>A good self‐sovereign identity system will allow individuals to directly influence how companies, governments, and others correlate our interactions across different services and locations by default. It won’t fix all identity problems nor preclude alternative identity approaches, but it will put the individual in control of most uses of identity and give organizations a simpler, easier, more ethical way to use identity to improve how they provide services and products. When successful, it will not only enable individuals to exercise greater control over how companies and governments keep track of us, it will also illuminate those situations where self‐sovereign identity is restricted, facilitating a conversation about when and where such limits are appropriate. [Joe Andrieu -A Technology‐Free Definition of Self‐Sovereign Identity](https://github.com/jandrieu/rebooting-the-web-of-trust-fall2016/blob/master/topics-and-advance-readings/a-technology-free-definition-of-self-sovereign-identity.pdf)
This is a gathering of educational materials around decentralized, self-sovereign, and blockchain identity. Its an index for research, training, developers, students, end-users, investors, and the enterprise to more easily learn and navigate the decentralized identity landscape.
[/awesome-decentralized-id/indy-sovrin-evernym](https://github.com/infominer33/awesome-decentralized-id/blob/master/indy-sovrin-evernym/) is another list that naturally grew from this one; focused on Hyperledger Indy's protocol, governance, and ecosystem. I've also worked on [/peacekeeper/blockchain-identity](https://github.com/peacekeeper/blockchain-identity/) and included some of its resources here. Ideally these lists will all compliment each-other.
For now, I'm becoming more familiar with all of this material, and how it fits together in the decentralized identity space. I expect to be actively engaged building this repository for the next month or so, and look forward to it growing along with decentralized identity (irl) over the coming years.
I was initially introduced to blockchain identity through a few clients on Fiverr. The first was 3500 word report on "Blockchain and the United Nations." Another client had me write a 1500 word report on blockchain identity. Besides that I've written a few articles considering the architecture of Hyperledger Indy. Throughout that time, I collected a ton of quality information on decentralzied id, hyperledger indy, and the surrounding ecosystem.
I also [collect resources](http://crypt0library.net) on nearly every subject in crypto, which I'm slowly entering into a database, to power a [web-app](https://github.com/infominer33/Crypto-library) for search, and navigation by tags, etc. Creating these lists has become an important part of my process, as a writer. Check out some of my [other projects](https://github.com/infominer33/awesome-decentralized-id/blob/master/projects.md).
Although originally this began as a result of freelance gigs, all of my work on this repository has been a personal investment of time; building my brand as a research enthusiast, in support of anyone trying to understand SSI\DID. This is one of my favorite subjects in crypto, and I've been brainstorming ways to create an income working on it. If I come across some attractive business opportunity in the DID ecosystem, I'll be happy to keep working on its documentation for the foreseeable future. Either way, there's a whole uncharted cryptoverse of information to organize and map out, and that's where I'll be.
**[Pull Requests](https://github.com/infominer33/awesome-decentralized-id/blob/master/contributing.md) and [Contributions](#brought-to-you-by-the-crypto-librarysuper-source) Welcome**
* *[The Augmented Social Network](http://asn.planetwork.net/): Building Identity and Trust into the Next-Generation Internet,* presented at the June 2003 Planetwork conference and published in [First Monday](http://www.uic.edu/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/ojs/index.php/fm/article/view/1068/988) the Peer-Reviewed Journal on the Internet 8/4/03.
>"[This paper](http://asn.planetwork.net/asn-archive/AugmentedSocialNetwork.pdf) proposes the creation of an Augmented Social Network (ASN) that would build identity and trust into the architecture of the Internet"
Ideas from the ASN were the foundation of much that followed. The [Identity Commons](http://wiki.idcommons.net/History) (2001-Present) was originally created by Owen Davis and Andrew Nelson in 2001 to evangelize the creation of a decentralized user-centric identity infrastructure and to address the resulting social trust issues.
>"Their most important contribution may have been the creation, in association with the Identity Gang, of the Internet Identity Workshop (2005-Present) working group. "[[**ϟ**](http://www.lifewithalacrity.com/2016/04/the-path-to-self-soverereign-identity.html)]
In 2005, [Kaliya Young](https://identitywoman.net/)[[**T**](https://twitter.com/IdentityWoman)], [Phil Windley](https://windley.com)[[**T**](https://twitter.com/windley)][[**V**](https://vimeo.com/windley)][[**G**](https://github.com/windley)], [Drummond Reed](https://www.evernym.com/)[[**T**](https://twitter.com/drummondreed)][[**B**](https://equalsdrummond.name/)], and [Doc Searls](http://blogs.harvard.edu/doc/)[[**T**](https://twitter.com/dsearls)][[**B**](https://blogs.harvard.edu/doc)] hosted the first [Internet Identity Workshop](http://www.internetidentityworkshop.com/)(IIW)[[**T**](https://twitter.com/idworkshop)] in Berkeley to discuss "architectural and governance proposals for Internet-wide identity services and their underlying philosophies." -[Announcing IIW 2005](https://identitywoman.net/announcing-the-internet-identity-workshop-iiw2005/)
Since then, the IIW has met bi-anually, actively supporting the development of the identity software-ecosystem, including [OpenID](http://wiki.openid.net)('05), OpenID [2.0](http://wiki.openid.net/w/page/12995215/OpenID%20Authentication%202-1)('06), [OAuth](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OAuth)('10), [FIDO](https://fidoalliance.org/)('13) and OpenID [Connect](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OpenID_Connect)('14).
IIW participants began the effort towards creating a truly "[user centric identity](https://www.networkworld.com/article/2304596/access-control/what-is--user-centric--identity-.html)," in contrast to identity solutions whos focus has been fulfilling the needs of the enterprise. The pioneers of decentralized identity have long struggled against the "[identity silo paradox](https://www.zdnet.com/article/the-identity-silo-paradox/)," that while the *identerati* continually work on solutions to break up these silos, the enterprise has had a strong financial incentive to retain them.
* [What is IIW?](https://vimeo.com/173562225) [[**ϟ**](https://vimeo.com/207961532)][[**ϟ**](https://www.prweb.com/releases/identitymovie/iiw2017/prweb14161721.htm)] short film about the [identirati](https://www.zdnet.com/article/the-identity-silo-paradox/)[[**ϟ**](https://www.forgerock.com/blog/who-are-the-identerati)] (a term for those working on identity standards for the purpose of breaking up id data silos, dating back to at least 2006).
In [April of 2014](https://edps.europa.eu/data-protection/data-protection/legislation/history-general-data-protection-regulation_en), the European Parliament demonstrates strong support for the GDPR, which passes back and forth through the European Council, Commision and Parliment throught the rest of the year.
[8/14](https://www.w3.org/community/credentials/charter-20140808/) The [Credentials Community Group](https://www.w3.org/community/credentials/)[[**ϟ**](https://w3c-ccg.github.io/)] forms, hosted by [World Wide Web Consortium(W3C)](https://www.w3.org/)[[**T**](https://twitter.com/w3c)] [[**G**](https://github.com/w3c)] : "to forge a path for a secure, decentralized system of credentials that would empower both individual people and organizations on the Web to store, transmit, and receive digitally verifiable proof of qualifications and achievements." —proposed by [Manu Sporney](http://manu.sporny.org/)[[**T**](https://twitter.com/manusporny)] (of [digitalbazaar.com](https://digitalbazaar.com/))
[*What is Sovereign Source Authority?*](https://www.moxytongue.com/2012/02/what-is-sovereign-source-authority.html) shows an early use of 'sovereign' in relation to our internet identities. The term "Self Sovereign Identity" started becoming widely used in 2014.[[**ϟ**](https://www.tokencommons.org/Windhover-Principles-for-Digital-Identity-Trust-Data.html)][[**ϟ**](https://hubculture.com/hubs/47/news/689/)]
9\15 [Bitnation](https://bitnation.co/) "seeks to establish the concept of '*world citizenship*' via a bitcoin based identity, offering '[*Blockchain Emergency IDs*](https://refugees.bitnation.co/)' to refugees. [[**>**](#Bitcoin)]
>* Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels
>* Substantially reduce corruption and bribery in all their forms
>* Ensure public access to information and protect fundamental freedoms, in accordance with national legislation and international agreements—(*emphasis mine*)
* [AID:Tech](https://aid.technology) [[**T**]](https://twitter.com/aidtechnology) — "is a voucher and digital identity solution for refugees. A digital record of a person's identity is stored on a smart card, along with various additional information. Blockchain technology is used to distribute all resources in a highly traceable manner." (another early example of blockchain for humanitarian aide)
In relation to SSI, '[Web of Trust](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_of_trust)' is a network of relationships that attest to our identity claims. *Each party attesting to your identity information becomes a strand in your web of trust.*
The first [Rebooting Web of Trust](http://www.WebOfTrust.info)(RWoT) workshop was held during [November 2015](https://github.com/WebOfTrustInfo/rebooting-the-web-of-trust); attracting the likes of Vitalik Buterin, Peter Todd, Gregory Maxwell, Joel Dietz, Christopher Allen, and Jon Callas, [according to Andreas Antonopolis](https://news.bitcoin.com/andreas-antonopoulos-case-reputation-identity-systems/).
[5 WoT-usecases](https://github.com/WebOfTrustInfo/rebooting-the-web-of-trust/blob/master/final-documents/satisfying-real-world-use-cases.pdf) • [Decentralized PKI](https://github.com/WebOfTrustInfo/rebooting-the-web-of-trust/blob/master/final-documents/dpki.pdf) • [Smart Signatures](https://github.com/WebOfTrustInfo/rebooting-the-web-of-trust/blob/master/final-documents/smart-signatures.pdf) • [Creating a New World of Trust](https://github.com/WebOfTrustInfo/rebooting-the-web-of-trust/blob/master/final-documents/whats-the-next-step.pdf)
>The Web of Trust is a buzzword for a new model of decentralized self-sovereign identity. It’s a phrase that dates back almost twenty-five years, the classic definition derives from PGP [...] the vibrant blockchain community is also drawing new attention to the concept we aim to reboot it. - [Rebranding the Web of Trust](https://github.com/WebOfTrustInfo/rebooting-the-web-of-trust/blob/master/final-documents/rebranding-web-of-trust.pdf)
At the end of 2015, the Department of Homeland Security announced that it had funds available for the development of [Blockchain Security and Identity Verification Technologies](https://blog.aniljohn.com/2015/12/federal-gov-funds-for-identity-r-and-d.html).
* [4/16](https://edps.europa.eu/data-protection/data-protection/legislation/history-general-data-protection-regulation_en) the EU adopted the GDPR to be enacted as law May 2018.
* The second RWoT workshop ran in conjunction with the UN's [ID2020](https://id2020.org/) Summit in New York that [May](https://press.pwc.com/News-releases/id2020-to-kick-start-digital-identity-summit-at-un-with-pwc-support./s/9fe11be5-cbd8-486b-b4d2-d798f486d0f2); clearly a significant time for decentralized identity:
>1.1 Billion people live without an officially recognized identity — This lack of recognized identification deprives them of protection, access to services, and basic rights. ID2020 is a public-private partnership dedicated to solving the challenges of identity for these people through technology. - id2020.org
* [Christopher Allen](http://www.lifewithalacrity.com/)[[**info**](https://christophera.info/)] details the overarching history of internet idenitity standards in his seminal work (submitted to ID2020\RWoT workshop):
***[The Path to Self-Soverereign Identity](http://www.lifewithalacrity.com/2016/04/the-path-to-self-soverereign-identity.html)**[[**ϟ**](https://www.coindesk.com/path-self-sovereign-identity/amp/)] details the history of identity standards leading up to self-sovereign and details the 10 principles of self-sovereign identity.
> I am part of the team putting together the first ID2020 Summit on Digital Identity at the United Nations
* [Identity System Essentials](https://www.evernym.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Identity-System-Essentials.pdf) 3/16 (Original Evernym Identity WP also submitted to ID2020\RWoT workshop)
Evident from the other [whitepapers](https://github.com/WebOfTrustInfo/ID2020DesignWorkshop/blob/master/topics-and-advance-readings/README.md) submitted to the second RWoT Workshop, the DID identifier had begun to emerge:
>"Decentralized Identifiers (DID) stored in a permissioned blockchain enable principals to directly control their own identities with cryptographic proofs and secure, addressable network endpoints. DIDs further enable a Decentralized Identity Management (DIDM) infrastructure that will empower people and organizations to securely and confidentially manage and assert their identities."
* [Requirements for DIDs](https://github.com/WebOfTrustInfo/ID2020DesignWorkshop/blob/master/final-documents/requirements-for-dids.pdf)
>"Respect Network is conducting a research project for the [U.S. Department of Homeland Security](https://bravenewcoin.com/insights/u-s-department-of-homeland-security-funds-four-blockchain-companies-developing-new-cyber-security-technology), HSHQDC-16-C-00061, to analyze the applicability of blockchain technologies to a decentralized identifier system. Our thesis is that blockchains, or more generically distributed ledgers, are a potentially powerful new tool for “identity roots” — the starting points for an Internet identity. However “blockchain identity” may not fully address the core security and privacy principles needed in a complete identity system. In this case DIDs — Decentralized Identifiers rooted on a distributed ledger — may end up being a foundational building block for higher level identity management solutions. -
* At this point in time DLT innovation, the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, and the EU GDPR all came together supporting a core identirati tenant: Eliminating id data silos and empowering users regarding digital identity.
* [A Brief History of Digital Identity](https://medium.com/humanizing-the-singularity/a-brief-history-of-digital-identity-9d6a773bf9f5)
* [A Step Back in Time: The History and Evolution of Digital Identity](https://www.iotevolutionworld.com/iot/articles/410328-step-back-time-history-evolution-digital-identity.htm)
* [Christopher Allen](http://www.lifewithalacrity.com/)[[**info**](https://christophera.info/)] details the overarching history of internet idenitity standards and outlines [10 Principles of Self Sovereign Identity](https://github.com/WebOfTrustInfo/self-sovereign-identity/blob/master/self-sovereign-identity-principles.md) in his seminal work [The Path to Self-Soverereign Identity](http://www.lifewithalacrity.com/2016/04/the-path-to-self-soverereign-identity.html)[[**ϟ**](https://www.coindesk.com/path-self-sovereign-identity/amp/)]
*<ahref="https://github.com/jandrieu/rebooting-the-web-of-trust-fall2016/raw/master/topics-and-advance-readings/a-technology-free-definition-of-self-sovereign-identity.pdf"><u>A Technlogy-Free Definition of Self-Sovereign Identity</u></a> is a continuation of the discussion started by Allen, offering 3 "Core Characteristics of Sovereign Identity".
* [SSI: A Roadmap for Adoption](https://github.com/WebOfTrustInfo/rebooting-the-web-of-trust-spring2018/blob/master/final-documents/a-roadmap-for-ssi.md)
* **[/awesome-decentralized-id/self-sovereign-identity](https://github.com/infominer33/awesome-decentralized-id/tree/master/self-sovereign-identity)** SSI documentation is still under development. This directory is to organize existing thought on SSI in one place for ease of study, and the development of new documentation.
* [Matching Identity Management Solutions to Self Sovereign Identity Solutions](https://www.slideshare.net/TommyKoens/matching-identity-management-solutions-to-selfsovereign-identity-principles)
<blockquoteclass="twitter-tweet"data-lang="en"><plang="en"dir="ltr">0/ “Self-Sovereign Identity: A Progress Report”…</p>— Christopher Allen (@ChristopherA) <ahref="https://twitter.com/ChristopherA/status/989120215702261761?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 25, 2018</a></blockquote>
* [Rebranding the Web of Trust](https://github.com/WebOfTrustInfo/rebooting-the-web-of-trust/blob/master/final-documents/rebranding-web-of-trust.pdf) Original RWoT whitepaper
* [Framework for the Comparison of Identity Systems](https://github.com/WebOfTrustInfo/rebooting-the-web-of-trust-fall2017/blob/master/topics-and-advance-readings/Framework-for-Comparison-of-Identity-Systems.md)
* [A Primer on Functional Identity](https://github.com/WebOfTrustInfo/rebooting-the-web-of-trust-fall2017/blob/master/topics-and-advance-readings/functional-identity-primer.md)
* [The DCS Theorem](https://github.com/WebOfTrustInfo/rebooting-the-web-of-trust-fall2017/blob/master/final-documents/dcs-theorem/The-DCS-Theorem.md) — We use the triangle to show decentralized consensus systems can have _Decentralization_, _Consensus_, or _Scale_, but not all three properties simultaneously.
* [Powering the Physician-Patient Relationship with HIE of One Blockchain Health IT](https://github.com/WebOfTrustInfo/ID2020DesignWorkshop/blob/master/final-documents/physician-patient-relationship.pdf)
* [Protecting Digital Identities in Developing Countries](https://github.com/WebOfTrustInfo/ID2020DesignWorkshop/blob/master/final-documents/protecting-digital-identities-in-developing-countries.pdf)
* [Opportunities Created by the Web of Trust for Controlling and Leveraging Personal Data](https://github.com/WebOfTrustInfo/rebooting-the-web-of-trust/blob/master/final-documents/satisfying-real-world-use-cases.pdf)
<sup><ahref="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RllH91rcFdE">The Story of Open SSI Standards - Drummond Reed/Evernym SSIMeetup.org</a>[<b><ahref="https://www.slideshare.net/SSIMeetup/self-sovereign-identity-ssi-open-standards-with-drummond-reed">ϟ</a></b>]</sup>
* [@ChristopherA on DID adoption](https://twitter.com/ChristopherA/status/989122017348784130)
> "22/ Over a dozen companies and organizations, using multiple blockchains (Bitcoin, Ethereum, Hyperledger, etc.), have committed to deploying DIDs, including IBM, Microsoft, Digital Bazaar, Consensys, Evernym, Learning Machine, British Columbia, and more:" —[How blockchain could solve the internet privacy problem](https://www.computerworld.com/article/3267930/blockchain/how-blockchain-could-solve-the-internet-privacy-problem.html)
* [Veres One DID Method 1.0](https://github.com/WebOfTrustInfo/rebooting-the-web-of-trust-fall2017/blob/master/final-documents/did-method-veres-one.md) [[**D**](https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1bUZbtgdxKxTR1it10G9ZozYGD486qxZTBPuiOZjzoT4/edit#slide=id.g368b7a777c_1_0)] ([**veres.one**](https://veres.one)) — a permissionless public ledger designed specifically for the creation and management of decentralized identifiers (DIDs)
* [Blockstack DID Spec](https://github.com/blockstack/blockstack-core/blob/master/docs/blockstack-did-spec.md)[**[ϟ](https://forum.blockstack.org/t/did-method-at-identity-foundation/4287/9)**]
Blockstack is a network for decentralized applications where users own their identities and data. Blockstack utilizes a public blockchain to implement a decentralized naming layer, which binds a user's human-readable username to their current public key and a pointer to their data storage buckets.
* [BTCR DID Method](https://w3c-ccg.github.io/didm-btcr/) — The Bitcoin Reference DID method (did:btcr) supports DIDs on the public Bitcoin blockchain. The Bitcoin Reference method has minimal design goals: a DID trust anchor based on the Bitcoin blockchain, updates publicly visible and auditable via Bitcoin transactions, and optionally, additional DID Document information referenced in the transaction OP_RETURN data field. No other Personal Identifiable Information (PII) would be placed on the immutable blockchain.
* "offers a platform for self-sovereign identity, including desktop and mobile apps for end-users. It uses Decentralized Identifiers (DIDs) - backed by optionally Bitcoin or Ethereum - to implement a marketplace for verifiable claims. The Spidchain applications allow individuals to create, recover, and revoke DIDs, to authenticate, to sign and verify files and claims, and more."
<sup><ahref="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RllH91rcFdE">The Story of Open SSI Standards - Drummond Reed/Evernym SSIMeetup.org</a>[<b><ahref="https://www.slideshare.net/SSIMeetup/self-sovereign-identity-ssi-open-standards-with-drummond-reed">ϟ</a></b>]</sup>
* [DID Auth and the Little I-am-Me](https://medium.com/@markus.sabadello/did-auth-and-the-little-i-am-me-ec14d757ff09)
* [Introduction to DID Auth](https://github.com/WebOfTrustInfo/rebooting-the-web-of-trust-spring2018/blob/master/final-documents/did-auth.md) [[**ϟ**](http://ssimeetup.org/introduction-did-auth-markus-sabadello-webinar-10/)]
<sup><ahref="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RllH91rcFdE">The Story of Open SSI Standards - Drummond Reed/Evernym SSIMeetup.org</a>[<b><ahref="https://www.slideshare.net/SSIMeetup/self-sovereign-identity-ssi-open-standards-with-drummond-reed">ϟ</a></b>]</sup>
* [Verifiable Claims Working Group](https://www.w3.org/2017/vc/WG/) [[**D**](https://www.w3.org/2017/vc/charter.html)]
* [Verifiable Claims Data Model 1.0](https://w3c.github.io/vc-data-model/) [[**G**](https://github.com/w3c/vc-data-model)] [[**D**](https://w3c.github.io/vc-use-cases/)]
<sup><ahref="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RllH91rcFdE">The Story of Open SSI Standards - Drummond Reed/Evernym SSIMeetup.org</a>[<b><ahref="https://www.slideshare.net/SSIMeetup/self-sovereign-identity-ssi-open-standards-with-drummond-reed">ϟ</a></b>]</sup>
<sup><ahref="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RllH91rcFdE">The Story of Open SSI Standards - Drummond Reed/Evernym SSIMeetup.org</a>[<b><ahref="https://www.slideshare.net/SSIMeetup/self-sovereign-identity-ssi-open-standards-with-drummond-reed">ϟ</a></b>]</sup>
* On May 22 at Consensus 2017 the formation of the Decentralized Identity Foundation (DIF) [was announced](https://www.ethnews.com/decentralized-identity-foundation-announces-formation-at-consensus-2017)
* [Conensus 2017 - Building an Foundation for Decentralized Identity](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5laRZfn8AI) (video)
>A key piece of the decentralized identity equation is how people, organizations, and devices can be identified and located without centralized systems of identifiers (e.g. email addresses). DIF members are actively working on protocols and implementations that enable creation, resolution, and discovery of decentralized identifiers and names across decentralized systems, like blockchains and distributed ledgers.
* DIF members, sharing the goal of “building an open source decentralized identity ecosystem for people, organizations, apps, and devices” include:
* [Decentralized Identity Foundation Grows To 56 Members In Our First Year](https://medium.com/decentralized-identity/decentralized-identity-foundation-grows-to-56-members-in-our-first-year-3ec117e811d8)
* [A Universal Resolver for self-sovereign identifiers](https://medium.com/decentralized-identity/a-universal-resolver-for-self-sovereign-identifiers-48e6b4a5cc3c) [[**G**](https://github.com/decentralized-identity/universal-resolver)] [[**>**](#Decentralized-Identity-Foundation)]
* [uniresolver.io](https://uniresolver.io/)
* [6/27 Masterclass on the DID Universal Resolver | Identiverse 2018](https://www.slideshare.net/Identiverse/627-masterclass-on-the-did-universal-resolver-identiverse-2018)
* [Identity Hubs Capabilities Perspective](https://github.com/WebOfTrustInfo/rebooting-the-web-of-trust-fall2017/blob/master/final-documents/identity-hubs-capabilities-perspective.md) - Identity Hubs currently proposed in the Decentralized Identity Foundation (DIF) are a subset of a general Decentralized Identifier (DID).
* [The Three Models of Digital Identity Relationships — How self-sovereign identity (SSI) is different](https://medium.com/evernym/the-three-models-of-digital-identity-relationships-ca0727cb5186)
* [Founded](http://www.windley.com/archives/2016/09/announcing_the_sovrin_foundation.shtml) in [September](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/sovrin-foundation-launches-first-dedicated-self-sovereign-identity-network-300336702.html) 2016, The [Sovrin](https://sovrin.org/)
* [Building Your Business on Sovrin: Domain-Specific Trust Frameworks](http://www.windley.com/archives/2018/03/building_your_business_on_sovrin_domain-specific_trust_frameworks.shtml)
* [Self-Sovereign Identity and the Legitimacy of Permissioned Ledgers](http://www.windley.com/archives/2016/09/self-sovereign_identity_and_the_legitimacy_of_permissioned_ledgers.shtml)
* The Linux Foundation's [Blockchain for Business](https://www.edx.org/professional-certificate/linuxfoundationx-blockchain-for-business) edx course may be freely audited and has a section on Indy.
* [Hyperledger Ursa](https://wiki.hyperledger.org/projects/ursa) "includes the Hyperledger Indy-Crypto code base that is the building block for anonymous credentials, the verifiable credentials protocol, in indy-sdk used by the Sovrin Network. [...] We are hopeful the [shared library](https://github.com/hyperledger/ursa) will help other platforms better incorporate and use ZKP-based credentials and leverage Sovrin for their identity component." (From Nathan George on Sovrin Telegram)[[**ϟ**](https://www.hyperledger.org/blog/2018/12/04/welcome-hyperledger-ursa)]
* **[/indy-sovrin-evernym](https://github.com/infominer33/awesome-decentralized-id/blob/master/indy-sovrin-evernym/)** - Much additional info on Hyperledger Indy.
* a network of computers that collectively maintain a global registry of domain names, public keys, and cryptographic hashes. With this registry, Blockstack serves as a decentralized domain name system (DNS) and a decentralized public key infrastructure (PKI).
* [Extending Existing Blockchains with Virtualchain](https://www.zurich.ibm.com/dccl/papers/nelson_dccl.pdf)
* [Onename](https://onename.com/) — "a product built on Blockstack that allows people to register identities"
* [Blockstack DID Spec](https://github.com/blockstack/blockstack-core/blob/master/docs/blockstack-did-spec.md)[**[ϟ](https://forum.blockstack.org/t/did-method-at-identity-foundation/4287/9)**]
* [Sovereign](http://sovereign.software/)[[**G**](https://github.com/DemocracyEarth/sovereign)], a blockchain direct democracy tool using "vote" tokens to grant democratic participation rights to every human. A proof-of-individuality (POI) process based on peer-to-peer validation establishes that a self-sovereign identity is uniquely tied to a single person. Cooperation is happening with other decentralized identity initiatives such as Blockstack and uPort.
* [The Social Smart Contract](https://github.com/DemocracyEarth/paper#The_Social_Smart_Contract)[[**ϟ**](https://www.dropbox.com/s/sifogl4zimwkkei/Democracy%20Earth%20-%20Social%20Smart%20Contract%20-%20Paper%20v0.2.pdf?dl=0)] An Initial Rights Offering from Democracy Earth Foundation.
* [Meet the Dad Who Registered His Daughter’s Birth on the Blockchain](https://www.coindesk.com/meet-the-dad-who-registered-his-daughters-birth-on-the-blockchain) [[**ϟ**](https://www.coindesk.com/humans-on-the-blockchain-why-crypto-is-the-best-defense-against-ai-overlords)]
>we worked with councils, senates, non profits, student centers, political parties, corporations.. but implementing real digital governance at scale really took off with crypto networks. our partnership with @blockstack is our biggest milestone of 2018. -[Santi](https://twitter.com/santisiri/status/1076259390154592256)
* [Bitnation taps Blockchain tech to aid Refugees](https://www.newsbtc.com/2015/09/09/bitnation-taps-blockchain-tech-to-aid-refugees/)[[**^**](#Bitnation-and-the-United-Nations)]
* [BTCR DID Method](https://w3c-ccg.github.io/didm-btcr/) — The Bitcoin Reference DID method (did:btcr) supports DIDs on the public Bitcoin blockchain. The Bitcoin Reference method has minimal design goals: a DID trust anchor based on the Bitcoin blockchain, updates publicly visible and auditable via Bitcoin transactions, and optionally, additional DID Document information referenced in the transaction OP_RETURN data field. No other Personal Identifiable Information (PII) would be placed on the immutable blockchain.
* [Decentralized Digital Identity on Ethereum](https://www.slideshare.net/FabriceCroiseaux/ethcc-2018-decentralized-digital-identity-on-ethereum) -SlideShare
* proposals in the Ethereum community to standardize smart contracts for certain identity-related operations such as key management, as well as signing transactions, documents, and "claims", which may be attested by third parties or self-asserted.
* [Origin partners on ERC725](https://coinjournal.net/origin-protocol-partners-on-new-erc-725-alliance-to-promote-the-adoption-of-blockchain-based-identity-standard)
* [ERC: Lightweight Identity #1056](https://github.com/ethereum/EIPs/issues/1056) —This ERC describes a standard for creating and updating identities with a limited use of blockchain resources. An identity can have an unlimited number of delegates and attributes associated with it. Identity creation is as simple as creating a regular key pair ethereum account, which means that it's fee (no gas costs) and all ethereum accounts are valid identities. Furthermore this ERC is fully DID compliant.
* [ERC-1484: Digital Identity Aggregator #1495](https://github.com/ethereum/EIPs/issues/1495) —A protocol for aggregating digital identity information that's broadly interoperable with existing, proposed, and hypothetical future digital identity standards.
* [Ethereum studio ConsenSys launches digital IDs and assets secured on Ubuntu phones](http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/ethereum-studio-consensys-launches-internet-people-digital-ids-assets-secured-unbuntu-phones-1542620)
* "Smart Identity uses the Ethereum blockchain to represent an identity using a smart contract, attributes can be added by the identity owner and are stored in hash form"
* "is a blockchain platform giving users a single biometric tool for login, payment and identity verification. It stores an individual's information in a "personal cloud" in "zero-knowledge blockchain storage".
* a "SmartWallet" for everyone to own their personal digital identity, using [Social Linked Data](https://github.com/solid/solid-spec), WebID, and verifiable claims standards via Ethereum smart contracts.
* [A universal identity layer we can only build together](https://stories.jolocom.com/a-universal-identity-layer-we-can-only-build-together-e297ed5ae4ed)
POA Network is an Ethereum-based platform that offers an open-source framework for smart contracts. POA Network is a sidechain to Ethereum utilizing [Proof of Authority](https://blockonomi.com/proof-of-authority/)
* [Cryptonomica.net](https://cryptonomica.net) is an identity verification service based on [OpenPGP](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pretty_Good_Privacy) and [Ethereum](https://www.ethereum.org) with legal framework and online dispute resolution for electronic contracts from London-based [court of arbitration](https://cryptonomica.net/#!/arbitration)
* [Paving the Road to Self-Sovereign Identity with Blockchain, Open Standards](https://www.ibm.com/blogs/think/2017/10/self-sovereign-id-blockchain/)
* [github.com/IBM-Blockchain-Identity](https://github.com/IBM-Blockchain-Identity) (Docker based tutorial sandbox env)
* [How do we start tackling the existing identity problem](https://www.ibm.com/blogs/blockchain/2018/06/how-do-we-start-tackling-the-existing-identity-problem/)
* [Swipe Right on Verifiably Credentials](https://developer.ibm.com/code/2018/05/22/swipe-right-on-verifiable-credentials/)
* [WISeKey fully deployed its CertifyID integrating Digital Identity with Blockchain technology](https://globenewswire.com/news-release/2018/07/11/1535718/0/en/WISeKey-fully-deployed-its-CertifyID-integrating-Digital-Identity-with-Blockchain-technology.html)
* offers an "identity chain" technology that makes it possible to issue and revoke verified claims using elliptic curve cryptography (curve25519, secp256k1) and includes privay-enhancing features [[**ϟ**](https://www.cio.com/article/3147358/it-industry/ibm-building-blockchain-ecosystem.html)]
* [SecureKey](http://securekey.com/): [partners with IBM](http://www-03.ibm.com/press/us/en/pressrelease/51841.wss) to enable a new digital identity and attribute sharing network based on Hyperledger Fabric blockchain.
### Microsoft[**^**](#Contents)
* [Microsoft Azure Own your identity](https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/overview/decentralized-identity/) [[**ϟ**](https://www.coindesk.com/microsoft-is-pushing-new-blockchain-id-products-but-theres-pushback-too)]
Discover decentralized identity—a new way to take ownership of your personal data.
* [Mastercard, Microsoft Join Forces to Advance Digital Identity Innovations](https://newsroom.mastercard.com/press-releases/mastercard-microsoft-join-forces-to-advance-digital-identity-innovations/)
* [Decentralized digital identities and blockchain: The future as we see it](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/blog/2018/02/12/decentralized-digital-identities-and-blockchain-the-future-as-we-see-it/)
* [Blockcerts](https://www.blockcerts.org), developed by[Learning Machine](https://www.learningmachine.com/), is an open standard for issuing and verifying blockchain-based official records; The project offers open-source libraries, tools, and mobile apps. MIT has [issued](https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2017/10/19/mit-introduces-digital-diplomas) digital certificates based on this standard.
* [CXC (Carribean) Pilots E-Certificates on the Blockchain](https://www.cxc.org/cxc-pilots-e-certificates-on-the-blockchain/)
* [A Decentralized Approach to Blockcerts Credential Revocation](https://github.com/WebOfTrustInfo/rebooting-the-web-of-trust-fall2017/blob/master/final-documents/blockcerts-revocation.md)
* [Schema](https://schema.org) — a collaborative, community activity with a mission to create, maintain, and promote schemas for structured data on the Internet. Schema.org vocabulary can be used with many different encodings, including RDFa, Microdata and JSON-LD. These vocabularies cover entities, relationships between entities and actions, and can easily be extended through a well-documented extension model. Over 10 million sites use Schema.org to markup their web pages and email messages. Many applications from Google, Microsoft, Pinterest, Yandex and others already use these vocabularies to power rich, extensible experiences."
* [ÆTERNITY](http://aeternity.com/) [[**G**](https://github.com/aeternity/protocol)]: using Schema's standards: "offers an identity architecture where every account has a unique ID number, and unique names can be registered and linked to arbitrary data such as addresses on the blockchain. Schema's are used for representing data about persons and organizations."
* DIDs[[**>**](#DID-the-Decentralized-Identifier)] and Verifiable Claims of the W3C [[**>**](#World-Wide-Web-Consortium)]
* goal: to empower individuals with their personal data, thus helping them and their communities develop knowledge, make informed decisions, and interact more consciously and efficiently with each other as well as with organisations."
* [Consent](http://www.consent.global/)[[**ϟ**](https://sovrin.org/steward/global-consent/)] — "platform for trusted personal data applications and services, using Ethereum smart contracts to implement decentralized identifiers, verified credentials, consent receipts, a web of trust, and exchange of assets and value."
* planning to offer a "Personal Data Locker" consisting of a wallet, browser, and token exchange. Personal assets will be put on a blockchain, and "Pillar" tokens will be issued."
* "network allows anyone to store structured data on a smart contract blockchain. Data can optionally be bought and sold on a marketplace using the DAT token. Datum leverages BigchainDB and IPFS as data storage backends. All data is encrypted and protected using AES256-GCM.
* [ONTology](https://ont.io/) [[**G**](https://github.com/ontio/ontology-DID)]— "a "Distributed Trust Network" which combines a cross-chain identity system, peer-to-peer data transmission, data authorization mechanisms, distributed data storage, attestation, and various industry-specific modules. It also includes an Ontology Crypto Package (OCP) and an Ontology Marketplace (OM)."
* [Pro-civis](https://procivis.ch) — "e-government as a service" platform called "eID+". It enables citizens to get an official, electronic Citizen-ID on a mobile app.
* The platform includes the [Vetri](https://vetri.global/) wallet and marketplace. 'Earn extra income and rewards by joining the data economy.'"
* [Danube Tech](http://danubetech.com/) — digital identity and personal data, including personal agents, semantic graphs, and blockchain ([**xdi**](https://xdi2.org)) ([**navigator**](https://github.com/projectdanube/xdi2))
* Founded by [Markus Sabadello (Peacekeeper)](http://mydata2016.org/speaker/markus-sabadello/) [[**T**](https://twitter.com/peacekeeper)] [[**G**](https://github.com/peacekeeper)] [[**B**](https://medium.com/@markus.sabadello)]
* [Identity at Coinbase: Welcoming the Distributed Systems team](https://blog.coinbase.com/identity-at-coinbase-welcoming-the-distributed-systems-team-d929dd64de2e) [[**ϟ**](https://www.wired.com/story/coinbase-distributed-systems-acquisition/)]
* [Dapp Framework Melo One to use Civic](https://www.cryptoninjas.net/2018/08/30/dapp-framework-menlo-one-to-use-civic-for-blockchain-identity-verification/)
* [I/O Digital Foundation](https://iodigital.io/) [**[**wp**](https://simplebooklet.com/iocoinwhitepaper#page=0)**]
* "offers a Proof-of-Stake blockchain called Decentralised Input Output Name Server (DIONS). It will enable applications such as identity and alias registration, storage of legal documents, key exchange, and encrypted messaging."
* [Gemalto and R3 pilot blockchain for SSID](https://www.cryptoninjas.net/2018/09/18/gemalto-and-r3-pilot-blockchain-technology-for-self-sovereign-digital-id-network/#.W6drpckvGLU.twitter)
* [Identity Validation as a Public Sector Digital Service?](https://blog.aniljohn.com/2014/07/identity-validation-as-a-public-sector-digital-service.html)
* [Australian government reveals decentralized national digital identity plans](https://oneworldidentity.com/australian-government-reveals-decentralized-national-digital-identity-plans/)
* [Australia Post's Digital ID named best federal govt IT project](https://www.itnews.com.au/news/australia-posts-digital-id-named-best-federal-govt-it-project-485017)
>VON's founding members are governments who are, by law, trusted issuers of data about organizations. The Province of British Columbia, Province of Ontario and the Government of Canada have come together to create the initial services needed to establish VON.
>
>VON's founders have delivered new Indy-based open source components which form VON's backbone. TheOrgBook is a publicly accessible repository of verifiable claims about organizations. VON-X enables services to verify and issue credentials.[[**ϟ**](https://hgf18.sched.com/event/G8rm/verifiable-organizations-network-a-production-government-deployment-of-hyperledger-indy-john-jordan-province-of-british-columbia-stephen-curran-cloudcompass-computing-inc)]
* "an initiative by the government of British Columbia to create a trusted network of organizational data. It allows organizations to claim credentials that are part of their own digital identity, using a component called [TheOrgBook](https://theorgbook.pathfinder.gov.bc.ca/en/home)[[**G**](https://github.com/bcgov/theorgbook)] that lists entities with their associated public verifiable claims.
* [SecureKey](http://securekey.com/): [partners with IBM](http://www-03.ibm.com/press/us/en/pressrelease/51841.wss) to enable a new digital identity and attribute sharing network based on Hyperledger Fabric blockchain.
* [SecureKey Technologies to explore interoperability between Verified.Me and Hyperledger Indy](https://securekey.com/press-releases/hyperledger-indy/)
* [EU Report Considers Blockchain-Based Digital Identities, Tokenized National Currencies](https://cointelegraph.com/news/eu-report-considers-blockchain-based-digital-identities-tokenized-national-currencies)
* EU Blockchain Forum - [BLOCKCHAIN FOR GOVERNMENT AND PUBLIC SERVICES](https://www.eublockchainforum.eu/sites/default/files/reports/eu_observatory_blockchain_in_government_services_v1_2018-12-07.pdf)
* [Government services and digital identity](https://www.eublockchainforum.eu/sites/default/files/research-paper/20180801_government_services_and_digital_identity.pdf)
* [TU Delft helps develop digital ID for use on your phone](https://www.tudelft.nl/en/2018/tu-delft/tu-delft-helps-develop-digital-id-for-use-on-your-phone/)
* [Deployment of a Blockchain-Based Self-Sovereign Identity - Delft](https://arxiv.org/pdf/1806.01926.pdf)
* [TrustChain: A Sybil-resistant scalable blockchain - Presentation](http://msn.iecs.fcu.edu.tw/report/download.php?)
* a non-profit consortium building a national blockchain ecosystem for Spain. The security and veracity of information will be ensured through the identification of natural and legal persons, while at the same time allowing citizens to have control over their personal information in a transparent way following the guidelines set by the European Union.
* [Illinois Blockchain Initiative](https://illinoisblockchain.tech/) — [partners with Evernym to launch birth registration pilot](https://illinoisblockchain.tech/illinois-partners-with-evernym-to-launch-birth-registration-pilot-f2668664f67c)
* [U.S. Department of Homeland Security funds four Blockchains](https://bravenewcoin.com/insights/u-s-department-of-homeland-security-funds-four-blockchain-companies-developing-new-cyber-security-technology)
* [iRespond](https://www.irespond.org/) -international non-profit organization dedicated to solving the identity problem using a unique digital biometric identity solution
* [The Humanized Internet](http://www.thehumanizedinternet.org/) — "to defend the rights of vulnerable people, and give every human being worldwide secure, sovereign control over their own digital identity."
* [CheapID](http://guptaoption.com/cheapid/) - identity standard designed for use in conflicted environment like those many refugees or disaster victims may find themselves in.
* uses [State In A Box - Identity Services Architecture](http://guptaoption.com/4.SIAB-ISA.php)
* [Self-Sovereign Identity Systems for Humanitarian Interventions—A Case Study on Protective Cash Transfer Programs](https://repository.tudelft.nl/islandora/object/uuid:6cdb5450-9a81-47a9-8ffa-f9bd77c72448/datastream/OBJ1/download)
* [The Nail Finds a Hammer: Self-Sovereign Identity, Design Principles, and Property Rights in the Developing World](https://www.newamerica.org/future-property-rights/reports/nail-finds-hammer/)
2018 Identity Landsacpe brought to you by: [One World Identity](https://oneworldidentity.com/) — independent advisory and digital strategy consultancy focused on trust and the data economy.
### EU General Data Protection Regulation Act[**^**](#Contents)
* [Blockchains and Data Protection in the European Union](https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3080322)
* [IBM — How blockchain could address five areas associated with GDPR compliance](https://www-01.ibm.com/common/ssi/cgi-bin/ssialias?htmlfid=61014461USEN)
* [GDPR - A reflection on the 'self-sovereign identity' and the Blockchain](https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/gdpr-reflection-self-sovereign-identity-blockchain-nicolas-ameye/)
* [GDPR and Privacy by Design, What developers need to know](https://medium.com/@sphereidentity/gdpr-and-privacy-by-design-what-developers-need-to-know-fa5a936da65a)
* [Privacy by Design The 7 Foundational Principles](https://www.ipc.on.ca/wp-content/uploads/Resources/7foundationalprinciples.pdf)
* [When GDPR Becomes Real, and Blockchain is no longer fairydust](https://github.com/WebOfTrustInfo/rebooting-the-web-of-trust-fall2017/blob/master/final-documents/gdpr.md)
* [Self-Sovereign Privacy By Design](https://github.com/sovrin-foundation/protocol/blob/master/self_sovereign_privacy_by_design_v1.md)
* [EU BLOCKCHAIN OBSERVATORY AND FORUM — Workshop Report — e-Identity, Brussels, November 7, 2018](https://www.eublockchainforum.eu/sites/default/files/reports/workshop_5_report_-_e-identity.pdf)
* [A Comprehensive Evaluation of the Identity Management Utility Sovrin](https://dutchblockchaincoalition.org/uploads/pdf/Blockchain-Sovrin-rapport.pdf)
* [Digital Identity: the current state of affairs](https://www.bbvaresearch.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Digital-Identity_the-current-state-of-affairs.pdf)
* [Accenture: ID2020: DIGITAL IDENTITY with Blockchain and Biometrics](https://www.accenture.com/us-en/insight-blockchain-id2020)
* [Privacy-Preserving Authentication, Another Reason to Care about Zero-Knowledge Proofs —slideshare](https://www.slideshare.net/eralcnoslen/privacypreserving-authentication-another-reason-to-care-about-zeroknowledge-proofs)
* [A Comprehensive Guide to Self Sovereign Identity](https://ssiscoop.com/) - by Kaliya ['Identity Woman'](https://twitter.com/IdentityWoman) Young and [Heather Vescent](https://twitter.com/heathervescent) [[**ϟ**](https://www.thepaypers.com/expert-opinion/10-things-you-need-to-know-about-self-sovereign-identity-part-1/774556)]
* [Report launch: ‘Identity at the Margins—identification systems for refugees”](https://medium.com/caribou-digital/report-launch-identity-at-the-margins-identification-systems-for-refugees-69466244fa62)
* [A position paper on blockchain enabled identity and the road ahead](https://www.bundesblock.de/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/ssi-paper.pdf)—Identity Working Group of the German Blockchain Association
* [Security without Identification: Transaction Systems to make Big Brother Obsolete](https://www.cs.ru.nl/~jhh/pub/secsem/chaum1985bigbrother.pdf) - David Chaum 1985
* [Blockchain for Identity Management](https://www.cs.bgu.ac.il/~frankel/TechnicalReports/2016/16-02.pdf) - Details early efforts towards Blockchain-ID
* [Matching Identity Management Solutions to Self Sovereign Identity Solutions](https://www.slideshare.net/TommyKoens/matching-identity-management-solutions-to-selfsovereign-identity-principles)
>There seems to exist a trilemma in decentralized identity analogous to @Zooko's triangle. None of the existing solutions are at the same time: 1) privacy-preserving, 2) Sybil-resistant 3) self-sovereign -[[**T**](https://twitter.com/MaciekLaskus/status/1031859093072424960)]
* "I designed an algorithm that mapped out people [working on identity](https://twitter.com/MaciekLaskus/status/1066780557906976768) using Twitter data:" [Identity list](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1hBBVA0-jqmRRZ_JFQ8HEck9tFub7crsqRzlBZWf01xg/edit?usp=sharing)
>Stories about using the Internet as a tool to find out more about yourself, and as a tool to express and empower; about the dangers of Internet censorship and about the practical realities of maintaining multiple distinct digital identities.
* [@SarahJamieLewis Twitter thread on Identity](https://twitter.com/SarahJamieLewis/status/1041043532654542848)
>Any technology which relies on the existence of, or attempts to create a, global, unique identity is oppressive by design. Stop" innovating" oppressive structures.
* [Towards Self Sovereign Identity](https://www.slideshare.net/alehors/towards-self-sovereign-identity-20180508) - A great slide-deck by IBM explaining Indy\Sovrin Architecture.
* [State of Identity](https://oneworldidentity.com/podcasts/)
* [Analytics Neat—Episode 37: What is a Decentralized Identity (DID)?](https://player.fm/series/analytics-neat/episode-37-what-is-a-decentralized-identity-did)
* [State Change #41 Unpacking Digital Identity](https://media.consensys.net/state-change-41-unpacking-digital-identity-christian-lundkvist-stephen-wilson-4fb5a75eb6ed)
