January 2025
DIF Website | DIF Mailing Lists | Meeting Recording Archive
Table of contents
- Decentralized Identity Foundation News; 2. Working Group Updates; 3. Open Groups; 4. Announcements at DIF; 5. Community Events; 6. DIF Community; 7. Get involved! Join DIF
🚀 Decentralized Identity Foundation News
DIF Labs Launches Beta Cohort
DIF's commitment to accelerating decentralized identity innovation takes a major step forward with the launch of DIF Labs' Beta Cohort. This new initiative brings together leading projects in Bitcoin Ordinals, Linked Claims, and privacy-preserving verification through VerAnon. Learn how DIF Labs is transforming how decentralized identity solutions are built, tested and scaled at DIF Labs: DIF Launches Beta Cohort.
Thank you to DIF Labs Chairs Andor Kesselman, Ankur Banerjee, and Daniel Thompson-Yvetot for their tremendous stewardship in building the Labs community, which will be a major focus for DIF in 2025!
Official Adoption of BBS Blind Signatures and Pseudonym Specifications by the CFRG
Major progress in privacy-preserving credentials as BBS Blind Signatures and BBS Pseudonyms specifications are officially adopted by the Crypto Forum Research Group (CFRG). These developments bring us closer to standardized, privacy-protecting digital credentials. Read about BBS and how to get involved at BBS: Where Proof Meets Privacy.
DIF Technical Leaders Engage Korean Students
DIF extends its educational outreach in Asia as Markus Sabadello and Kyoungchul Park delivered an engaging session on decentralized identity technologies at Seoul's MegaStudy academy. The lecture covered DIDs, VCs, and digital wallets, demonstrating DIF's commitment to nurturing the next generation of identity technologists. Read the full story at DIF Technical Leaders Engage Korean Students.
🛠️ Working Group Updates
📓 DID Methods Working Group
Welcomed new co-chairs Jonathan Rayback and Matt McKinney. Made progress on selection criteria for DID methods, working to refine criteria list and gather method proposals. Group developing template for proposals and planning process to evaluate DID methods. Next meeting set for January 15th to continue work.
DID Methods Working Group meets bi-weekly at 9am PT/ noon ET/ 6pm CET Wednesdays
💡Identifiers and Discovery Working Group
Discussed DID traits specification and potential IPFS improvements. Team explored using IPFS as a DID method and how to enhance file identification. Discussed document controller properties and DID method comparisons.
Advanced work on DID Web VH specification, focusing on key rotation, version management and revocation approaches. Discussed version ID formats and query parameters. Team preparing to finalize v0.5 of specification.
Identifiers and Discovery meets bi-weekly at 11am PT/ 2pmET/ 8pm CET Mondays
🪪 Claims & Credentials Working Group
Planning for January 28th session on age verification and credentials standardization. The session will cover proof of age schema, data models, and practical applications like age-restricted content, senior services, and substance purchasing verification. Register here to attend
The Credential Schemas work item meets bi-weekly at 10am PT / 1pm ET / 7pm CET Tuesdays
🔐 Applied Crypto Working Group
BBS+ specs CFRG adoption call succeeded! Exploring range proofs and verifiable encryption concepts.
The DIF Crypto - BBS work item meets weekly at 11am PT/2pm ET /8pm CET Mondays
🧪 DIF Labs Working Group
Beta cohort projects progressing well - discussed EUDI wallet's new payment features, the Linked Trust project development, and connecting mentors with specific expertise to projects. Planning for mid-February presentations.
The Credential Schemas work item meets monthly on the 3rd Tuesday at 8am PT / 11am ET / 5pm CET
If you are interested in participating in any of the Working Groups highlighted above, or any of DIF's other Working Groups, please click join DIF.
📖 Open Groups at DIF
DIDComm User Group
Reviewed outcomes from recent DIDComm interopathon, though participation was limited to two organizations. Identified issues with DIDCOMM Demo around multi-key implementation and JWK support. Proposed moving to bi-weekly meetings with alternating times to accommodate different time zones. Planning another interopathon for Q1 2025.
Meetings take place weekly on Mondays at noon PST. Click here for more details
Veramo User Group
Meetings take place weekly on Thursdays, alternating between Noon EST / 18.00 CET and 09.00 EST / 15.00 CET. Click here for more details
🌏 APAC/ASEAN Discussion Group
The DIF APAC call takes place Monthly on the 4th Thursday of the month. Please see the DIF calendar for updated timing.
🌍 DIF Africa
Meetings take place Monthly on the 3rd Wednesday at 1pm SAST. Click here for more details
🌍 DIF Japan SIG
Focused on interoperability discussions from recent Taipei conference. Covered integration with existing systems and digital identity platform shifts. Discussed Taiwan's approach to decentralized models.
Meetings take place on the last Friday of each month 8am JST. Click here for more details
🌍 DIF Hospitality & Travel SIG
Made progress on standardizing data formats, internationalization, and location services. Working on documentation for C-suite audiences and implementation guides. Developing approaches for currency handling and regional variations in user profiles.
Meetings take place weekly on Thursdays at 10am EST. Click here for more details
📢 Announcements at DIF
Proof of Age Workshop (Webinar)
Join us on January 28th at 10am PT for an important discussion on proof of age solutions and age-related verifiable credentials. The session will explore DIF's CC working group's initiatives around implementing privacy-preserving age verification for various use cases including:
- Age-related discounts and benefits
- Minor protection and age-gating
- Access control for age-restricted products and services
- Coordinating with related industry efforts
This collaborative session aims to bring together stakeholders to share insights and align efforts in building standardized, privacy-respecting age verification solutions.
🗓️ ️DIF Community
DIDComm: Securing Industry 4.0 Communications
Read Dr. Carsten Stöcker's insightful analysis of how DIDComm can address critical security vulnerabilities exposed by the recent Salt Typhoon attacks. Learn how DIDComm's end-to-end encryption and perfect forward secrecy enable secure machine-to-machine and business-to-business communications for Industry 4.0. Read more
👉Are you a DIF member with news to share? Email us at communication@identity.foundation with details.
New Member Orientations
If you are new to DIF join us for our upcoming new member orientations. Please subscribe to DIF’s eventbrite for upcoming notifications on orientations and events.
🆔 Join DIF!
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🔍 | Read the DIF blog |
New Member Orientations
If you are new to DIF join us for our upcoming new member orientations. Find more information on DIF’s slack or contact us at community@identity.foundation if you need more information.