The Introduction of Digital Identity Evolution and the Industry of Decentralized Identity

The concept of decentralized identity was come up on Internet Identity Workshop in 2015. This new concept describes a new internet identifier system, which is not controlled by central registration authorities, and it aims to build a user-orientated, decentralized, and trusted digital identity ecosystem. Start from 2016, actions on this new digital identity were extremely increasing from governments to companies. The entities from the United States, Europe, Asia were doing plenty of works on this new technology, for example, products display, standardization work, ecosystem development and policy making. Initially, this paper illustrates three discrete paths in the evolution of digital identity, and some key technical elements in decentralized identity. Moreover, it gives the overview of industrial development for decentralized identity and proposes some recommendation for domestic development.