Thread by @gaby_goldberg

0/ Last week, I hosted a session with the @strtgst_co community on what web3 means for digital identity.

Open-sourcing my presentation in this thread:

1/ The early days of the Internet gave rise to identity via domain names, screen names, and email addresses. Over the past decade, we've adopted social profiles across multiple platforms (I'm one identity on Twitter, another identity on Facebook, another on Instagram, etc.).

2/ The Internet wasn't built with a native identity layer for people — it's why we've seen identity relegated to applications and websites. This worked for the early days of the Internet, but now with billions of people online, its drawbacks are becoming increasingly clear.

3/ Identity in web3 is based on the idea that each person online will have a unique identifier (like an email address!) stored on a blockchain. It would be owned by users, backed by on-chain data, and have the ability to be natively linked to any piece of software.

4/ With this paradigm, a crypto wallet would function almost as a "profile" — a readable history unique to each person.

5/ We've seen web3 identity permeate across gaming (@branch_gg), digital fashion (@pronounceddrop, @tribute_brand), headless brands (@FLAMINGODAO, @arkive), credentialing (@rabbithole_gg) and more.

6/ I love this graphic curated by @shreyjaineth, outlining the on-chain identity landscape:

7/ Diving into a few of these categories — some platforms, like @oncyber and @gallery, capture and contextualize objective data on-chain associated with an individual's identity.

8/ In the same vein, we're also seeing incumbent companies leverage on-chain data and provenance, like this @Prada example (h/t @_ali_taylor):

9/ Platforms like @SnapshotLabs and @tallyxyz allow communities to measure engagement within an organization:

10/ And more consumer-facing platforms like @rabbithole_gg and @layer3xyz help users build an on-chain "reputation score" by completing quests or bounties for different projects and protocols.

11/ This has major implications for the future of work. Coordination unhindered by age, borders, and other physical attributes has allowed for pseudonymous contributors to build their on-chain credibility and reputation. As they say... @balajis was right:

12/ Another big unlock for identity lies in endorsement. Platforms like @discoxyz help to connect off-chain and on-chain data in a holistic, human-centered, and verifiable way.

Side note: everyone needs to listen to the @BanklessHQ podcast episode with @provenauthority 🤩

13/ All of this is outlined brilliantly by my friend @divine_economy in his piece "You Are What You Own" (linked). Summarized in this slide:

davidphelps.substack.com/p/you-are-what…

14/ This all begins to get really interesting when we think about the wallet as the locus for our identity. Your wallet might contain capital assets (like a credit card or ETH balance), but it also holds things like loyalty passes, membership cards (hey @Poolsuite) and more.

15/ I recommend @jay_drainjr's piece on wallets to everyone I know, and it's super relevant here. One of my favorite graphics from the post:

jaydrainjr.substack.com/p/crypto-wallet

16/ We're seeing this get proven out in real time! Just last week, @viamirror announced web3 subscriptions, allowing readers to subscribe to any Mirror publication with their wallets and receive notifications for new content.

"The future of community is wallet-native." ⭐️

17/ It wouldn't be complete without a reading list! Linking some of my favorites here from folks like @dommydoteth, @keikreutler, @andrewhong5297 and more:

18/ What'd I miss? Tag your favorite pieces on digital identity or companies building in the space so we can crowdsource a bigger list! 👇

Thanks again to @tina_yip and @strtgst_co for having me!