What is Polygon ID?
Polygon ID is a suite of developer tools designed to facilitate secure, privacy-preserving exchanges of verifiable credentials using blockchain technology, ensuring user data self-sovereignty.
More about Polygon ID
Polygon ID is an innovative platform designed to create trusted and secure interactions between applications and users through the use of verifiable credentials. These credentials, adhering to W3C standards, are issued by trusted organizations such as governments, universities, banks, or Web3 entities like KYC providers, oracles, DAOs, and reputation services. The credentials are cryptographically signed to ensure they are tamper-proof.
At the heart of Polygon ID is the Issuer Node, a self-hosted API that allows these trusted organizations to create verifiable credentials. When a user needs to prove something about themselves, they request a credential from an Issuer. After verifying the user's claim, the Issuer creates a credential, which the user can then store in their identity wallet.
The identity wallet is akin to a crypto wallet but instead of holding private keys for cryptocurrencies, it holds identity keys and credentials. Polygon ID provides a Wallet SDK for developing mobile wallets and a JavaScript SDK for creating web-based wallets, browser extensions, and decentralized applications (dApps). These wallets allow users to request, collect, and store their credentials securely.
Verification is a key part of the process. When a dApp or smart contract needs to verify a user's claim, it acts as a Verifier. For example, a dApp might need to verify that a user is over 18 to grant access to certain content, or a smart contract might need to confirm that a user is a unique human before distributing an airdrop. The Verifier sends a query to the user's wallet, and the wallet responds with proof of the credential using zero-knowledge proofs, ensuring that only the necessary information is revealed.
The entire process is designed to be highly secure and privacy-preserving. The use of cryptographic signatures and blockchain ensures that credentials cannot be tampered with, while zero-knowledge proofs allow users to prove their claims without disclosing unnecessary personal information.
Polygon ID offers significant benefits, including enhanced security, privacy, and user control over personal data. It is also developer-friendly, providing robust tools and SDKs to simplify integration into various applications.
Polygon ID key offerings
- Privacy-Preserving Verification: Polygon ID leverages zero-knowledge proofs to verify credentials without revealing sensitive user information. This "don’t trust, verify" approach enhances security, reduces compliance risks, and safeguards against bots and sybil attacks.
- Extensive Credential Marketplace: Developers benefit from a marketplace of pre-existing verifiable credentials, saving time and effort in building identity solutions. They can also create and share their own credentials, fostering collaboration within the ecosystem.
- Interoperability Across Chains: Polygon ID is designed as a multi-chain solution, supporting any EVM-compatible blockchain. It seamlessly connects off-chain verifiable credentials with on-chain smart contracts, enabling rich interactions across both Web3 and Web2 applications.
- Open-Source Philosophy: The project is committed to openness and transparency, offering its technology stack under open-source licenses. This encourages community participation, innovation, and alignment with industry standards like W3C and DIF.
- Self-Sovereign Identity: Users retain control over their digital identities and credentials through their identity wallets. This self-sovereignty empowers individuals to manage and selectively share their information across different platforms and services.
- Flexible SDKs for Developers: Polygon ID provides robust SDKs, including the Wallet SDK for building mobile and web-based identity wallets, and the Verifier SDK for integrating verification capabilities into dApps. These tools simplify development and enhance the user experience.
- Cost Efficiency: Unlike traditional NFTs or SBTs, which may incur minting and transaction fees, verifiable credentials in Polygon ID are non-transferable and non-tradable by design. This cost-efficient model supports widespread adoption and accessibility.
- Adherence to Standards: By adhering to W3C standards for verifiable credentials and decentralized identifiers (DIDs), Polygon ID ensures global compatibility and interoperability, facilitating seamless integration into enterprise and decentralized applications alike.
These USPs collectively position Polygon ID as a comprehensive and innovative solution for developers seeking to implement secure, privacy-preserving identity management in their applications, while fostering a collaborative and scalable ecosystem for digital credentials.
Key services & use cases powered by Polygon IDas a Web3 infrastructure provider
- Verifiable Credentials Issuance: Polygon ID enables trusted organizations (Issuers) to issue tamper-proof verifiable credentials according to W3C standards. These credentials, such as KYC information, academic degrees, or certifications, are cryptographically signed and stored securely in users' identity wallets.
- Identity Wallet SDK: Developers can ID's Wallet SDK to build identity wallets that securely manage and present verifiable credentials. Similar to crypto wallets managing private keys, identity wallets ensure users have control over their identity data and can selectively disclose it when needed.
- Zero-Knowledge Proofs for Privacy: Using advanced zero-knowledge proofs, Polygon ID allows users to prove the validity of their credentials without revealing sensitive information. This preserves user privacy while enabling seamless interactions with decentralized applications (dApps) and smart contracts.
- Issuer Node for Credential Management: Issuers can utilize Polygon ID's Issuer Node, a self-hosted API, to manage and issue verifiable credentials. This node provides secure methods for credential issuance and includes a user interface for easy management.
- Verifier SDK and Smart Contracts: Developers (e.g., dApp creators) leverage Polygon ID's Verifier SDK and smart contracts to set verification criteria and validate credentials both on-chain and off-chain. This simplifies the integration of identity verification into decentralized applications.
- Schema and Query Builders: Polygon ID offers Schema Builder for creating standardized credential schemas, enhancing interoperability across the ecosystem. The Query Builder simplifies the creation of verification queries, reducing the complexity of integrating identity verification into applications.
- Multi-Chain Interoperability: As a multi-chain solution, Polygon ID supports any EVM-compatible blockchain. This interoperability allows developers and users to utilize verifiable credentials across different blockchain platforms, promoting flexibility and scalability.
- Cost-Effective Credential Solutions: Unlike traditional NFTs or SBTs, which incur minting and transaction costs, verifiable credentials in Polygon ID are non-transferable and non-tradable by design. This cost-efficient model facilitates widespread adoption and accessibility.
- Marketplace of Credentials: Polygon ID hosts a marketplace of pre-existing verifiable credentials, enabling developers to quickly deploy identity solutions without starting from scratch. Developers can also contribute their own credential schemas, fostering a collaborative ecosystem.
- Decentralized and Open-Source: Committed to decentralization and openness, Polygon ID's technology stack is open-source and adheres to W3C and DID standards. This encourages community involvement, innovation, and compatibility with existing enterprise and Web3 applications.
- Enhanced Security with Blockchain: Utilizing blockchain technology, Polygon ID ensures the integrity and security of verifiable credentials. Blockchain is used for issuing Merkle Tree Proofs (MTP), on-chain verification, and future capabilities like credential revocation, enhancing trust and transparency in identity management.
These services and use cases collectively position Polygon ID as a robust infrastructure provider for Web3 developers seeking to implement secure, privacy-preserving identity solutions. By leveraging cutting-edge technology like zero-knowledge proofs and adhering to industry standards, Polygon ID supports the growth of a decentralized and interoperable ecosystem for verifiable credentials.
