Microsoft releases identity platform on bitcoin main net, beta testing underway. Microsoft just released the public beta of its decentralised identity ecosystem, ION, on the Bitcoin mainnet.
ION announced last year to be a decentralised network enabling people to manage their own digital identities. Based on open source code, this is a public, unauthorized ‘layer 2’ network that, according to Buchner, operates independently of centralized parties, including Microsoft.
On Wednesday, Daniel Buchner, senior program manager for decentralized identity at Microsoft, hailed the progress.
Now ION is ready to create decentralized identifiers (DIDs) for people, Buchner says.
“To get started with ION, you can create ‘unpublished’ ION DIDs with basic client libraries (which you can instantly use for authentication and credential use cases), run your own node to create ‘published’ DIDs that are discoverable on the ION network, or find a node to publish DID operations for you.
Since the keys for your DIDs never leave your hands, and all ION operations are signed locally on your device, you have the assurance that only you can modify the state of your DIDs, no matter how you choose to interact with the ION network.” Buchner posts details.
[image: GoodFon]
