The Kingdom of Bhutan has launched its National Digital Identity (NDI) system, anchoring its decentralized identifiers on the Ethereum mainnet. This initiative provides a secure and verifiable digital identity for the nation’s 800,000 citizens, based on the principles of self-sovereign identity (SSI).

The Bhutan NDI is designed to grant citizens direct control over their personal information and improve access to services. Jigme Tenzing, the acting secretary of Bhutan’s Ministry of Information and Communications, stated the project’s goal is to “provide all our citizens with access to the services they need and ensure that their data is secure and under their control.”

A Commitment to Self-Sovereign Identity

Bhutan’s digital identity system is built upon the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) standards for Decentralized Identifiers (DIDs) and Verifiable Credentials (VCs). This framework is a core component of the country’s broader digital transformation strategy. The use of SSI technology empowers individuals by allowing them to manage their own identity data without relying on a central authority. The system is intended to create a decentralized identity for every citizen.

Ethereum’s Role as a Trust Anchor

In this architecture, the Ethereum blockchain functions as a public trust layer for verification. It is important to note that personal data is not stored on the blockchain. Instead, citizens’ information remains securely stored on their personal mobile devices. When access to a service is required, the individual can share specific verifiable credentials without exposing all of their personal data. The Ethereum mainnet is used solely to verify the authenticity and integrity of these credentials, establishing a secure and decentralized method for identity validation.

Source: https://bitcoinist.com/bhutan-picks-ethereum-to-anchor-citizen-identity-on-the-blockchain/