Systems and methods for multi-stage, identity-based, digital authentication are provided. Methods include a first and a second stage of authentication. The first stage may include a user profile submitting a first request to access a first digital application; the computing device receiving, as input, one or more authenticating factors; the computing device transmitting, to a central server, the one or more authenticating factors; the central server processing and authenticating the user profile to the first digital application. The second stage of authentication may include: the user profile submitting a second request to access the second digital application that utilizes a separate authentication from the first application; in response to the second request, the first digital application: determining authentication parameters needed to satisfy authentication for the second digital application; determining a gap between the authentication parameters needed to satisfy authentication for the second digital application and information about the user profile stored in the database at the central server; and generating and transmitting an actionable request to the user profile for information that fills the gap; and based on information about the user profile stored in the database at the central server combined with a response received for the actionable request, the first digital application communicating to the second digital application the authentication parameters to achieve authentication of the user profile for the second digital application.