Introducing web3name, Your Unique Digital Name for Web3, the Internet of the Future
Update 9 August, 2022: The promotion has now ended. You can now claim your web3name by following the instructions here. Note: you need to have around 3 KILT in your wallet (2 KILT deposit for the on-chain DID, and transaction fees).
We are delighted to introduce web3name, a way to create a unique name to represent your digital identity. This name can be linked to your addresses on KILT and across the Polkadot ecosystem. You can also link your SocialKYC credentials such as your GitHub, Twitter, Discord, Twitch and email address to this identity, adding extra layers of verification.
Your Digital Identity for the Web3 World
KILT is a decentralized blockchain identity protocol. On KILT, digital identity is built around a decentralized identifier (DID) — a unique string of numbers and letters specific to you — and any credentials you choose to add to this identity. An identifier can also be given to a machine, service, IoT use case, or anything that needs an identity.
With web3name, you can now replace a DID string like this:
did:kilt:4s8kEBWV9nwU5znxmfR7DVA31DdBoqYGr49SAiAPzzigwJDm
with this:
w3n:ingo
web3name provides a personal and recognizable way to represent your digital identity, and is another step forward in making Web3 easier to use and more accessible to all.
Uniquely Yours
Once you have your name, it’s yours forever and no one else can claim it (unless you later decide to give it up, returning it to the web3name universe.) There are no added costs or renewal fees.
This identity can be linked to your KILT address and any or all of your addresses across the Polkadot ecosystem, making it easier for others to reference you. In the future, this will be extended to chains beyond the Polkadot ecosystem, too.
Using SocialKYC, an attestation service built on KILT, users can also create credentials confirming ownership of their email address or accounts such as GitHub, Discord, or Twitter, and link them to their DID and web3name, adding an extra trust layer.
Collators and Validators
Although the web3name is anchored on the KILT blockchain, it can be easily linked to any number of addresses on any blockchain in the Polkadot ecosystem using the KILT Sporran wallet (or via any wallet supporting the polkadot.js extension api).
This is especially useful for collators and validators in the ecosystem, allowing them to link their web3name to any of their addresses they choose. web3name allows them to be easily recognized, which increases transparency and brand impact:
Collators and validators may also choose to link their SocialKYC credentials to a service endpoint such as a URL in GitHub or IPFS and make them public. This is a way to provide contact details and more information for nominators and delegators, increasing trust.
Enhancing Identity
web3name is designed to enhance identity. Therefore it is a supplement to an address rather than a replacement for it. Although web3name may be linked to an address, it is not recommended as a full replacement for an address since:
- Any user may decide to give up their web3name, which could then be adopted by another user with a different address, and
- One name/identity could be linked to several addresses
While you can only have one web3name per identity, you may create several identities with a different web3name for each, for example your work identity, your collator identity, your gaming identity, etc.
DIDsign
web3name also adds an extra layer of verification when using DIDsign, an application built on KILT that provides a decentralized way for users to sign and verify files. Any type of digital file — PDFs, Word, audio, video, software — can be signed directly in your browser, downloaded, and sent by any method that supports zip files.
In addition to seeing that the file has not been tampered with, the recipient has the extra security of seeing your web3name and any credentials you choose to link with it.
Getting Started
Claim your name before it goes!
Update: the promotion outlined below is over. Creating your on-chain DID and web3name now requires a deposit of around 2 KILT Coins and small transaction fees. Therefore, you need to have around 3 KILT in your wallet before you begin (2 KILT deposit for the on-chain DID, and transaction fees each around 0.0045 KILT).
In order to claim your name, you need a Sporran wallet and a KILT on-chain DID.
You can use this guide to set up your Sporran.
Create your on-chain DID following the instructions here.
Once you have your Sporran and on-chain DID, you’re ready to go. Just follow this guide to claim your name.
Claim Your Name
- Open your Sporran extension
2. Click “Create web3name”
3. Click and read the Terms. If you agree, check the box “Use web3name Promo and accept Terms”. This will create a signed package that is sent to the web3name promo server for payment and submission to the blockchain.
4. Click “Next Step”
5. Enter the name you wish to claim. This must have a minimum of three characters using lowercase letters a-z, numbers 0–9, hyphen ( — ) or underscore ( _ ) symbols.
6. When you have chosen an available name, click “Next Step”
7. Enter your Sporran password and click “Sign”. This will start the process of anchoring your name on the KILT blockchain.
The next pop-up will confirm that the name has been created.
Congratulations, you now have your unique web3name!
Link Your web3name to Your KILT Address
Once you have your web3name you may also link it via your on-chain DID to your addresses across the Polkadot ecosystem. In this way, people with your address will also be able to see your DID and your web3name and, vice versa, those with your web3name can see your public address.
Note, don’t link addresses that you don’t want connected to your name! If you want to keep an address private, don’t link it.
The web3name Directory
The web3name directory is a service that provides an easy way to look up KILT DIDs and their associated web3names and credentials. It also allows you to see if your preferred name is still available — just enter it in the search bar. If there is no DID associated with it, it’s all yours to claim!
The web3name directory, along with the linking website, was built on KILT by B.T.E. BOTLabs Trusted Entity GmbH (BTE), a subsidiary of BOTLabs GmbH, the initial developer of KILT Protocol. The web3name directory was launched in order to make using web3name easier.
Users can be searched by DID or web3name by:
1. Entering the web3name in the search field
2. Entering the DID in the search field:
Both ways show the web3name, associated DID, and any credentials publicly linked to it.
The credentials can be read by clicking “Fetch”, as the data is stored in the service endpoint and not on the blockchain itself.
Creating a Shareable Link
To create a URL to make sharing your web3name easier, just enter your web3name or DID in the search bar and copy the URL it generates. This URL can then be shared and will lead directly to your digital identity via the web3name directory website.
That’s it!
About KILT Protocol
KILT is a decentralized blockchain identity protocol for issuing self-sovereign, anonymous and verifiable credentials. KILT’s mission is to return control over personal data to its owner, restoring privacy to the individual.
About B.T.E. BOTLabs Trusted Entity GmbH
B.T.E. BOTLabs Trusted Entity GmbH (BTE) is a subsidiary of BOTLabs GmbH, a blockchain R&D company founded in 2018 and based in Berlin.
BOTLabs GmbH is the initial developer of KILT Protocol, now a fully decentralized blockchain identity network for issuing self-sovereign, anonymous and verifiable credentials. BOTLabs GmbH is a founding member of the International Association for Trusted Blockchain Applications (INATBA) and the Decentralized Identity Foundation (DIF), and a member of Blockchain for Europe.
BTE collaborates with developers, enterprise and government to build applications that enhance and protect digital identity across gaming, metaverse, health care, IoT, media, academia, energy, sustainability and more. The web3name directory and website for linking DIDs were developed by BTE, and complement their previous applications built on KILT: the Sporran wallet, Stakeboard platform, SocialKYC attestation service, and DIDsign.
