Polygon, a Layer 2 scaling protocol for Ethereum, released a zero-knowledge decentralized identity solution, Polygon ID, to the public almost a year after announcing its development.
The service uses zero-knowledge proofs (ZK proofs) that use cryptographic techniques to allow users to verify their identity online without their sensitive information being potentially transmitted or stored with a third party.
The public release The Polygon ID by Polygon Labs March 1 update comes nearly 12 months after its official release in a closed-source environment at the end of March 2022, which the Polygon team says was built to “solve the digital trust problem.” .
ZERO KNOWLEDGE IDENTITY FOR WEB3
The Polygon ID team is pleased to announce that 4 tools have been released on the #PolygonID Identity infrastructure to build a more equitable Internet that puts identity at the center.
The future is self-sovereign⛓https://t.co/h66KyDurJE pic.twitter.com/jTBbzBNVJk
— Polygon (@0xPolygon) March 1, 2023
“What sets Polygon ID apart from most other decentralized ID frameworks is its implementation of zero-knowledge technology, which allows users to verify their identities or other credentials without necessarily revealing sensitive information,” Polygon said.
The public release introduces four new tools to the Polygon ID toolset: Verifier SDK, Issuer Node, Wallet SDK, and Wallet App, which will enable Polygon developers to integrate decentralized identity into their applications.
Users will be able to produce zero-knowledge proofs using off-chain credentials, such as their passport, national ID, or a bachelor’s degree, to interact with smart contracts and verify on-chain information.
“This means off-chain data can now be used for trustless on-chain verifications in the widely supported Verified Credential format.”
Polygon claims that it is also the first ZK-based digital ID tool that allows users to have credentials locally on portable devices like smartphones, and that users will no longer need passwords:
“Passwordless logins exchange encrypted verifiable credentials simply by scanning a QR code or connecting to a desktop wallet. Organizations can benefit from enhanced security, a better user experience, and the productivity of their system administrators, whose time is not wasted on password resets.”
Polygon ID co-founder David Schwartz said in a March 1 Twitter post that the product is built “on top of the latest decentralized identity standards” that will help protect developers and users against unauthorized third-party access.
Polygon ID’s ZK-based technology enables developers to create solutions that allow users to store their personal information privately and securely, while giving them full control over who has access to their data.
—David Schwartz (@davidsrz) March 1, 2023
“Providing identity in a way that the average consumer can use is the holy grail of digital ID adoption,” he explained in a separate press release.
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Multiple projects have already committed to integrating Polygon ID at launch, such as web3 infrastructure provider Kaleido, ID verification solution Fractal, and Web3 Collab.Land community management system, which has an aggregate user base of more than 4 million, according to Polygon.
Other Web3 projects such as metaverse platform The Sandbox and blockchain builder community Guild.xyz are also in the process of integrating Polygon ID.
Following the news, the price of Polygon’s native MATIC token rose 2.5% from $1.22 to $1.25 in a matter of hours before falling back to $1.23.
Other blockchain-based ID products in the space today include Quadrata and IDNTTY.
