The SSI Orbit Podcast – Self-Sovereign Identity, Decentralization and Digital Trust

#56 - DIDComm and OpenID for Verifiable Credentials (with Sam Curren & Darrell O'Donnell)

Jul 14, 2023

01:04:32

Sam Curren is the Senior Systems Architect and Deputy Chief Technology Officer for Indicio. Sam has been involved in the Identity Community for over 12 years, working and researching on personal data, distributed systems, supply chain digital birth certificates, and Decentralized Identifiers (DIDs). Sam is a pioneer in decentralized identifier communication protocol (DIDComm) and open source technologies for verifiable credentials, such as Hyperledger Aries and Hyperledger Indy.

Darrell O'Donnell (Continuum Loop) is a technology company founder, executive, investor, and advisor. He helps large and small companies to operationally deploy emerging technologies. He is focused on solving problems of mission-critical systems and interoperability, especially where there are many players and no clear central authority. He advises numerous startups, senior government leaders, and investors.

About Podcast Episode

Read more about the episode by heading to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://northernblock.io/podcasts/didcomm-and-openid-for-verifiable-credentials

The full list of topics discussed between Sam, Darrell and I in this podcast conversation include:

Session-Based vs Non-Session-Based Activities - discussed the differences between session-based activities (like logging into a website or video conferencing) and non-session-based activities (like sending an email or downloading a file).
Verifiable Credentials in Different Activities - discussed the adoption of verifiable credentials across session-based and non-session-based activities, and the potential restrictions and opportunities in both models.
Alternatives to Session-Based and Non-Session-Based Activities - explored potential alternatives to the common ways of looking at session-based and non-session-based activities.
Understanding DIDComm - delved deeper into what DIDComm is, its properties, and how it would fit within our everyday lives and on the web.
Momentum Behind Client-Server Architecture-Based Protocols - discussed the momentum behind client-server architecture-based protocols for exchanging verifiable credentials, specifically OpenID for verifiable credentials.
Benefits of OpenID for Verifiable Credentials - discussed the benefits of using OpenID for verifiable credentials, including injecting integrity into wallets and signed payloads.
Importance of Other Aspects Beyond Verifiable Credentials - explored why a digital identity program should care about aspects beyond verifiable credentials.
Impact of Government Recommendations on Digital Identity - discussed how government recommendations can have a significant impact on the direction of digital identity initiatives.
Coexistence of Different Protocols - explored the idea that different protocols, like DIDComm and OpenID, could coexist and complement each other.
Shifting Focus from Wallets and VCs to User Journeys - discussed the need to shift focus from wallets and verifiable credentials to user journeys and how having more integrity in the journey can help reduce fraud or cost.
Business Perspective on Choosing Protocols - discussed the need to look at choosing protocols from a business perspective, considering what would be most beneficial for the specific use case.