Serverless user identity based on IPFS

[uniconstructor]

Hi all. I found a project that could be useful for Matrix, and I want to share it with you.

It' s developed by IBM and called "IPFS social proof", check it out: https://github.com/IBM/ipfs-social-proof

Main project ideas

• Establish an "IPFS identity" which is stored in IPFS and linked permanently via IPNS
• Provide keybase-like social proof and Identity for people and organizations

Main project features

• Decentralization based IPFS / IPNS (related to matrix-org/matrix-spec#203)
• They already have a working alpha
• They already have a client UI for their alpha (named Autonomica)
• We can forget about problems with identity server availability (a good comment from @emiljoha in matrix-org/matrix-spec#246 about this here)
• Solves problem of identity service discovery and name-keypair mapping, because IPFS peer discovery works well in local and global network (see @EternityForest comment about peer discovery here

Matrix benefits

• IPFS-based identity is a consistent and native way to integrate verifiable claims standard (project maintainers currently working on it).
• Matrix identity "on steroids": ability to use zero-knowlenge proof in future (related to matrix-org/matrix-spec-proposals#3795 - I agree with @MayeulC that we need an access control mechanism for identity data for each Matrix channel). Extensible Matrix profile can became a best solution to store any personal/organization data (data ownage, revocable access to your data, inability for 3rd parties to have access to your profile without your implict agreement).
• No need to choose an identity server anymore (related to matrix-org/matrix-spec#45)

More info

• Their development plan: https://github.com/IBM/ipfs-social-proof/blob/master/PLAN.md
• Client readme: https://github.com/IBM/ipfs-social-proof/blob/master/client/README.md

Client UI screenshot

[bmiller59]

Hi @uniconstructor. I think something like this is an excellent idea. Any status update, or recommendations on steps to move this forward? Thank you.

[xuhcc]

ipfs-social-proof seems to be abandoned. But there's a similar project called Ceramic which is in active development. They are also building on IPFS and using the W3C DID spec.