+5 Things You Can Do With a Self-Sovereign ID in Obyte

A Self-Sovereign Identity (SSI) is a revolutionary concept in the digital world that puts individuals in complete control of their own personal data and identity information. Unlike traditional identity systems, where users must rely on centralized authorities or third-party organizations to validate and manage their identities, SSI empowers users to create, own, and manage their digital identities independently.

At its core, SSI is built on decentralized and distributed ledger technology (DLT), which ensures data integrity, immutability, and security. Users can create digital credentials or attestations, which are cryptographically signed. These credentials can be selectively shared with trusted parties or service providers without revealing any unnecessary personal data.

By providing individuals with the means to own and control their identity, SSI promotes privacy, security, and user agency. It enables users to interact with various online services and communities without surrendering sensitive information to numerous centralized databases.

And it’s available in Obyte, without any coding or complex requirements. The identity is completely decentralized since the information is stored in the user’s personal wallet —only accessible and controlled by themselves. We call this function “attestation”, and it could also work to access several applications in the Obyte ecosystem.  Let’s check what you can do with an SSI in Obyte and beyond.

Register and Earn in the ArbStore

The ArbStore is a platform that facilitates online international trade, offering its users decentralized escrow services with professional arbiters. “Arbiter” may sound like an absolute authority and could be attributed to centralization, but in ArbStore’s ecosystem, it’s not so. Instead, they’re just professionals available to solve any dispute that may arise between the parties of a contract in exchange for a fee (usually between 2% and 5%).

This service is done through contracts with arbitration in the Obyte wallet. They’re smart contracts, capable of locking funds until predetermined conditions are met. However, before offering the agreement through the wallet, the parties select an arbiter from the ArbStore first. The Obyte address of this expert would be recorded in the contract from the beginning. This way, just in case of any dispute, the offended party can call the arbiter to solve it and release the locked funds.

Any professional could be an arbiter, but here’s where they’d need an SSI from Obyte. There are a few requirements to register in the ArbStore, and one of them is a Real Name Attestation (a type of SSI). Users of contracts with arbitration are looking for reliable experts, so, arbiters must show they can be trusted. That’s why revealing the arbiter's verified real name to the ArbStore (and its users) is strongly recommended.

Real Name Attestation

Even if arbiters don’t reveal their real name and stay anonymous to the ArbStore and its users, real name attestation is still required to prevent multiple arbiter listings by the same real person. To get this SSI, it’s only necessary to have an Obyte wallet and between $0.5 and $8 to pay for the service fee (depending on your residency place). The path inside the wallet is easy: Chat Tab – Bot Store – Real Name Attestation Bot. Then, the chatbot will provide you with full instructions to complete the process in minutes.

Once you have been attested, you’ll be able to register in the ArbStore through the chatbot in the Obyte wallet available for that purpose (ArbStore website – Arbiters – Sign Up as an Arbiter – Pair with ArbStore). It’ll be necessary for arbiters to share a detailed bio on the platform, including professional background, dispute resolution process, preferred topics, approximate fees, spoken languages, and how they are protecting their wallet.

Send and receive crypto without addresses

Using crypto addresses to send and receive funds could be cumbersome, and even fail sometimes. If you or your sender get even one small character wrong, the funds could be lost forever. Now, if you use copy and paste functions, there’s always a chance that a hacker hijacks your clipboard previously and changes the address for their own —sending the funds to themselves. That’s what a common malware known as “Clipper” does.

Luckily, there are several ways to send cryptocurrencies without using complex addresses. In Obyte, you can attest your email or a unique username to send and receive tokens. If you get an attested email or username, your payers won’t need your crypto address anymore, and instead, write your username or email address as the recipient. Attested (like verified) emails and usernames will also provide a higher reputation to their users, anywhere.

As usual, the path of this attestation starts in the Bot Store in the wallet. Once there, you can select the Email Attestation Bot or the Username Registration Bot and just follow the instructions.

Invest in profitable projects

Early-stage companies and crypto projects typically offer investment rounds or some kind of online crowdfunding (like ICOs and STOs). Not every project succeeds afterward, but there have been some really profitable startups for early investors. Depending on the country, though, not everyone is legally allowed to invest in such projects. The USA, for example, has strict rules about accredited investors.

If you already comply with those requirements, the only other thing you need to participate in these investment rounds is an Accredited Investor Attestation on Obyte. This verification will let everyone know that you’re allowed to participate in some kinds of investments that are not available to the general public, like Security Token Offerings (STOs).

An attestation proof for your Obyte address will be openly recorded on the DAG. However, your name or other personal data won’t be disclosed or made public. The attestation is done via the Accredited Investor Attestation Bot (Chat Tab – Bot Store) in the wallet.

Receive donations

Kivach is a charitable platform that allows the recipients of crypto donations to automatically forward a part or a total of the received donations to any other open-source project(s) they want on GitHub. Therefore, a single donation can flow as a cascade across multiple repositories and collaborators.

There are a lot of volunteer open-source developers in charge of maintaining useful and popular software. If you’re one of them, you can receive donations from Kivach directly or from any other project(s) that depends on yours just by attesting your GitHub username.

When developers or individuals involved in open-source projects attest their GitHub usernames, they establish a verifiable link between their Obyte wallet address and their GitHub identity. This connection allows them to showcase their contributions and projects on the Kivach platform, fostering trust and credibility within the community. It’s also a good way to receive crypto payments without complex addresses.

The GitHub Attestation Bot is available in the wallet, and one needs just to follow its instructions to complete the process, without any costs. You can save your GitHub username privately in your wallet or post it publicly. A publicly attested GitHub username is a requirement to receive donations on Kivach.

Create or secure your own apps

Developers harness the potential of Obyte attestation profiles to build diverse and secure applications. With these profiles, they can create decentralized identity solutions, empowering users to manage their digital identities securely. Applications benefiting from Obyte's attestation profiles include selective data-sharing platforms, where users share only specific information with trusted parties while preserving overall privacy.

Credential verification services ensure tamper-proof validation of educational degrees, professional certifications, and licenses. Additionally, developers could establish decentralized reputation systems, where users accumulate verifiable attestations for achievements and skills, fostering trust within communities and marketplaces.

Developers could also implement privacy-focused social networking where users interact without disclosing unnecessary personal data, promoting privacy while maintaining trust. Overall, Obyte attestation profiles unlock a realm of possibilities, empowering developers to build user-centric applications that prioritize security, privacy, and data control.