Decentralized Identity (DID)
Digital identity under user control — without Google/Facebook intermediaries.
Decentralized Identity (DID — Decentralized Identifier) is a W3C standard for digital identity that the user controls — unlike centralized systems where Google or Facebook control your login.
Problems with central identification:
•Google/Facebook profile disappears → you lose access to everything
•Data is owned by the company
•Single point of failure and censorship
DID principles:
•Self-sovereign identity — you own your identity
•Verifiable credentials — diploma, certificate, age on blockchain
•Portable — works on all Web3 platforms
Implementations:
•ENS (vitalik.eth) — Ethereum identity
•Lens Protocol — decentralized social network
•Farcaster — decentralized Twitter, FID (Farcaster ID)
•Worldcoin World ID — proof of humanity (ZK-based)
•Ceramic Network — DID infrastructure
Usage example:
•Login to dApp: "Connect Wallet" = DID authentication
•Verified age without revealing date of birth (ZK-proof)
•Credit history on blockchain without bank
Challenges: mass adoption requires better UX than "create wallet".