Microsoft Launches Decentralized Identity Tool on Bitcoin Blockchain (coindesk.com) 38
Microsoft is launching the first decentralized infrastructure implementation by a major tech company that is built directly on the bitcoin blockchain. From a report: The open source project, called Ion, deals with the underlying mechanics of how networks talk to each other. For example, if you log onto Airbnb using Facebook, a protocol deals with the software that sends the personal information from your social profile to that external service provider. In this case, Ion handles the decentralized identifiers, which control the ability to prove you own the keys to this data.
Christopher Allen, a crypto veteran and the co-founder of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) working group for decentralized identity (DID) solutions, told CoinDesk that Microsoft's move could impact the entire tech industry. "A lot of enterprise infrastructures use Microsoft products," Allen said. "So if they integrate this into any of their infrastructure products, they'll have access to DID." Indeed, Yorke Rhodes, a program manager on Microsoft's blockchain engineering team, told CoinDesk that Microsoft's team has been working for a year on a key signing and validation software that relies on public networks, like bitcoin or ethereum, yet can handle far greater throughput than the underlying blockchain itself.
Christopher Allen, a crypto veteran and the co-founder of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) working group for decentralized identity (DID) solutions, told CoinDesk that Microsoft's move could impact the entire tech industry. "A lot of enterprise infrastructures use Microsoft products," Allen said. "So if they integrate this into any of their infrastructure products, they'll have access to DID." Indeed, Yorke Rhodes, a program manager on Microsoft's blockchain engineering team, told CoinDesk that Microsoft's team has been working for a year on a key signing and validation software that relies on public networks, like bitcoin or ethereum, yet can handle far greater throughput than the underlying blockchain itself.
No thanks (Score:2, Insightful)
Embrace, extend, extinguish.
Never forget
Re: (Score:2)
No link? (Score:1)
I don't see a link to the announcement.
Probably also works both directions... (Score:3)
name is taken (Score:2)
https://opensource.google.com/projects/ion
Also ANY sort of actual technical detail on how this works and utilizes the blockchain would be good.
How is this better than certificates? (Score:2)
They are a kind of decentralized identity as well.
Some actual information... (Score:3)
https://bitcoinist.com/microsoft-picks-bitcoin-to-create-a-new-identity-system/
https://github.com/decentralized-identity/ion
https://bitcoinist.com/microsoft-buy-github-bitcoin-devs-exit/
What's Microsoft Doing? (Score:1)
Microsoft seems to be doing all sorts of things. I don't really know what they are doing.
I can tell you what they are not doing.
Microsoft is NOT securing the Office 365 platform which is a festering cesspool of phished accounts spewing spam and as well as proliferating phishing and ransomware delivery.
Perhaps Microsoft could stop doing all the things as start cleaning up their shit?
Any thoughts about ... (Score:2)
... 51% attacks?
Re: (Score:2)
Not in a few years at least.. What is there to think about it?
If it were a real problem, someone would be using it in the last 10 years to steal some of the now $140 billion of Bitcoin's market cap.
You sound like someone that read something once about a theoretical hole in Bitcoin's security (one pointed out, and refuted, by it's creator in the original white paper before it was even a working protocol) that just needed to throw their two cents in... even though they're not even worth a couple of Satoshi's.
Re: (Score:2)
If it were a real problem, someone would be using it in the last 10 years ...
How about LAST [fortune.com] year?
Bitcoin Spinoff Hacked in Rare '51% Attack'
Re: (Score:2)
For a blockchain where Microsoft owns and runs 100% of the authenticated miners? Not a threat.
Let's put our heads together and see if we can think of a case of EVER when something owned exclusively by Microsoft has been hacked, or exploited, or breached, shall we?
decentralized (which really means centralized) (Score:1)
"decentralized identifiers, which control the ability to prove" - Anyone else noticing a paradox here?
The Center for Decentralization (Score:1)
approves OP's post
Namecoin? (Score:2)
Identity on blockchain (Score:2)