Build registry-facing services over data institutions already hold: protected read APIs, governed evidence, credentials, and audit, without turning the registry into a shared database.
Registry Stack is open infrastructure for governments, programs, and institutions that operate population, social, or sector registries. It lets a registry owner offer scoped, governed, auditable access to data they already hold, without copying the registry into a new system and without exposing it as a shared database.
Registries hold authoritative data: who is enrolled, what was issued, which entity is registered. Partners constantly need answers from that data: eligibility checks, verification, credential issuance. The common options are weak ones. Hand over a database extract, build a separate integration for every partner, or say no. Each choice gives up control, audit, or privacy.
Registry Stack offers a different path. Publish a protected, policy-governed surface over the existing source, keep the system of record where it is, and retain a full audit trail of every disclosure.
Registry Stack is organized around two runtime patterns:
- Protected Registry APIs. Scoped, read-only APIs over existing files, extracts, databases, or legacy registry systems. The source stays in place.
- Evidence Gateway. Governed evidence responses, claim evaluation, credential issuance, disclosure policy, and audit provenance, built on the same governed-access pattern.
flowchart LR
source["Existing registry source<br/>file, extract, database, platform"]
manifest["Registry Manifest<br/>describe"]
relay["Registry Relay<br/>expose protected reads"]
notary["Registry Notary<br/>certify evidence"]
caller["Approved service, verifier, or wallet"]
source --> relay
manifest --> relay
manifest --> notary
relay --> caller
relay --> notary
notary --> caller
| If you are | Start here |
|---|---|
| A funder, ministry, or program owner | registrystack.org, what it is and why it matters |
| Working on policy, governance, or standards | docs.registrystack.org, security model and disclosure policy |
| A registry or integration specialist | Hosted lab, the full topology with nothing to install |
| A developer | registry-stack, the monorepo |
| Repository | Purpose |
|---|---|
| registry-stack | Monorepo: product code, release manifests, docs, and lab evidence |
| .github | Organization profile and shared community-health defaults |
Registry Stack is a pre-1.0 technical release for evaluation, integration pilots, and public review. Interfaces and deployment contracts may change before a production-stability release.
Registry Stack is released under the Apache License 2.0 and follows a maintainer-led governance model. Issues, questions, and review notes are welcome. Report suspected vulnerabilities privately; see the security policy in each repository.