EP 1 – Who Controls Your Digital Destiny?

In our first Twitter Spaces, we asked ‘Who controls your digital destiny’, setting the stage for an ongoing series of discussions with Web3 industry leaders from around the world who helped identify many of the aspects we anticipate will become critical to the success of Web3. The idea was that from this first discussion, additional Spaces could then delve deeper into each key component, with the aim of determining practical, actionable goals we can adopt together to help build the future we want to see.

We had a great panel: 

Though our first session wasn’t recorded, we did capture a list of essential components that need to be explored if we as an industry want to forge our own digital destiny. They were: 

This discussion only scratches the surface. If the community has any additional points to include in the above list, please share in the comments. We hope to address each in future Twitter Spaces as part of our ongoing series….

…which is exactly what we did!

Ep 2 – Digital Destiny: Decentralized Identifiers

In our second panel, experts came together to discuss the crucial question: Why does identity matter in Web3? Despite some more technical glitches with this session, the conversation delved into various aspects of identity and its role in the emerging decentralized digital landscape. However, unlike the first session that was purposely broad, in this session, we focused on practical applications and more specific benefits of different technologies and to capture actions to help compel the industry to experiment, build and utilize DIDs. 

Our panel this time included: 

Here are the key takeaways from the discussion:

  1. Identity as a fundamental aspect of human interaction:
    The panelists highlighted that identity is not just important, but essential for human interaction and connection. Everyone has an identity since birth, and it shapes our interactions with the world around us. None of us have a digital destiny without a secure and self-sovereign identity. 
  2. Kim Cameron’s Seven Laws of Identity:
    Evin recommended listeners read Kim Cameron’s Seven Laws of Identity, a one-page guide that helps minimize risk and harm to individuals in the digital world. This document serves as a foundation for understanding the importance of identity.
  3. The inadequacy of current digital identities:
    The panelists emphasized that current digital identities in the connected Metaverse are not suited for human beings, as they are based on the atomic unit of Web3 – a public key, not a person. Our identities should encompass more than just our financial data and wallet contents.
  4. The need for decentralized identity: The panelists discussed the importance of decentralized identity solutions that allow individuals to express their full range of identities in a secure and privacy-preserving manner. Decentralized identity empowers individuals with greater control over their personal data and offers more robust ways to participate in the digital economy. 
  5. Verifiable credentials and zero-knowledge proofs: Otto described the need for identity tech to enable people to natively switch between profiles, and also be able to present credentials that were issued to any of these profiles. He gave the example that a person may choose to have a completely different gaming profile as opposed to their banking profile and that through the usage of zero-knowledge proofs, you should be able to demonstrate that you own a credential without needing to tie it to a specific identifier, which is sort of the problem with with some of the verifiable credential formats out there that they force you to reveal the identifier to whom that credential was issued. This is something that Polygon ID and Elastos DID can do.
  6. Different identity technologies need to work together: Panelists discussed the use cases of DIDs vs naming services such as .ETH or .ELA and the myriad number of different experimental DID approaches that are covered under W3C. It was generally agreed that it isn’t about one or the other but that the industry needs to work towards standardizing the application of different technologies for different use cases and that they should work together seamlessly. 
  7. The role of identity in building an equitable Web 3.0: In conclusion, the panelists agreed that decentralized identity is a vital component of Web3 and necessary for building a more equitable and user-centric internet. It enables individuals to enjoy richer, more meaningful experiences in the digital world, moving beyond the limitations of current public key-based identities.

The panel’s insightful discussion provided a deeper understanding of the importance of identity in Web3 and emphasized the need for continued innovation in the field of decentralized identity solutions. By addressing the challenges of digital identity, we can work towards a more inclusive, secure, and connected future that ensures each of us can forge our own digital destiny.

Check out the session recording.

The article and graphics were created by the Elavation Team.

Today, we’re happy to announce that the OTSIT Group, Asia’s sustainable community builder and Elastos have entered a strategic partnership to deploy Elastos’ open-source Web3 solutions throughout OTSIT’s housing projects across Southeast Asia.

With the only Blockchain dedicated to secure, interoperable, self-sovereign identities and credentials, Elastos will provide the OTSIT Group with W3C compliant decentralized identifier (DID) solutions, decentralized storage and personal credit scoring across their property developments.

Through the partnership OTSIT community residents will be able to automatically create and manage self-sovereign DIDs to log and track activities ranging from education to environmental behaviour, and map them to incentives such as enhanced credit ratings or access to other exclusive services. In all cases, citizens themselves will own and control access to any data and its corresponding use for other services via a mobile super dApp, Essentials.

In addition, Elastos’ DID solutions will be employed to track and verify each community’s environmental impact; the levels and efficiency of recycling, the re-use of resources as well as overall emissions levels which can then be analysed and compared those of other OTSIT communities across the region.

George Attewell, the OTSIT Group’s Founder and CEO explains that Web3 can play a unique and central role in shaping – and, importantly, measuring – projects that are genuinely sustainable.

“This is the essence of what we call ‘ComTech’; the power of ‘community technology’ to build, not only greener, but more self-sustainable lives for those who engage in our projects – from inclusive educational schemes to re-training and circular economics. Web3 provides for the first time the kind of tools to make these community solutions a reality; from incentivising participation to objectively tracking results. In short all three aspects of ESG – environment, social and governance can all be delivered through this radical and empowering approach to housing, technology and community,” he says.

 

“This is the essence of what we call ‘ComTech’; the power of ‘community technology’ to build, not only greener, but more self-sustainable lives for those who engage in our projects” – George Attewell

 

Indonesia is the first country in which OTSIT Group’s vision to build 5 million homes and communities throughout Southeast Asia over the next 15-20 years will be established.

“We are literally creating a ‘new suburbia’ for the region’s hardest-working and most productive communities, whose neighbourhoods have – all too often – been unplanned and the result of economic necessity, rather than social or environmental consideration. Such Web3 solutions effectively supercharge our ability to activate and incentivise such communities for the benefit of all.”

“Elastos continues to champion Web3’s adoption around the world through innovative collaborations with partners that truly believe in the power of new technologies to provide opportunities for greater global equity,” says Fakhul Miah, Elastos’ Head of Growth.

“In many ways, we share a similar vision to the OTSIT Group. For five years, Elastos has been quietly building a full suite of open source, decentralized technologies for identity, security, communication, data storage and commerce to help foster the next generation of creative platforms, financial services and business processes that allow true self-sovereignty and lets users forge their own digital destinies. This partnership will be a great demonstration of our shared visions can be implemented in a way that protects, not only people’s identity, but also the planet,” he said.

As the project rolls out, both partners are also committed to extending further benefits of Web3 directly to the communities involved.

“The potential opportunities extend beyond monitoring and incentives. At the heart of Web3 is the idea of participation through structures such as decentralised autonomous organisations (DAOs) which will enable citizens to play an active role in decisions impacting their communities, while providing 100% transparency for how these decisions are made,” adds Fakhul.

 

About the OTSIT Group

The OTSIT Group is a comtech specialist, using next generation technology to create sustainable, urban communities across Southeast Asia.  Indonesia is the first country in which the Group’s vision to build 5 million homes and communities throughout the region over the next 15-20 years will be established.

Communities will include schools, smart water treatment facilities, micro-solar community solutions, floating solar solutions, hydrogen energy plants, electric vehicle (EV) charging facilities all powered by solar stations, in addition to permaculture, healthcare and wellbeing services and shopping centres.

OTSIT will create potentially ‘true zero’ carbon standards utilizing latest technologies – including Web3 – as well as an international-class waste management, collection and re-use programme. The aim is to reduce landfills and transform waste into hydrogen and biomass fuels, while OTSIT’s own plastic waste management system will help reduce the levels of plastic currently being discharged into local rivers and oceans; an acute issue in Indonesia and much of the region.

The article and graphics were created by the Elavation Team.

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