The potential impact of blockchain on the future of digital identity and privacy
Fares
Self-sovereign identity could let you prove who you are without handing over your whole file. Here is what is real today and what is still a promise.
Today your identity is scattered across banks, telecoms and government portals, and every new service asks for the same documents again. Blockchain-based identity proposes a different model: you hold verified credentials in a wallet and share only what a service needs.
How it works
- An issuer, such as a university or a bank, signs a credential.
- You keep it in your own wallet, not on the chain.
- The chain stores only public keys and revocation lists, so anyone can check that the credential is genuine.
Where privacy improves
Zero-knowledge proofs let you show that you are over 18, or a resident, without revealing your date of birth or address.
What to watch
Lost keys, weak recovery and regulation are still the hard parts. The technology is ready for pilots; trust frameworks are not finished yet.