The Decentralized Identifier Working
Group invites implementations of a Candidate Recommendation of
Decentralized Identifiers (DIDs) v1.0.

This document defines Decentralized identifiers (DIDs), a new type of identifier that enables
verifiable, decentralized digital identity. A DID identifies any subject (e.g., a
person, organization, thing, data model, abstract entity, etc.) that the controller
of the DID decides that it identifies. In contrast to typical, federated identifiers,
DIDs have been designed so that they may be decoupled from centralized registries,
identity providers, and certificate authorities. DIDs are URIs that associate a DID
subject with a DID document allowing trustable interactions associated with that
subject. Each DID document can express cryptographic material, verification methods,
or services, which provide a set of mechanisms enabling a DID controller to prove
control of the DID.

The Working Group has also published a separate
Use Cases and Requirement document
that provides some background for the usage of this technology.

Candidate Recommendation means that the Working Group considers the technical
design to be complete, and is seeking implementation feedback on the document. The
group is keen to get comments and implementation experiences on this specification as
issues raised in the documents’ Github repository.

The group expects to satisfy the implementation goals (i.e., at least two,
independent implementations for each of the test cases) by 18 April 2021.

Original source: https://www.w3.org/blog/news/archives/8966