A Technical Commentary on DeSoc: Part I

The bottom line: Moving identity on-chain, and thereby removing the possibility of users-table-centric network effects, completely up-ends the entire landscape of API-based, access-controlled interoperability that the present Internet is built on. All of the non-technical market and political dynamics around users table size, leverage, and risk sud... See more

But in order to mainstream decentralized identity, we must first establish systems that map people’s relevant off-chain experiences and affiliations on-chain. Then we must build mechanisms to standardize, process, and prioritize the influx of data that will be added on-chain. On the way, we’ll need to solve endemic challenges to decentralized ident... See more

3. On-Chain Reputation & Identity

More broadly, it is essential to expand access to sources of on-chain reputation. At present, crypto tends to skew affluent, male, and white. If the playing field for building on-chain identity isn’t leveled, this new source of reputation will accrue primarily to the already privileged, exacerbating existing social and socioeconomic divides.

Decentralized protocols would make very interesting base layers and I’m particularly excited about web3 in the context of identity. Does crypto solve the problem of suboptimal defaults? Well, that’s a different question and I’m honestly not sure. Just because you have decentralized base layers doesn’t mean you won’t see centralization, aggregation ... See more