In Self-Sovereign Identity: Decentralized digital identity and verifiable credentials, you’ll learn how SSI empowers us to receive digitally-signed credentials, store them in private wallets, and securely prove our online identities.

Summary

In a world of changing privacy regulations, identity theft, and online anonymity, identity is a precious and complex concept. Self-Sovereign Identity (SSI) is a set of technologies that move control of digital identity from third party “identity providers” directly to individuals, and it promises to be one of the most important trends for the coming decades. Now in Self-Sovereign Identity, privacy and personal data experts Drummond Reed and Alex Preukschat lay out a roadmap for a future of personal sovereignty powered by the Blockchain and cryptography. Cutting through the technical jargon with dozens of practical use cases from experts across all major industries, it presents a clear and compelling argument for why SSI is a paradigm shift, and shows how you can be ready to be prepared for it.

About the technology

Trust on the internet is at an all-time low. Large corporations and institutions control our personal data because we’ve never had a simple, safe, strong way to prove who we are online. Self-sovereign identity (SSI) changes all that.

About the book

In Self-Sovereign Identity: Decentralized digital identity and verifiable credentials, you’ll learn how SSI empowers us to receive digitally-signed credentials, store them in private wallets, and securely prove our online identities. It combines a clear, jargon-free introduction to this blockchain-inspired paradigm shift with interesting essays written by its leading practitioners. Whether for property transfer, ebanking, frictionless travel, or personalized services, the SSI model for digital trust will reshape our collective future.

What's inside

The architecture of SSI software and services

The technical, legal, and governance concepts behind SSI

How SSI affects global business industry-by-industry

Emerging standards for SSI

About the reader

For technology and business readers. No prior SSI, cryptography, or blockchain experience required.

Table of Contents

PART 1: AN INTRODUCTION TO SSI

1 Why the internet is missing an identity layer—and why SSI can finally provide one

2 The basic building blocks of SSI

3 Example scenarios showing how SSI works

4 SSI Scorecard: Major features and benefits of SSI

PART 2: SSI TECHNOLOGY

5 SSI architecture: The big picture

6 Basic cryptography techniques for SSI

7 Verifiable credentials

8 Decentralized identifiers

9 Digital wallets and digital agents

10 Decentralized key management

11 SSI governance frameworks

PART 3: DECENTRALIZATION AS A MODEL FOR LIFE

12 How open source software helps you control your self-sovereign identity

13 Cypherpunks: The origin of decentralization

14 Decentralized identity for a peaceful society

15 Belief systems as drivers for technology choices in decentralization

16 The origins of the SSI community

17 Identity is money

PART 4: HOW SSI WILL CHANGE YOUR BUSINESS

18 Explaining the value of SSI to business

19 The Internet of Things opportunity

20 Animal care and guardianship just became crystal clear

21 Open democracy, voting, and SSI

22 Healthcare supply chain powered by SSI

23 Canada: Enabling self-sovereign identity

24 From eIDAS to SSI in the European Union

About the Authors

Drummond Reed is the Chief Trust Officer at Evernym, a technology leader in SSI. 

Alex Preukschat is the co-founder of SSIMeetup.org and AlianzaBlockchain.org.