The GoldKey Alliance has officially launched at RSA Conference 2026 as a member-funded, not-for-profit organization built to deliver identity verification while maintaining absolute user privacy.
The Alliance debuted on March 24, 2026, introducing its core technology platform known as B² Cryptography. This is a symmetric-only, hardware-bound authentication system designed to replace traditional Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) entirely.
At the heart of B² Cryptography is AES-256 encryption working exclusively with tamper-resistant hardware authenticators, including NFC cards and USB tokens. These authenticators are cryptographically entangled during manufacture with Alliance Hardware Security Modules (HSMs), creating a hardware-bound trust anchor that eliminates the need for certificate authorities, asymmetric key pairs, and the ongoing burden of certificate lifecycle management.
The technology is not theoretical. B² Cryptography is already in full production deployment across U.S. military installations and thousands of educational institutions, providing a proven track record before the Alliance’s public launch.
From a technical standpoint, the platform offers several significant advantages over conventional PKI-based systems. It provides complete elimination of certificate infrastructure risks, native quantum resistance without requiring migration to new algorithms, and phishing resistance through physical hardware possession verification. Revocation is instant, with immediate cryptographic effect at the HSM level. The system is also fully compatible with FIDO2/WebAuthn, NIST SP 800-63B AAL3, and FIPS 140-2 Level 2 standards.
Dr. John Billings, Alliance President, highlighted the fundamental problem the technology addresses. Current identity systems force organizations to choose between robust verification and genuine privacy. B² Cryptography reconciles these two requirements without compromise, according to Billings.
Structured as a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit under member governance, the GoldKey Alliance is developing a suite of open standards. These include a User Onboarding API, Strong Verification and Account Recovery specifications, an Online Identity Reputation interface, and an Enterprise Identity API.
The Alliance offers three membership tiers. Steering Members gain strategic influence over the platform’s direction. Sponsor Members contribute actively to development and standards work. Affiliate Members receive integration support and ecosystem access.
Live demonstrations of the B² Cryptography platform are available at RSA Conference 2026, Booth #364.