In Evernym's November 2021 webinar, we discussed the current state of decentralized identifiers (DIDs), their role in a more trusted Web, and why three of the four largest browser vendors are trying to stop their approval at the W3C.

1. Why The Web Needs
Decentralized Identifiers (DIDs)
—Even if Google, Apple, and Mozilla Disagree
November 3, 2021
@evernym | www.evernym.com

2. Andy Tobin
Managing Director, Europe,
Evernym
Drummond Reed
Chief Trust Officer,
Evernym
Co-Editor, DID Spec
Today’s presenters
James Monaghan
VP Product,
Evernym

3. On the agenda
The controversy at the W3C
Why the future of the Web is at stake
What are DIDs, and why do we need them?
The DID Spec 1.0 and the W3C’s DID Working Group
The path to becoming a W3C standard
Our response to the formal objections made by
Google, Apple, and Mozilla
Q&A

4. First, what is the controversy at the
World Wide Web Consortium (W3C)?

5. vs.
Web 3.0
Web 2.0

6. SSI & Decentralized Identifiers:
Reclaiming the soul of the web
Credit to Nick Price, Decentralized Identity Foundation
TCP / IP
HTTP /
Browser
GSM /
Mobile
Decentralization /
P2P
1974 - 1982 1989 - 1997 1993 - 2007 2018 -

7. You
You
DIDs put you in the center of your digital world
centralized decentralized

8. Why is the future of the Web at stake?
In a nutshell, it’s all about control:
● How much control will you have over your digital life?
● Your digital wallet?
● Your digital credentials?
● Your secure communications?
● Your privacy?
● Your personal data?
● Your ability to use the hardware and software of your choice?

9. What are DIDs
anyways?

10. Decentralized
Identifiers (DIDs)
A new type of globally unique
identifier (URI) that does not
require a centralized registration
authority because control of the
identifier can be proved using
cryptography.
For a more technical introduction to
DIDs, view our previous webinar:
https://vimeo.com/363406397

11. “DIDs are the atomic building
block of decentralized digital
trust infrastructure.”
Chapter 8:
Decentralized Identifiers
https://www.manning.com/books/self-sovereign-identity

12. In simple terms:
A DID is a digital control point.

13. Example: email address
Your
devices
Some server
at some service
provider
somewhere
Control point
You

14. Example: phone number
Control point
Your
devices
Some server
at some service
provider
somewhere
You

15. Example: domain name
Control point
Your
devices
Some server
at some service
provider
somewhere
You

16. Example: Decentralized Identifier
Your
devices
Some server
at some service
provider
somewhere
You
Control point

17. The “cryptographic triangle” behind all DIDs
DID
Public
Key
Private
Key
Control point
This never needs
to change
Even when these
need to change
(“key rotation”)

18. What are the benefits of
being in control?

19. With DIDs, you can:
Login without usernames and passwords
Digitally sign documents or transactions
Create persistent communications channels
Send encrypted private messages
Transfer value or assets
Authorize delegates or guardians

20. Consumer benefits:
● Control your data and online communications
● Create DIDs yourself; you don’t need to rely on anyone else and nobody can take
your DIDs away from you
● Have as many DIDs as you want to maintain your privacy
● Use your DIDs anywhere you want—they are fully portable
● Use your DIDs on your own terms—not anyone else's
● Choose which information your share with your DIDs
● All of this without surveillance or middlemen

21. Business benefits:
● Provide simple, secure, universal login for all your customers
● Digitally sign verifiable credentials that can be verified by anyone
● Create lifetime private channels with all your customers
● Make it nearly impossible for a phisher to spoof your business
● Prove the authenticity of your data, devices, people, & products
● Automate both internal and external business processes that require trust
● Benefit from entirely new business models, rooted in trusted data
● Connect and interact with your customers in a whole new way

22. What role do DIDs play in SSI,
and how are they being used today?

23. DIDs and VCs are the
twin pillars of self-sovereign identity

24. A global movement
>350 member organizations
Funding DID-based verifiable credentials
for use in supply chain verification
DID-based ‘staff passports’ for the world’s
third-largest employer
DID-based travel and health credentials,
in trial with 70+ major airlines
DID-based verifiable LEIs for businesses
and their representatives
DID-based KYC credentials for the
financial industry
DID-based portable patient records and
healthcare credentials
with production use

25. A (very) brief history of the ‘DID Spec’
A (very) brief history of the
‘DID Spec’

26. W3C Decentralized Identifiers (DIDs) 1.0
● Required syntax for all DIDs
● Required data model for all DID documents
● Required operations for all DID methods
● Security & Privacy Considerations
W3C DID Specification Registries
● Registry for DID methods, DID document
properties, key types, service types
● 112 DID methods currently registered
W3C DID Method Rubric 1.0
● Specifies suggested criteria and processes
for market evaluation of DID methods
W3C DID Implementation Guide
DID Spec 1.0

27. History of the DID spec prior to the
W3C Working Group
2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
Spring IIW: First
blockchain identity
discussions
W3C VCTF: A
Decentralized Hash
Table for the Web
Fall IIW: Decision to
begin blockchain ID
projects
DHS: Awards 1st
blockchain Identity
R&D contracts
IIW+RWOT: DID Spec
work fully underway
IIW+RWOT: First DID
Spec nearly complete
DHS: First DID Spec
published & contract
complete
DHS:
DKMS contract
awarded; work
begins
W3C CCG: DID Spec
contributed
DHS:
DKMS Design &
Architecture V3
published
W3C CCG: Second
draft of DID Spec
W3C CCG: Work on
DID WG Charter
begins
DHS:
DKMS Design &
Architecture V4
published
W3C CCG:
Community Final
Draft of DID Spec
W3C:
DID WG Charter
approved
W3C DID Working Group
begins Sept 2019
Work on DIDs
begins

28. The two-year path to becoming a W3C
standard (“REC”)
July 2021
May 2021
(CR2)
Nov 2020
(CR1)
Nov 2019
(FPWD)
May 2020
(Feature freeze)
August 2021
3 formal
objectors

29. So, what were these
formal objections?

30. Our Response:
Objection #1:
No practical
interoperability
of DID methods
1. It misses the point that the DID spec
establishes a baseline of interoperability
across ALL DID methods
○ It doesn’t matter how many DID methods
there are—they all produce the same result
2. Our WG Charter explicitly prohibited us
from specifying any DID methods
○ That is not our job—that is the job of each DID
method specification author
3. Each DID method spec establishes its
own interoperability requirements
○ Any DID method can and should have
multiple interoperable implementations

31. Objection #2:
Encourages
divergence
rather than
convergence of
DID methods
Our Response:
1. For the second time, this misses the
point of the DID spec: it specifies
interoperability for all DID methods
○ They all use a DID resolver to take a DID as
input and return a DID document as output
2. The market should determine the
success of DID methods—just as it has
with URI schemes and URN namespaces
○ There are 345 URI schemes and 70 URN
namespaces registered with IANA
3. URI schemes and URN namespaces are
all based on federated registries
○ DIDs are decentralized — each DID method
is a cryptographic solution to the DID triangle

32. Objection #3:
Centralized DID
methods are not
prohibited
Our Response:
1. “Decentralization” means “innovation at
the edges”
○ It would be a travesty if a centralized registry
controlled all innovation in DID methods
2. It is not the DID Working Group’s job—or
the W3C’s job—to judge DID methods
○ It is the market’s job—a job the market can do
much more efficiently and effectively
3. The whole purpose of the DID Method
Rubric is to facilitate market evaluations
○ It is a registry of recommended criteria and
processes for performing evaluations

33. Objection #4:
DID methods
using
proof-of-work
blockchains are
harmful for
environmental
sustainability
Our Response:
1. DID method implementations are
out-of-scope for the DID 1.0 spec
○ Each method makes its own choices about
how to implement a Verifiable Data Registry
2. Environmental sustainability is a perfect
example of a DID Method Rubric criteria
○ The Rubric is constantly being improved with
evaluation criteria for this and other factors
3. This is one more example of why the
market should choose DID methods
○ The DID 1.0 spec was explicitly designed to
encourage decentralized market competition

34. The Future of the Web Is
Decentralized

35. DIDs are inevitable
● Don’t panic — a lot of people are working really hard to get the DID spec approved
○ Very few W3C formal objections are sustained — it just takes some time to resolve
● The governmental, commercial, and social progress of DIDs is already unstoppable
○ The genie is not going back in the bottle
● This has no effect on Evernym’s products or customers
○ We are charging ahead with innovations in DID-based products and services
● The real lesson here is that decentralization means a shift in control
○ From large tech vendors (the “center”) to users (the “edges”)
● This is a strong signal that this shift is finally happening—for real

36. DIDs are the innovation that
democratizes cryptography so
that everyone can use it.

37. Thanks for joining us today!
For more content on decentralized identifiers and verifiable
credentials, please visit www.evernym.com/webinars/
November 3, 2021
@evernym | www.evernym.com