Self-Sovereign Identity

Status: Design Phase

The Problem

Your online identity is fragmented across dozens of platforms, each controlled by a different corporation. You don’t own your identity—you rent it. And when a platform changes terms, bans you, or shuts down, you lose that piece of yourself.

Our Vision

Self-Sovereign Identity gives you true ownership of your digital identity. You control:

  • Your profile and personal information
  • Who can access your data
  • How your identity is verified
  • Where your data lives

Key Principles

  1. Ownership: You own your identity data
  2. Portability: Take your identity anywhere
  3. Privacy: Share only what you choose
  4. Persistence: Your identity outlives any platform
  5. Consent: You control who accesses your data

Technical Design

We’re exploring approaches that balance decentralization with usability:

  • Cryptographic identity proofs
  • Distributed storage options
  • Selective disclosure protocols
  • Cross-platform authentication
  • Recovery mechanisms

Use Cases

  • Single sign-on across services
  • Verified credentials without middlemen
  • Age verification without revealing birthdate
  • Professional credentials you own
  • Social connections independent of platforms

Challenges

We’re working through complex questions:

  • How to make crypto-based identity user-friendly
  • Balance between privacy and accountability
  • Recovery when users lose keys
  • Preventing identity theft
  • Interoperability with existing systems

Get Involved

This project needs cryptographers, UX designers, and people passionate about digital rights. Join us at Get Involved.