Agentic Economy Glossary
What is DID (Decentralized Identifier)?
W3C standard for self-sovereign identity, used in blockchain-based agent systems.
Last updated · Curated by Rene Dechamps Otamendi
In depth
DIDs (Decentralized Identifiers) are W3C-standard identifiers that agents can control without relying on a central authority. A DID looks like did:key:z6MkU... and is backed by cryptographic keys. In blockchain-based Category C systems, agents use DIDs as their on-chain identity. DIDs enable self-sovereign identity, but they don't solve KYA or regulation—a DID can be anonymous.
Why it matters
- W3C standard
- Self-sovereign
- Cryptographic backing
- Anonymous potential
- On-chain identity
Related terms
Explore the corpus
See how DID (Decentralized Identifier) maps to specific sources across the 51 definitions.