SNEAK PEEK

• Polygon has jumped on the ZK proofs bandwagon for Polygon ID, their new Web3 ID service.
• Based on the Ethereum sidechain, the service will reach over 4 million users through launch partners.
• Businesses can remove the challenges related to user data management while individuals get increased authority over their identity and choice to share personal information with private organizations and institutions.

Polygon introduced a zero-knowledge decentralized identity solution after a year of its development announcement. The ID service utilizes ZK proofs, or zero-knowledge proofs, that utilize cryptographic mechanisms to enable users to validate their identity online. Users are not required to pass on their confidential details or store them with a third-party. 

Polygon ID was launched on March 1, and the team at Polygon says that it was designed to fix the digital trust issue. 

The public release has launched four new tools– Issuer Node, Wallet App, Verifier SDK, and Wallet SDK—to enable developers at Polygon to incorporate decentralized identity into apps. 

Users can use off-chain credentials to build ZK. These credentials include a national ID, passport, or bachelor’s degree to not only engage with smart contracts but validate information on-chain. 

What this means is that off-chain data can now be utilized for trustless on-chain conformations in the Verified Credential pattern.

According to Polygon, it is the first ZK-powered digital ID tool that enables users to own credentials on devices like smartphones. Moreover, users won’t need passwords anymore. 

By connecting to a desktop wallet or scanning a QR code, passwordless logins exchange encoded, documentable credentials. Enhanced user experience, better security, and system administrators’ productivity can benefit organizations since they are not required to reset passwords. 

Polygon ID co-founder David Schwartz shared on Twitter that the product was developed based on the recent decentralized identity standards to safeguard developers and users from third parties’ unauthorized access. 

A number of projects, such as Kaleido, Collab.Land and Fractal, have already committed to include Polygon ID. 

The Sandbox and Guild.xyz are other Web3 projects that are in the process of incorporating Polygon ID.