Decentralized Identifiers
Decentralized Identifiers (DIDs) are a type of identifier that enables verifiable, self-sovereign digital identity without relying on a central authority. They are part of the W3C standard for decentralized identity systems, allowing individuals and organizations to create and control their own identifiers using distributed ledger technology or other decentralized networks. DIDs are designed to be persistent, cryptographically verifiable, and resolvable to DID documents that contain public keys and service endpoints.
Developers should learn DIDs when building applications that require secure, privacy-preserving identity management, such as in decentralized finance (DeFi), supply chain tracking, or digital credentials. They are essential for implementing self-sovereign identity (SSI) systems, where users have full control over their personal data without intermediaries. Use cases include authentication, verifiable credentials, and interoperable identity across different platforms and blockchains.