Polygon Labs updates Web3 identity service

The Polygon project launched the fifth version of Polygon ID — a service for identity in Web3 space.

The tool allows dapps to verify user data without disclosing their personal information.

The service uses zero-knowledge proofs, which allow it to authenticate accounts while keeping them encrypted from the verifier.

Polygon ID provides reuse and interoperability of identity data. Once the issuer provides information to the holder, it can be reused indefinitely as long as it remains valid and is not revoked by the issuer.

Identity data can also be shared with other parties in accordance with the VC W3C standard.

In the fifth version, the number and variety of available credentials increased.

In the update, developers added:

• a new on-chain issuer;
• improvements for the issuer nodes;
• a new credentials marketplace.

The functionality is designed to simplify the account-generation process.

New on-chain issuer

The new on-chain issuer is a smart contract that enables creating credentials in the network. The credentials can pull information from both on-chain and off-chain sources.

Network information sources allow generating an account using public data. For example, credentials confirming token ownership without revealing the address, or information reflecting on-chain reputation calculated based on certain criteria of a person’s history of participation in the network.

When the information source is off-chain, the capabilities expand to creating an account within the network using off-chain information. The client application will take an offline document and convert it into verifiable credentials that will reside in the user’s identity wallet.

The zero-knowledge proof is sent to the network issuer for verification. This opens access to a range of applications, including account generation based on government-issued identity documents obtained from PDF files of official credentials, or credentials confirming that specific information appeared on a webpage at a given moment in time.

Improvements for the issuer node

The Polygon ID team has improved the deployment and usability of the issuer node, adding:

• availability on major cloud platforms such as Google Cloud Marketplace (GCM) and Amazon Web Services (AWS);
• the ability to retain on-chain revocation status, a major milestone toward full protocol decentralization;
• the ability to use DID with an Ethereum address, enabling the use of distributed domain name systems and leading to more economical state transitions.

New credentials marketplace

Discovering available credentials and their issuers has long posed a challenge. The marketplace addresses this by simplifying the developer onboarding process, as well as the search for credentials and the structures issuing them.

“We’re not just delivering a product; we’re building an ecosystem. Expanding the set of data available to users is one of the cornerstones of the ecosystem. The other two are solutions and projects that integrate these offerings,” explained Sebastian Rodriguez, Vice President of Products at Polygon Labs for Polygon ID.

Solutions

Polygon ID offers:

• for issuers — issuer node;
• for wallet providers — benefits from a Wallet SDK;
• for dapps developers — access to a verifier SDK;
• for browser-based applications — JS-SDK;
• for wallets with identity — Polygon ID Wallet.

The presented set of libraries, tools and ready-made apps includes a query builder and a schema builder.

Polygon launched the Polygon ID service in March 2023.

Earlier in the European Parliament adopted a bill for a digital identification system. The document envisions a digital wallet for every EU citizen. It will allow storing and managing identification data, including for accessing government services.