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Decentralized Identifiers (DIDs)

This document details how to use the did:near method for decentralized identifiers on the NEAR blockchain, how it complies with W3C DID Core, and how it integrates with verifiable credentials (VCs), proof registries, and resolution tooling.

What is a DID?​

A Decentralized Identifier (DID) is a persistent, unique identifier that does not require a centralized registry. On NEAR, DIDs are created based on either account names or raw public keys, and they are fully compatible with the W3C DID standard.

The did:near Method​

This method supports two types of DIDs:

TypeExampleDescription
Named Accountdid:near:alice.testnetDerived from an on-chain NEAR account
Base58 Public Keydid:near:7YzVXb8vKw3...Directly represents an Ed25519 key

DID Document Format​

Example output from resolving a did:near:

{
  "@context": "https://w3id.org/did/v1",
  "id": "did:near:alice.testnet",
  "verificationMethod": [
    {
      "id": "did:near:alice.testnet#owner",
      "type": "Ed25519VerificationKey2018",
      "controller": "did:near:alice.testnet",
      "publicKeyBase58": "3gfD2z7q..."
    }
  ],
  "authentication": ["did:near:alice.testnet#owner"],
  "assertionMethod": ["did:near:alice.testnet#owner"]
}

This structure follows the W3C DID Core Spec, including:

  • A DID identifier (id)
  • Key references (verificationMethod)
  • Authentication and assertion capabilities
  • Base58-encoded Ed25519 public keys

⚙️ Repositories​

ComponentRepository URL
DID Registry (contract)https://github.com/DTI-web3/did-near
ProofType Contracthttps://github.com/DTI-web3/did-near-prooftype
ProofType SDKhttps://www.npmjs.com/package/@kaytrust/prooftypes
DID Resolver SDKhttps://github.com/DTI-web3/did-near-resolver

How Resolution Works​

  1. Extract identifier from the DID.
  2. If identifier is a NEAR account ID, resolve via RPC account.state().
  3. If it's a base58 public key, resolve via the registry smart contract using identity_owner.
  4. Construct the DID document with the correct public key.

How to Use​

Create a DID​

If using a NEAR wallet account:

const did = "did:near:yourname.testnet";

If using a raw Ed25519 key (base58 encoded):

const did = "did:near:7YzVXb8vKw3...";

Issuing and Verifying Credentials​

Step 1 – Hash the Credential​

const cid = SHA256(JSON.stringify(credential)).toString(CryptoJS.enc.Base64);

Step 2 – Issue on NEAR​

await proofType.generateProof(credential, {
  wallet,
  cid
});

This records the hash (cid) on-chain with the subject_did.

Step 3 – Verify On-chain​

const isValid = await proofType.verifyProof("did:near:subject|bafy..."); // returns true or false

SDK Usage​

Resolver SDK​

import { NearDidResolver } from '@your-org/did-near-resolver';

const resolver = new NearDidResolver();
const doc = await resolver.resolveDID("did:near:alice.testnet");
console.log(doc.id); // "did:near:alice.testnet"

ProofType SDK​

import { ProofTypeNear } from '@kaytrust/prooftypes';

const proofType = new ProofTypeNear();
const proof = await proofType.generateProof(vcPayload, { wallet, cid });
const isValid = await proofType.verifyProof(proof);

Security & Compliance​

  • Each (did, cid) pair can only be registered once.
  • Issuer is linked to the signer account via NEAR transaction.
  • DID resolution and structure is fully W3C-compliant.
  • cid is always a Base64-encoded SHA-256 hash of the VC content.
  • Public keys are handled securely via NEAR native accounts or custom registries.

Testnet Deployment​

  • Registry Contract: neardidregistry.testnet
  • ProofType Contract: neardtiprooftype.testnet
  • Network: testnet
  • Language: Rust (near-sdk)

Conclusion​

The did:near method enables full-stack decentralized identity flows on NEAR, including:

  • Account- and key-based identifiers
  • W3C-compliant DID documents
  • Smart contract-backed credential proofs
  • SDKs for resolution and attestation

Use this stack to build portable, verifiable, and secure Web3 identity solutions on NEAR.