Introduction

Have you ever wondered who really owns your digital identity? When you sign up for platforms like Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, you provide them with a wealth of personal information such as name, date of birth and contact details. These platforms store and monetize this data for targeted advertising and other purposes, without giving you much control over how it's used.

With development of blockchain technology, the traditional centralized models of identity management are being challenged by a revolutionary concept: Self-Sovereign Identity (SSI). SSI allows users to manage and own their own identity information. Due to this feature, SSI is widely spread and used in the decentralized Web3 world.

It's time to say goodbye to the old centralized identity management model and embrace the autonomy and data ownership that SSI brings. This article will talk about SSI and how easy it is to get it through zkMe

What is Self-Sovereign Identity?

Self-Sovereign Identity (SSI) is a new digital identity system proposed to solve private disclosure and identity misuse issues. Its core concept is to enable everyone to truly own and control their own digital identity, rather than being dominated by other organizations.

With zkMe's SSI, you get to create and manage your own verified digital ID or credentials, just like a mobile app. All your personal data lives in this digital wallet or locker that only you control the keys to. There are no organizations or governments that can simply take away your ID or personal information. Moreover, you get to decide exactly what data to share, with whom, and for how long. Your identity is portable across apps and websites.

What are the benefits of Self-Sovereign Identity?

Self-Sovereign Identity can offer numerous benefits for individuals. There are 5 key advantages of adopting an SSI approach:

1. Enhance Privacy: Individuals have full control over their personal information and can choose to share only the minimum amount of data necessary for a particular transaction or interaction. This helps minimize the risk of data breaches, identity theft and unauthorized access to sensitive information.
2. Trust and Transpency: SSI relies on decentralized, transparent, and tamper-proof technologies like blockchain, which ensure the integrity and authenticity of digital identities and credentials. This fosters trust among all parties involved, as there is no need to rely on centralized authorities or intermediaries.
3. Interoperability: SSI systems are designed to work across different sectors and organizations. This smooths out interactions and transactions across various services.
4. Regulatory Complianc: SSI aligns with emerging data protection regulations and privacy laws by giving individuals greater control over their personal data and enabling transparent and auditable data sharing practices
5. Future-Proof and Adaptable: The decentralized and user-centric nature of SSI aligns with the principles of Web 3.0 and the evolving digital landscape. As new technologies and use cases emerge, SSI can adapt and evolve, providing a future-proof solution for identity management.

Self-Sovereign Identity Management with zkMe

Are you attracted to the SSI benefits mentioned above? And wondering how to get started with managing your SSI? Don't worry, zkMe will lead you to start the SSI journey!

zkMe was founded in December 2022 and already backed by the world's leading venture firms, which are the company pioneering identity solutions for mass adoption of decentralized finance (DeFi). Enabling trusted asset channeling and empowering users to prove eligibility without revealing their identity through the zkMe protocol.

In contrast to traditional eKYC (electronic Know Your Customer) solutions that involve sharing personal identifiable information (PII) with third parties, the zkMe approach takes a different route. The zkMe infrastructure, which powers the zkMe, does not reveal any actual PII data to anyone. Instead, it employs zero-knowledge proofs, a cryptographic technique that allows the app to generate mathematical proofs attesting to specific attributes or facts about your credentials, without disclosing the underlying data itself.

For instance, when using the zkMe, you can prove that you meet the age eligibility requirement of being over 18 years old, without having to disclose your exact date of birth or any other PII related to your age. The app simply provides a yes/no confirmation to a predetermined set of eligibility criteria based on the credentials you hold, while keeping the sensitive personal details completely private and undisclosed.

How does zkMe SSI work?

Issuer: In contrast to the traditional SSI role concept, zkMe splits the Issuer role into a trusted Issuer to Issue the verified credentials and the verified presentations.

• Credential Issuer: Refers to governmental or financial entities or organizations that issue physical or digital credentials (such as Passports or ID cards) to individual holders. This role is equivalent to the role of the Issuer within the traditional SSI concept.
• Zero-knowledge proofs (ZKP) Issuer: zkKYC specific concept that refers not to a person or entity, but instead to a trusted Issuer program running directly on the Holder's end device (through the use of Trusted Cryptographic Setups and open-sourced and audited algorithms) uses ZKP technology to process the credentials provided by the Holder and generate Verifiable Presentations (VPs) in the form of ZKP. zkMe enables eligibility proofs, which are ZKPs that the Holder meets the criteria set out by the Verifier to provide access to the requested service. By leveraging the information in Verifiable Credentials (VC), eligibility proofs allow for authentication without disclosing the actual information itself to anyone.

Holder: This role remains mostly unchanged to the one proposed in the SSI concept. Refers to individuals that hold VC that can be used for various purposes such as accessing services, proving identity, or providing proof of qualifications or certifications. Holder can use their VC to access various services without the need for repeated identity verification. In zkKYC processes, a Holder can trust that their credentials are proven to a Verifier without disclosing private details.

Verifier: Verifiers in zkKYC check the authenticity and correctness of a VP claim without the need for the Holder of the credential to reveal sensitive personal information. The Verifier checks the proof against a set of rules or criteria, such as checking that the proof is cryptographically secure and that it matches the information stored on the blockchain. If the proof is valid, the Verifier can be confident that the information provided by the holder of the credential is accurate without having knowledge of the underlying information itself. The Verifier can check the proof against the set of rules or criteria, such as checking that the user is of legal age or is a resident of a particular jurisdiction, without actually processing the Holder's personal information.

Regulator: The goal of the regulator role in a zkKYC process remains unchanged; materially, it is, however, given a direct role in keeping the data of the Holder private. As the Regulator holds one of three key shards required to uncover a Holder's identity, none of the stakeholders involved (incl. the regulator itself) can remove the veil of Holder anonymity on their own.

zkMe SBT: In zkKYC, the verifiable data registry is replaced with an SBT asset stored on public distributed ledgers, that point towards the decentralized storage that contains the ZKP. In contrast to typical SSI implementations, only anonymized VP claims are stored, claims are explicitly designed to not allow for indirect Holder identification, and are only accessible to authorized stakeholders. The zkMe SBT token revolutionizes the way we handle identity and credentials in the web3 ecosystem. The zkMe SBT is the on-chain representation of a Holder's Identity. It contains their DID, ZKP, and one of three key shards used to encrypt and protect the raw data of the holders.

Conclusion

In a digital age where privacy and control over personal data are paramount, Self-Sovereign Identity (SSI) offers a revolutionary solution. zkMe stands at the forefront of this transformation, utilizing cutting-edge zero-knowledge proofs (ZKP) to ensure that your personal information remains private and secure. By choosing zkMe, you gain control over your digital identity, with the ability to prove eligibility and access services without revealing sensitive personal details.

Start with zkMe Now

Join the zkMe revolution today and take the first step towards a more secure, transparent, and user-empowered digital future. Visit app.zk.me and start your zkMe journey - reclaim your digital autonomy!