DID:RING: Ring Signatures using Decentralised Identifiers For Privacy-Aware Identity

Abstract: Decentralised identifiers have become a standardised element of digital identity architecture, with supra-national organisations such as the European Union adopting them as a key component for a unified European digital identity ledger. This paper delves into enhancing security and privacy features within decentralised identifiers by integrating ring signatures as an alternative verification method. This allows users to identify themselves through digital signatures without revealing which public key they used. To this end, the study proposed a novel decentralised identity method showcased in a decentralised identifier-based architectural framework. Additionally, the investigation assesses the repercussions of employing this new method in the verification process, focusing specifically on privacy and security aspects. Although ring signatures are an established asset of cryptographic protocols, this paper seeks to leverage their capabilities in the evolving domain of digital identities.