Part 1 — Foundations
Before we look at standards, code, or protocols, we need to answer three questions.
Why is digital identity broken? We interact with dozens of systems every day that each ask us to prove who we are. The way we do this today — passwords, centralised databases, copies of documents emailed to strangers — has fundamental problems that no amount of two-factor authentication can fully fix.
What does "self-sovereign" identity mean? It is an idea, not a product. It says that individuals should be the ones holding their own credentials, not corporations or governments. Understanding this idea is the foundation for everything that follows.
Why do standards matter? A digital wallet issued by one country that cannot be read by another country's airport is not a solution. The answer to digital identity requires interoperability, and interoperability requires standards. Part 1 ends by explaining why the EU has made this a legal requirement rather than an aspiration.
These three chapters take roughly 30 minutes to read. No prior technical knowledge is required.