We define cryptoidentity as a manifestation of a conscious human that can be proven online and recorded on the blockchain. Digital identity is represented by personally identifiable information. By contrast, cryptoidentity does not need personal data or verifiers to confirm you as a real person. It requires instead a two-part proof: of humanness and uniqueness. Read more about the approach that enables to prove your cryptoidentity online.
Let’s consider key differences between these two concepts.
How are both represented?
Digital identity: Public ID
Cryptoidentity: Public ID
Who is identified by the ID?
Digital identity: It represents a certain person that was validated.
Cryptoidentity: It does not refer to any person, but it’s possessed by a real person. It’s pseudonymous.
Who validates legitimacy of the ID?
Digital identity: It requires trusted validators to issue claims validating someone’s identity.
Cryptoidentity: No trusted party is needed to prove someone’s digital personhood. It’s decentralized.
What data is needed to validate the ID?
Digital identity: Personal data is used to validate digital identity.
Cryptoidentity: A formal procedure is used to validate the humanity and uniqueness of a person. No personal data is used.
Who guarantees the data privacy?
Digital identity: Validators who issue claims about identity are responsible for privacy.
Cryptoidentity: No personal data is used.
Who can terminate the ID?
Digital identity: Validators can revoke their claims and terminate the legitimacy of digital identity.
Cryptoidentity: Only the person with the key can terminate the ID.
Who is the owner of the ID?
Digital identity: Effectively, digital identity belongs to the validators, who can terminate it.
Cryptoidentity: Cryptoidentity belongs to a person who can prove the ownership of their private key.
Can the ID be Sybil-protected?
Digital identity: No, otherwise it requires a trusted global set of validators with a single registry of all people.
Cryptoidentity: Yes, it’s designed to be Sybil-protected.
Can there be a single registry of IDs built?
Digital identity: No, since in general the registry will depend on which validators you trust.
Cryptoidentity: There is a consensus-based registry of all valid IDs.
Can the ID be secured from selling?
Digital identity: No, the ID can be sold multiple times.
Cryptoidentity: The seller is encouraged to terminate the ID afterwards to get the coins attached to the ID.
Is it safe to keep the ID on the blockchain?
Digital identity: No, since every ID is linked to personal data.
Cryptoidentity: Yes, it can exist only on the blockchain.
Is the ID valid forever?
Digital identity: In general, yes, unless validators revoke claims.
Cryptoidentity: It must be validated for each new epoch.
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Idena is a novel way to formalize people on the blockchain. It does not collect or store personally identifiable information. Idena proves the humanness and uniqueness of its participants by running an AI-hard Turing test at the same time for everyone around the globe.
The Idena blockchain is driven by proof-of-person consensus: Every node is linked to one single person with equal voting power.
