Decentralized ID (DID)
What is DID?
A DID (Decentralized Identifier) is a unique, self-sovereign digital identifier that lets users control their identity without relying on a centralized authority. In the context of Toto Chain, a DID represents a user’s identity on the network and is associated with cryptographic keys and verifiable credentials.
What is credential attestation?
Credential attestation is the process by which a trusted party verifies or endorses a digital credential (in this case, a DID) or its attributes. On Toto Chain, when a user refers a new participant, that referral automatically counts as an initial attestation of the new user’s DID—essentially, it serves as a confirmation of their identity.
Who can create attestation?
Any user on the network can provide an attestation—most commonly through the referral process. In practice, when a user refers someone, the act itself functions as an attestation for the new user’s DID. Additionally, block producers (BPs) can set specific attestation requirements (such as a minimum number of referrals) before sharing rewards, meaning they too play a role in verifying identities.
Is there a fee for attestation?
There isn’t a specific fee for creating an attestation on its own. Instead, attestations are generated naturally as part of on-chain activities (like referrals) that may involve other fee-bearing transactions. In essence, while users might pay fees for other network operations, the attestation process itself is free.
What is light DID and full DID?
Light DID: This is a preliminary or minimally verified decentralized identifier. A light DID might have just one or a few initial attestations (for example, from the first referral) and is suitable for basic interactions on the network.
Full DID: When a DID receives the full complement of required attestations—as defined by block producers or network policy—it becomes a full DID. This indicates that the identity has been thoroughly verified, unlocking full network privileges and reward sharing.
How will attestations be used for reputation?
Attestations serve as building blocks for a user’s reputation on the chain. Each attestation confirms aspects of a user’s identity and trustworthiness. Over time, accumulating a sufficient number of attestations (i.e. upgrading from a light DID to a full DID) not only validates the user’s identity but also contributes to their reputation. This reputation can influence rewards distribution, eligibility for governance roles (such as tech committee selection), and overall network participation.
Which all attestations are used for reputation?
The primary attestations that contribute to a user’s reputation include:
Referral-based attestations: Every time a user is referred, that event counts as an initial attestation for their DID.
Additional attestations from trusted parties: Block producers or future KYC-based verifications may provide further attestations as part of the network’s evolving identity system.
These combined attestations form the basis of the reputation system, ensuring that only thoroughly verified (full) DIDs can access certain network benefits.
Who is an attestation service provider?
An attestation service provider is a trusted entity that verifies a user’s identity or claim and then issues a digital attestation (credential) confirming that verification. In this context, it’s the party that performs identity checks and formally endorses that a given DID or credential is valid.
Can we have more than one attestation provider service?
Yes. The system is designed to be flexible and decentralized, so multiple attestation service providers can operate in parallel. This multi-provider approach enhances trust and allows users to choose from various verification methods.
What are the sample attestation providers?
Some typical examples of attestation providers include:
Email
Google
Twitter
Facebook
GitHub
These are offered as sample providers, meaning that in practice the network can integrate any trusted service that can verify a user’s credential.
How will one identify the types of credential attestations? (cType, hash)
Each credential attestation is tagged with two key pieces of information:
cType: This indicates the credential type or schema. It categorizes the attestation (for example, whether it’s verifying an email address, a social media account, etc.).
Hash: A cryptographic hash of the attestation data is used to ensure the integrity and uniqueness of the attestation. Together, the cType and the hash uniquely identify and validate the nature of the credential attestation.
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