Glossary
Decentralized Identifier (DID)
A globally unique identifier controlled by its subject rather than a central registry — the W3C standard underpinning self-sovereign identity on blockchains.
A decentralized identifier is a URI of the form did:method:id that
a user, organization, or device controls directly, without relying on
a centralized authority to issue or revoke it. Each DID resolves to a
DID document — a JSON record listing the public keys and service
endpoints needed to authenticate as the subject and interact with it.
DIDs are a W3C standard and the foundation of self-sovereign identity:
the holder, not a platform, owns the identifier and the keys behind it.
Different "methods" anchor DIDs in different systems — did:ethr and
did:pkh tie an identifier to a blockchain account, while others use
IPFS, the web, or ledgers like ION. Paired with verifiable
credentials, DIDs let people prove claims about themselves while
keeping control over what they disclose.