Microsoft builds identity network on bitcoin blockchain

Microsoft is working on a decentralized identity network called DID, which build on top of the bitcoin blockchain. The company announced on Monday that the infrastructure, known as the Identity Overlay Network (ION), is based on an evolving set of open standards developed in cooperation with the Decentralized Identity Foundation.

According to Microsoft this layer on top of the bitcoin blockchain allows for tens of thousands of operations per second, instead of a couple of dozen on most networks. The service should remove the control that apps, services and organizations have over digital identifiers, such as e-mail addresses, usernames and — even worse — Facebook accounts.

“We believe every person needs a decentralized, digital identity they own and control, backed by self-owned identifiers that enable secure, privacy preserving interactions. This self-owned identity must seamlessly integrate into their lives and put them at the center of everything they do in the digital world.”

Daniel Buchner, senior program manager at Microsoft Identity Division

The service is supposed to be free and public, but is far from finished. The code for DID is under rapid development. Microsoft is working with Consensys, Transmute and the blockchain community to make their product as good as possible.

Microsoft is asking partners who see value in their product, to start running ION nodes. Among their partners are companies like blockchain software developer Casa, internet security company Cloudfare, data center company Equinix and identity verification system Civic. Yes, the same Civic that recently launched beer vending machines with built-in age verification systems.

Originally published at NEDEROB.