Self-Sovereign Identity (SSI)

Self-Sovereign Identity (SSI) is a concept and approach to digital identity management that gives individuals complete control over their personal information and how it's shared. Unlike traditional identity systems where data is controlled by governments, corporations, or other centralized authorities, SSI enables people to manage their own identity credentials without relying on any external administrative authority. This system is built on principles of privacy, security, and portability, utilizing blockchain technology and cryptography to create verifiable credentials.

The core principles of SSI include existence (users must have an independent existence), control (users must control their identities), access (users must have access to their own data), transparency (systems and algorithms must be transparent), persistence (identities must be long-lived), portability (information must be transportable), interoperability (identities should be as widely usable as possible), consent (users must agree to the use of their identity), minimalization (disclosure of claims must be minimized), and protection (the rights of users must be protected).

In practice, SSI is implemented through decentralized identifiers (DIDs) and verifiable credentials, which allow individuals to create and manage multiple digital identities for different contexts while maintaining privacy and security. This technology has significant implications for various sectors including finance, healthcare, education, and government services, where it can reduce fraud, streamline processes, and enhance privacy. SSI represents a crucial component of the broader movement toward digital sovereignty and aligns with cypherpunk ideals of individual autonomy in the digital age.