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Decentralized Identity

W3C-compliant DIDs for sovereign AI agent identity on the Accumulate blockchain

What is a DID?

The foundation of self-sovereign identity for AI agents

A Decentralized Identifier (DID) is a W3C standard for self-sovereign identity. Unlike traditional identifiers controlled by centralized authorities, DIDs provide a fundamentally different approach to digital identity.

  • Globally unique and resolvable — every DID is a URI that can be looked up from anywhere in the world
  • Cryptographically verifiable — ownership and authenticity are proven through public-key cryptography
  • Controlled by the identity owner — no third party can revoke, censor, or modify your identity
  • Independent of any central registry — no single point of failure or control

OperateAI uses the did:web method, making every AI agent's DID accessible via a simple URL. For example: did:web:sunstream.operatedid.com

DID Document Structure

A real-world example from the Sunstream agent

Every OperateAI agent has a DID Document hosted at /.well-known/did.json. This JSON-LD document describes the agent's identity, cryptographic keys, authentication methods, and available services.

{
  "id": "did:web:sunstream.operatedid.com",
  "controller": "did:web:sunstream.operatedid.com",
  "verificationMethod": [{
    "id": "did:web:sunstream.operatedid.com#key-1",
    "type": "JsonWebKey2020",
    "controller": "did:web:sunstream.operatedid.com",
    "publicKeyJwk": {
      "kty": "EC",
      "crv": "secp256k1"
    }
  }],
  "authentication": ["did:web:sunstream.operatedid.com#key-1"],
  "assertionMethod": ["did:web:sunstream.operatedid.com#key-1"],
  "service": [
    {
      "id": "#MyServices",
      "type": "ServiceRegistry",
      "serviceEndpoint": "https://sunstream.operatedid.com/MyServices/index.json"
    },
    {
      "id": "#DIDService",
      "type": "DIDDocument",
      "serviceEndpoint": "https://sunstream.operatedid.com/.well-known/did.json"
    },
    {
      "id": "#OperateID",
      "type": "OperateIdentity",
      "serviceEndpoint": "https://sunstream.operatedid.com/operate-id"
    }
  ]
}

Service Registry

Standardized URL patterns for OperateDID services

Every OperateDID identity follows a consistent URL structure, making service discovery predictable and machine-readable. Replace {name} with any registered agent name.

DID Resolution
{name}.OperateDID.com/.well-known/did.json

Resolves the full W3C DID Document for the agent

Service Registry
{name}.OperateDID.com/service

Lists all registered services and endpoints for the agent

Verifiable Credentials
{name}.OperateDID.com/vc

Access issued and held verifiable credentials for the agent

DIDComm Messaging
{name}.OperateDID.com/didcomm

Endpoint for secure agent-to-agent DIDComm communication

Live Example — Sunstream

A fully operational OperateDID identity with 11 registered services

3
Bank Data Website

sunstream.BankOnLedger.com

4
Social Profile

sunstream.Qoboto.com

5
DAO Profile

operatedao.com

6
DAO Marketplace

operatedao.com

7
DAO Member Profile

operatedao.com

8
DAO Member Marketplace

operatedao.com

9
Identity Record

acc://sunstream.acme (Accumulate Network)

10
Bank Data On-Chain

Accumulate Network verification

11
Social Profile On-Chain

Accumulate Network verification

Verifiable Credentials

Tamper-proof digital credentials issued and verified on-chain

OperateDID issues tamper-proof digital credentials that prove claims about an AI agent's identity, capabilities, certifications, and permissions. These Verifiable Credentials (VCs) are cryptographically signed by the issuer and can be independently verified by any third party without contacting the original issuer.

Issuer Signs

Credentials are cryptographically signed by the issuing authority

Holder Presents

The agent holds and selectively presents credentials as needed

Verifier Checks

Any party can verify credentials without contacting the issuer

Built on the W3C Verifiable Credentials specification, ensuring full interoperability with the broader decentralized identity ecosystem.

Blockchain Integration

Multi-chain identity anchored on the Accumulate Protocol

Accumulate Protocol

Built on the Accumulate blockchain with human-readable, URL-based addressing. Agent identities are anchored at addresses like acc://sunstream.acme, providing a familiar and intuitive identity namespace.

secp256k1 Cryptography

Agent identities are secured with secp256k1 elliptic curve keys, the same battle-tested cryptographic standard used by Bitcoin and Ethereum. This ensures maximum compatibility across blockchain ecosystems.

Ethereum Account Mapping

Each agent identity maps to an Ethereum-compatible address, enabling seamless interaction with EVM chains. For example: 0x0850c6FC4A59ac689F9515c3Cfd4D8d247557e4e

Cross-Chain Interoperability

OperateDID identities are not limited to a single chain. Through Accumulate's bridging capabilities, agent identities integrate with Ethereum, Bitcoin, and other major blockchain networks for true multi-chain presence.

DID Resolution Flow

From agent creation to third-party verification

graph TD A[AI Agent Created] --> B[DID Assigned] B --> C[DID Document Generated] C --> D[Services Registered] D --> E[Verifiable Credentials Issued] C --> F[Authentication Keys] C --> G[Service Endpoints] G --> H[DIDComm Messaging] G --> I[Service Registry] G --> J[OperateID] E --> K[Third-Party Verification] style A fill:#0a2a0a,stroke:#00ff00,color:#fff style B fill:#0a2a0a,stroke:#06B6D4,color:#fff style C fill:#0a2a0a,stroke:#00ff00,color:#fff style D fill:#0a2a0a,stroke:#06B6D4,color:#fff style E fill:#0a2a0a,stroke:#00ff00,color:#fff style F fill:#141414,stroke:#06B6D4,color:#fff style G fill:#141414,stroke:#06B6D4,color:#fff style H fill:#141414,stroke:#00ff00,color:#fff style I fill:#141414,stroke:#00ff00,color:#fff style J fill:#141414,stroke:#00ff00,color:#fff style K fill:#0a2a0a,stroke:#F59E0B,color:#fff

Give Your AI Agents a Sovereign Identity

Register your agents on OperateAI and unlock W3C-compliant decentralized identity, verifiable credentials, and cross-chain interoperability.

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