The Decentralized Identifier Working Group has just published a second Candidate Recommendation Snapshot for the Decentralized Identifiers (DIDs) v1.0.
This document defines Decentralized identifiers (DIDs), a new type of identifier that enables verifiable, decentralized digital identity. A DID identifies any subject (e.g., a person, organization, thing, data model, abstract entity, etc.) that the controller of the DID decides that it identifies. In contrast to typical, federated identifiers, DIDs have been designed so that they may be decoupled from centralized registries, identity providers, and certificate authorities. DIDs are URIs that associate a DID subject with a DID document allowing trustable interactions associated with that subject. Each DID document can express cryptographic material, verification methods, or services, which provide a set of mechanisms enabling a DID controller to prove control of the DID.
Candidate Recommendation means that the Working Group considers the technical design to be complete, and is seeking implementation feedback on the document. The group is keen to get comments and implementation experiences on this specification as issues raised in the document’s Github repository. The group expects to satisfy the implementation goals (i.e., at least two, independent implementations for each of the test cases) by July 17, 2021.
