Open badges are a 21st-century solution to the shortcomings of paper certificates in the age of digital, online identity management. These small visual signifiers which carry hard-coded meta-data can be issued by anyone in order to recognise achievement or participation in formal or informal activities. They link back directly to the issuer, the criteria for award, and the evidence. The learner can collect and display their open badges online to reveal their journey and discover new opportunities. This chapter describes one example of the Clavier virtual exchange, which identified a framework for the design and implementation of open badges in virtual exchange activities. Largely as a result of the research into Clavier's use of open badges in language learning through virtual exchange, open badges were implemented in The Erasmus+ Virtual Exchange initiative which began in 2018 with support from the European Commission. This is followed by a discussion of the benefits and potential drawbacks of the use of open badges. [For the complete volume, see ED612143.]