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The Basics of Decentralized Identity

Introduction​

In this tutorial, we will explore the basics of decentralized identity. We will demonstrate how to initialize decentralized identifiers (DIDs), issue credentials, and verify those credentials using the did:key method for both the issuer and the subject.

Steps​

Prerequisites​

Before you begin, follow the prerequisites for installation and configuration instructions.

1. Initialize a DID for the Issuer (Company)​

First, we will create a DID for a company called "Sample Company" using the did:key method.

veramo did create

Select the following options:

? Select identifier provider did:key
? Select key management system local
? Enter alias company

The expected output will be similar to:

┌──────────┬─────────┬──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ provider │   alias │                                                      did │
├──────────┼─────────┼──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│  did:key │ company │ did:key:z6Mkh947sfb9PpdavrvESu9GMDhsoTaYTfeYYSaoG9gis3rh │
└──────────┴─────────┴──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

2. Initialize a DID for the Subject (Employee)​

Next, we will create a DID for an employee using the did:key method.

veramo did create

Select the following options:

? Select identifier provider did:key
? Select key management system local
? Enter alias employee

Expected output will be similar to:

┌──────────┬──────────┬──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ provider │    alias │                                                      did │
├──────────┼──────────┼──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│  did:key │ employee │ did:key:z6Mkv3jVTwRPkvXszJcuffKuqben46eP3ye5fF5fCG56iaYF │
└──────────┴──────────┴──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

3. Issue a Credential​

With the DIDs set up, we will issue an "employee" credential from the company to the employee.

veramo credential create

Select the following options:

? Credential proofFormat jwt
? Issuer DID did:key:z6Mkh947sfb9PpdavrvESu9GMDhsoTaYTfeYYSaoG9gis3rh company
? Subject DID did:key:z6Mkv3jVTwRPkvXszJcuffKuqben46eP3ye5fF5fCG56iaYF
? Credential Type VerifiableCredential,EmployeeCredential
? Claim Type employeeOf
? Claim Value Sample Company

Expected output:

{
  "credentialSubject": {
    "employeeOf": "Sample Company",
    "id": "did:key:z6Mkv3jVTwRPkvXszJcuffKuqben46eP3ye5fF5fCG56iaYF"
  },
  "issuer": {
    "id": "did:key:z6Mkh947sfb9PpdavrvESu9GMDhsoTaYTfeYYSaoG9gis3rh"
  },
  "type": ["VerifiableCredential", "EmployeeCredential"],
  "@context": [
    "https://www.w3.org/2018/credentials/v1",
    "https://veramo.io/contexts/profile/v1"
  ],
  "issuanceDate": "2024-06-27T03:47:06.000Z",
  "proof": {
    "type": "JwtProof2020",
    "jwt": "eyJhbGciOiJFZERTQSIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJ2YyI6eyJAY29udGV4dCI6WyJodHRwczovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAxOC9jcmVkZW50aWFscy92MSIsImh0dHBzOi8vdmVyYW1vLmlvL2NvbnRleHRzL3Byb2ZpbGUvdjEiXSwidHlwZSI6WyJWZXJpZmlhYmxlQ3JlZGVudGlhbCIsIkVtcGxveWVlQ3JlZGVudGlhbCJdLCJjcmVkZW50aWFsU3ViamVjdCI6eyJlbXBsb3llZU9mIjoiU2FtcGxlIENvbXBhbnkifX0sInN1YiI6ImRpZDprZXk6ejZNa3YzalZUd1JQa3ZYc3pKY3VmZkt1cWJlbjQ2ZVAzeWU1ZkY1ZkNHNTZpYVlGIiwibmJmIjoxNzE5NDYwMDI2LCJpc3MiOiJkaWQ6a2V5Ono2TWtoOTQ3c2ZiOVBwZGF2cnZFU3U5R01EaHNvVGFZVGZlWVlTYW9HOWdpczNyaCJ9.PbIBO2mP7EHVsPzCmkI-nh9W8nehOj_9ArI2kUFlzW22RnpfakAqG7UfDAAamii28l8UG9P98jblZIDHFn5XBw"
  }
}

4. Verify the Credential​

Finally, we will verify the issued credential to ensure its authenticity and validity.

veramo credential verify

Paste the credential to be verified (from above) and type Ctrl+D when done

{
  "credentialSubject": {
    "employeeOf": "Sample Company",
    "id": "did:key:z6Mkv3jVTwRPkvXszJcuffKuqben46eP3ye5fF5fCG56iaYF"
  },
  "issuer": {
    "id": "did:key:z6Mkh947sfb9PpdavrvESu9GMDhsoTaYTfeYYSaoG9gis3rh"
  },
  "type": ["VerifiableCredential", "EmployeeCredential"],
  "@context": [
    "https://www.w3.org/2018/credentials/v1",
    "https://veramo.io/contexts/profile/v1"
  ],
  "issuanceDate": "2024-06-27T03:47:06.000Z",
  "proof": {
    "type": "JwtProof2020",
    "jwt": "eyJhbGciOiJFZERTQSIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJ2YyI6eyJAY29udGV4dCI6WyJodHRwczovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAxOC9jcmVkZW50aWFscy92MSIsImh0dHBzOi8vdmVyYW1vLmlvL2NvbnRleHRzL3Byb2ZpbGUvdjEiXSwidHlwZSI6WyJWZXJpZmlhYmxlQ3JlZGVudGlhbCIsIkVtcGxveWVlQ3JlZGVudGlhbCJdLCJjcmVkZW50aWFsU3ViamVjdCI6eyJlbXBsb3llZU9mIjoiU2FtcGxlIENvbXBhbnkifX0sInN1YiI6ImRpZDprZXk6ejZNa3YzalZUd1JQa3ZYc3pKY3VmZkt1cWJlbjQ2ZVAzeWU1ZkY1ZkNHNTZpYVlGIiwibmJmIjoxNzE5NDYwMDI2LCJpc3MiOiJkaWQ6a2V5Ono2TWtoOTQ3c2ZiOVBwZGF2cnZFU3U5R01EaHNvVGFZVGZlWVlTYW9HOWdpczNyaCJ9.PbIBO2mP7EHVsPzCmkI-nh9W8nehOj_9ArI2kUFlzW22RnpfakAqG7UfDAAamii28l8UG9P98jblZIDHFn5XBw"
  }
}

The expected output is:

Credential was verified successfully.

By following these steps, you have completed the basics of decentralized identity, from initializing DIDs to issuing and verifying credentials.