR 000123 4

Scan or verify
registry.example/verify/GCR000123-4

The public page anyone can open to check the credential. Company-level facts only, each with its class, source and date.

registry.example/verify/GCR000123-4
Verification recordGCR 000123 4
Legal entity
Sample Company LtdAuthoritative · Registry A · as of 2026-10-01
Standing
ActiveAuthoritative · Registry A · as of 2026-10-01
Ownership
2 levels to Sample Holdings SAAuthoritative · Registries A + B · as of 2026-09-28
Website
Registry record; website not verifiedNo verified representative

Last checked 2026-10-01

Evidence packThe signed credential, its timestamp token and a PDF with a QR code back to this page.

Paste this snippet into a website footer or profile page.

<iframe src="https://registry.example/badge/GCR000123-4" title="Global Registry Pass" width="360" height="180" loading="lazy"></iframe>

Placeholder address. The real address is published at launch.

What happens after a GRP is issued.

How anyone checks a GRP, how it stays current, and how a mistake is corrected.

How anyone checks a GRP

Four checks in order: timestamp, signature, revocation and expiry. The result codes are the ones the public verify API returns.

How a verifier checks a GRP A credential with an optional token enters four checks in order. First the token, if given: its chain, its hash and its time; a failure returns TSA_TOKEN_INVALID, HASH_MISMATCH or TIMESTAMP_MISMATCH. Second the signature under the node's did:web key; a failure returns SIGNATURE_INVALID. Third whether the status list or revocation record marks it revoked; yes returns REVOKED. Fourth whether the time is past validUntil; yes returns EXPIRED. A credential that passes all four is accepted: VALID with a token, VALID_TIMESTAMP_PENDING without one. chain · hash · time skipped if no token key in did:web document eddsa-jcs-2022 proof status-list bit or revocation record now past validUntil yes yes no no no no yes yes Credential + optional token Token sound? Signature holds? Revoked? Expired? Accepted VALID with a token VALID_TIMESTAMP_PENDING pending = no token given Token rejected TSA_TOKEN_INVALID HASH_MISMATCH TIMESTAMP_MISMATCH Signature invalid SIGNATURE_INVALID Revoked or expired REVOKED EXPIRED Unreadable input gets no code. The form shows: “This node cannot read that credential or token.” Status check: with no signed status list for the credential there is no code. The API answers 503 and the form shows “Checking is not available right now.” Start or rejected result Check, yes or no Accepted result Success path Failure exit

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How a GRP stays current

A GRP is valid for 30 days and is rechecked against its source daily or at each registry release. If the source changes, the GRP is revoked and a new one is issued.

GRP credential lifecycle A lifecycle phase map. A credential is requested, then issued and stamped, then re-validated daily and at each bulk source run. A request with no timestamp answer waits in timestamp pending for up to 72 hours. A live credential is revoked on drift of the source facts, on key compromise or on a challenge outcome, and a revoked credential is reissued as a new request. A credential that reaches its validUntil date expires. WAIT PRIMARY PHASES TERMINAL OUTCOMES REQUEST STAMPED NO TSA ANSWER WITHIN 72 H DAILY · BULK 30 DAYS KEY COMPROMISE CHALLENGE DRIFT REISSUE Requested build, stamp, sign Issued and stamped valid for 30 days Re-validated mapped facts compared Timestamp pending 72 h: revoke, reissue Revoked status bit set, list re-signed reissued, except upheld challenge Expired validUntil passed Phase Wait state Terminal outcome Drift revocation (focus) Transition Wait path 6 states · 10 transitions

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How a mistake is corrected

Anyone can challenge a GRP without an account. GCR rechecks the source, and the source decides the outcome. A person decides only when the source cannot.

Public challenge flow A member of the public files a challenge against a credential. The node applies a limit of 5 per address and 2 per credential per hour, then re-checks the source. If the source supports the credential the challenge closes and the credential stays valid. If it differs the credential is revoked and a new one issued. If the source cannot decide, the node escalates to the officer, who upholds the challenge and revokes the credential or dismisses it. Separately, a verified rep can dispute a fact, which closes automatically when a newer source fact supersedes it or goes to the officer after 14 days. CHALLENGER member of the public, no account NODE automatic checks, automatic close COMPANY'S REP verified rep OFFICER reviews escalations A dispute is a separate path: it concerns a fact, not a credential. Unresolved after 14 days it goes to the officer's disputes queue. FILE UNDER LIMIT SUPPORTS DIFFERS NO ANSWER ESCALATE DISPUTE Files a challenge verify page, no account Applies rate limits 5 per address per hour 2 per credential per hour Re-checks source GB: Companies House fetch BR: latest CNPJ release Closes: supported credential stays valid Closes: revoked new credential issued Escalates cannot be resolved Dispute auto-close newer fact closes it 14 d: officer's queue Disputes a fact verified rep, max 5 open Officer decides upheld: revoked dismissed: unchanged Step in its owner's lane Officer decision (focus) Flow Escalation handoff Separate path 4 lanes · 9 steps · 7 flows

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Every fact says who stands behind it.

  • Authoritative

    Taken directly from an official record. The registry stands behind the fact; GCR stands behind the faithful copy.

  • Verified

    Established by GCR’s fixed rules: a cross-border link through an official identifier, or a company website confirmed through a domain listed in the official record.

  • Asserted

    Stated by the company itself. Shown as claimed, and never part of the signed credential.

Data neutrality charter.

  • Official sources, decided by code

    Every published fact traces back to an official registry or open dataset. Fixed rules decide what is published; no AI model creates, changes, signs or revokes a fact. We never bypass access controls.

  • Free and identical for every company

    Issuing and checking a GRP is free for everyone. We publish no score, rating or ranking, and nobody can pay to change what a credential says, where it shows or how fast.

  • No data about people

    We store, sign and publish no personal data from any registry. An owner who is a person appears only as “Natural Person (Restricted)” with an ownership band.

How we source.

  • 01Official sources onlyRegistries, official APIs and open datasets
  • 02Dated factsEvery fact shows when it was last checked
  • 03Open to challengeAnyone can challenge a credential; the source is rechecked within an hour

Coverage

Launch
United Kingdom (Companies House), Brazil (CNPJ), GLEIF (global LEI data)
In development
India, South Africa, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia
Planned
Other G20 economies
Standards
Credentials follow the W3C Verifiable Credentials 2.0 data model, with RFC 3161 timestamps and a Bitstring Status List. Ownership uses a vocabulary aligned with the Beneficial Ownership Data Standard (BODS), and the Legal Entity Identifier (LEI) is used where a company has one. We are working toward the UN Transparency Protocol (UNTP) and the Global Registry Information Directory (GRID) of UN/CEFACT.

A jurisdiction outside coverage reads “not covered”, never “not verified”.

The UN is writing the rules. Many registers lack the tools to follow them.

Four layers are needed before a company’s official record can be checked anywhere. Three are in place or under way. The last is missing in most developing economies.

Layers of company proof and the gap GCR fills Exists: official company registers in almost every country. Being built: the UN's GRID directory of which register is official. In pilot: UNTP, a UN common format for digital proofs. Missing: registers able to issue digital proofs; most still use paper or PDFs. GCR fits by helping registers issue proofs themselves, with technology and support under the register's own name and a key it holds itself, and until then offering its own clearly labelled sealed copy, stepping back once the register issues its own. EXISTS Official company registers Almost every country keeps an official list of its companies. BEING BUILT A UN list of which registers are official The UN's GRID directory will show, for each country, which register is the official one. IN PILOT A UN common format for digital proofs The UN Transparency Protocol (UNTP) sets one format so proofs from any country fit together. MISSING Registers able to issue digital proofs Most registers still hand out paper or PDFs. They lack the technology, people and money to change. WHERE GCR FITS 1. Help registers issue proofs themselves: GCR offers the technology and support, under the register's own name and a key the register holds itself. 2. Until then, offer GCR's own sealed copy of the official record, clearly labelled as GCR's, and step back once the register issues its own. The UN sets the rules and the formats. Countries own the registers. GCR fills the practical gap in between: the working technology that lets a register in a developing economy join the UN system now instead of in many years. In place or under way The gap GCR's role

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  1. Exists

    Official company registers

    Almost every country keeps an official list of its companies.

  2. Being built

    A UN list of official registers

    The Global Registry Information Directory (GRID) of UN/CEFACT will show which register is the official one in each country.

  3. In pilot

    A UN common format

    The UN Transparency Protocol (UNTP) sets one format so that digital credentials from any country fit together.

  4. Missing

    Registers that issue digital credentials

    Most registers still hand out paper or PDFs, and lack the technology, people and money to change.

Where GCR fits

  1. Help registers issue credentials themselves

    GCR offers the technology and support for a register to issue UN-standard credentials under its own name and a key it holds itself.

  2. Until then, a clearly labelled credential

    GCR issues its own credential from the register’s public record, labelled as GCR’s, and steps back once the register issues its own.

Built on frameworks the UN and its partners already agreed.

GCR does not invent new rules. It follows agreements, standards and model laws that already exist, and adds working technology.

Agreements
The Global Digital Compact (2024): open standards and responsible data. The G20 framework for digital public infrastructure and the UN DPI Safeguards: shared systems with protections for people.
Law and guidance
The UNCITRAL Model Law on the Use and Cross-border Recognition of Identity Management and Trust Services (2022), the UNCITRAL Legislative Guide on Key Principles of a Business Registry (2018), and the WTO negotiations on electronic commerce.
Common formats
The UN Transparency Protocol (UNTP); W3C Verifiable Credentials; IETF time-stamping (RFC 3161); ISO 6523 organisation identifiers and ISO 17442 (LEI).
Official registers
The Global Registry Information Directory (GRID) of UN/CEFACT, formerly the Global Trust Registry project.

GCR’s seals and timestamps are the kind of service the UNCITRAL Model Law addresses; their legal status is with counsel.

Built for everyone who needs to check a company.

  • Buyers, platforms and trade portals

    Check an overseas supplier against its official record in seconds, for free, and build the check into your own systems.

  • Companies trading across borders

    Give buyers a free, signed record of your company that they can check without taking your word for it.

  • Banks and customs

    Spot fake companies earlier and approve honest ones faster, with less paperwork.

  • Registries and public bodies

    Your records become checkable abroad without each country building a new system alone.

Built for companies in emerging markets and for the global businesses that trade with them.

GCR aims to make small and mid-size companies in emerging markets checkable by foreign buyers, a goal shared with international SME trade-facilitation work.

Supports SDG 9 (industry, innovation and infrastructure) and SDG 16 (peace, justice and strong institutions).

What partners give, and what they get in return.

GCR reaches its full use only when registers let it read their records and funders pay to connect them. In return, both get firm promises.

  • Registers keep control

    A register that works with GCR keeps ownership of its records, chooses what GCR reads, can stop at any time, and sees GCR step back once it issues its own credentials.

  • Funders cannot steer

    A funder cannot change any credential or rule or choose which companies are covered, can report mistakes only through the public challenge, and gets no data beyond what the public sees.

  • Everyone gets the same

    The same free credential for every covered company, free checking for anyone, and expert review, never endorsement.

Funding goes to Global Credibility Centre. Funders are named publicly, never with their share of the funding.

GCR is built. Partners decide how fast it reaches developing economies.

  1. Now

    Built

    The full system works and is tested: reading registers, checks, seals, free checking, public challenge and monitoring.

  2. Next

    Public beta

    100 companies, once the final setup steps are done: secure key storage, legal advice and the live web address.

  3. With partners

    First pilots

    More countries’ registers, and a first GRID pilot with one register and one funder.

  4. Later

    Wider reach

    Emerging markets and developing economies and the wider Global South first, then the G20.

No dates are promised. Each step waits on agreements, not on the calendar.

Two names: the organisation and the service it runs.

  • The organisation

    Global Credibility Centre (GCC)

    An independent think tank in London. GCC builds and runs GCR, receives the funding for it, and is answerable for how it is run. It sells nothing on GCR and takes no fee when someone checks a company.

  • The public service

    Global Corporate Reference (GCR)

    A free online service that turns a company’s official record into a digital credential anyone can check in seconds. It covers companies, never people, gives no scores, and works the same for a small workshop and a large corporation.

GCC is who we are. GCR is what we offer the world.

Frequently asked questions.

Where does GCR’s data come from?

From official registries, official APIs and open datasets. We never bypass access controls, and we do not use non-public sources.

How often is it updated?

Credentials from registries with live access are rechecked daily; those from registries that publish files are rechecked at each release. A credential is valid for 30 days and is revoked and reissued within an hour of a detected change.

What if my company’s information is wrong?

File a public challenge on the verify page. GCR rechecks the source; if the record no longer supports the credential, it is revoked and reissued. If the registry itself is wrong, the correction has to be made there.

Can I check a GRP without GCR?

Yes. The credential carries its own signature and an independent timestamp, so it can be checked offline with standard tools.

How is GCR different from a credit score?

We do not score, rank or rate anyone. GCR records what official sources say about a company, with the source and date for every fact.

What does it cost?

Issuing and checking a GRP is free, for every company. We sell services around it: integration support for platforms, enterprise assurance for banks and public authorities, and coverage licences that fund connecting a registry. No service is priced per check, and no payer can change what a credential says.

Who runs GCR?

Global Credibility Centre (GCC), an independent think tank in the United Kingdom. We welcome funding from international organisations, NGOs and governments, disclosed so that no single funder carries the work. Funders are named publicly.

When does the service launch?

We have not set a date. Public beta is in preparation, and we will contact those who asked when coverage opens.

Make your company checkable.

Tell us which registry your company sits in and which market you want to reach. We will contact you when coverage opens.

hello@example.com

Issuing and checking a GRP is free. Services for platforms, enterprises and funders are described on request.