The Universal DID-Native Addressing (UDNA) Community Group is advancing the next generation of Internet architecture through identity-native networking protocols. We are developing a comprehensive framework that treats Decentralized Identifiers (DIDs) as first-class network primitives, enabling secure, private, and self-sovereign digital communications at global scale.
To explore, develop, and promote Universal DID-Native Addressing (UDNA)βa paradigm-shifting framework that makes cryptographic identity the foundational addressing mechanism for network protocols. UDNA enables identity-native communication, privacy-preserving routing, and secure self-sovereign interactions across decentralized systems, laying the foundation for a more secure, private, and equitable Internet.
Current Internet infrastructure suffers from fundamental architectural limitations rooted in its 1970s origins:
- Location-based addressing: IP addresses describe where services are, not what they are
- Centralized trust dependencies: DNS hierarchies and certificate authorities create single points of failure
- Privacy by accident: Network protocols leak metadata and enable surveillance by default
- Bolt-on security: Security mechanisms added as afterthoughts rather than foundational principles
UDNA represents a fundamental architectural shift from location-based to identity-based networking:
- Cryptographic verifiability: Every network endpoint is identified by a cryptographically verifiable DID
- Global uniqueness: No centralized coordination required for address creation
- Privacy by design: Pairwise and rotating identifiers prevent correlation and tracking
- Self-sovereign control: Individuals and organizations control their own network identities
π Protocol Specifications
- DID-native network addressing formats and wire protocols
- Cryptographic handshake and authentication mechanisms
- Key rotation, revocation, and recovery protocols
π Network Integration
- Integration with existing Internet protocols (TCP/IP, HTTP, TLS)
- Distributed resolution networks and DHT-based discovery
- NAT traversal and relay contract mechanisms
π Security & Privacy
- Zero-trust and capability-based access control models
- Privacy-preserving communication with traffic analysis resistance
- Anti-abuse mechanisms and Sybil attack resistance
β‘ Performance & Scalability
- Sub-50ΞΌs DID resolution and <2ms handshake latency
- Scalable overlay networks supporting millions of participants
- Efficient binary encodings and compression techniques
π Interoperability
- DIDComm v2 compatibility and messaging facets
- Legacy system integration and migration pathways
- Cross-platform identity management standards
- π UDNA Core Specification: Comprehensive protocol specification with wire formats, security models, and implementation guidelines
- ποΈ Reference Architecture: Complete architectural framework with integration patterns and deployment models
- π» Reference Implementation: Open-source implementation in Rust with performance benchmarks and security audits
- π Interoperability Guidelines: Standards for integrating UDNA with existing protocols and applications
- π₯ Developer Ecosystem: Active community of developers building UDNA-enabled applications and services
- π Educational Resources: Documentation, tutorials, and training materials for implementing identity-native networking
- π€ Industry Collaboration: Partnerships with technology vendors, cloud providers, and standards organizations
- π¬ Research Advancement: Academic research into cryptographic networking, privacy-preserving protocols, and decentralized systems
The UDNA Community Group is open to all individuals and organizations interested in advancing identity-native networking technologies. To participate:
- Join the W3C Community Group: Sign up here
- Review the Charter: Understand our mission, scope, and working methods
- Introduce Yourself: Share your background and interests on our mailing list
- Contribute: Participate in discussions, review specifications, or contribute code
π’ Organizations
- Technology companies building decentralized applications
- Cloud and infrastructure providers
- Academic and research institutions
- Standards organizations and consortiums
π¨βπ» Individual Contributors
- Protocol developers and cryptographic engineers
- Security researchers and analysts
- Application developers and system architects
- Privacy advocates and digital rights experts
π― Areas of Expertise
- Decentralized identity and self-sovereign identity
- Network protocols and distributed systems
- Cryptography and information security
- Privacy-enhancing technologies
- Blockchain and web3 technologies
π Project Management
- GitHub: Source code, issue tracking, and project coordination
- W3C Tracker: Formal specification tracking and action items
- Miro/Mural: Collaborative architecture diagrams and workflows
π¬ Communication Channels
- Mailing List: [email protected] - Primary discussion forum
- GitHub Discussions: Technical discussions and community Q&A
- IRC/Matrix: Real-time chat during working sessions
- Discord/Slack: Informal community discussions (links in mailing list)
π οΈ Development Tools
- Specification Tools: ReSpec for W3C-compatible specifications
- Implementation Languages: Rust (reference), with bindings for JavaScript, Go, Python
- Testing Framework: Interoperability test suites and conformance testing
- Security Analysis: Tamarin prover integration for formal verification
π Documentation Platform
- GitHub Pages: Technical documentation and API references
- W3C Wiki: Meeting notes, working drafts, and collaborative editing
- MDBook: Comprehensive implementation guides and tutorials
π¬ Research Tools
- Access to cryptographic analysis tools and formal verification systems
- Performance benchmarking infrastructure across cloud providers
- Security audit resources and penetration testing capabilities
ποΈ Reference Implementation
- Complete Rust implementation with comprehensive test coverage
- Docker containers for easy development environment setup
- CI/CD pipelines ensuring code quality and security
π Specification Framework
- W3C-compatible specification templates and validation tools
- Automated specification generation from reference implementation
- Version control and change management for protocol evolution
π Weekly Working Sessions
- Time: Tuesdays, 15:00 UTC (rotating to accommodate global participation)
- Duration: 90 minutes
- Format: Video conference with screen sharing and collaborative editing
- Focus: Technical specifications, implementation progress, and issue resolution
ποΈ Monthly Community Calls
- Time: First Thursday of each month, 18:00 UTC
- Duration: 60 minutes
- Format: Public webinar with Q&A session
- Focus: Project updates, community showcases, and strategic discussions
π Quarterly Planning Sessions
- Time: March, June, September, December
- Duration: Half-day intensive sessions
- Format: In-person when possible, hybrid otherwise
- Focus: Roadmap planning, milestone reviews, and community feedback
π€ Conference Presentations
- Internet Identity Workshop (IIW)
- Rebooting the Web of Trust (RWOT)
- Decentralized Web Summit
- W3C Technical Plenary and Advisory Committee (TPAC)
π Hackathons and Developer Events
- Quarterly UDNA hackathons with prizes and mentorship
- Developer workshops at major conferences
- University partnerships for student projects
- Open source contribution sprints
π Specification Milestones
- Public review periods for major specification releases
- Interoperability testing events with multiple implementations
- Security review sessions with external auditors
- Implementation feedback sessions with early adopters
To ensure global participation, we rotate meeting times and provide:
- Multiple time slot options for regular meetings
- Recorded sessions for asynchronous participation
- Regional coordination calls for specific geographic areas
- Asynchronous collaboration tools for non-real-time contributions
- π Read the Introduction: Review our UDNA whitepaper for technical background
- π― Identify Your Interest: Determine which aspects of UDNA align with your expertise and goals
- π₯ Join the Community: Sign up for the W3C Community Group and introduce yourself
- π» Try the Code: Clone our reference implementation and run the examples
- π€ Start Contributing: Pick up a "good first issue" or join a working group
- π¬ Deep Dive: Study the complete technical specifications and implementation details
- ποΈ Architecture Review: Contribute to architectural discussions and design decisions
- β‘ Performance Analysis: Help optimize protocols and implementations for production use
- π Security Audit: Review cryptographic implementations and threat models
- π Specification Writing: Contribute to formal W3C specifications and standards
- π§ General Inquiries: [email protected]
- π» Technical Issues: GitHub Issues
- π± Community Chat: Links available in welcome email after joining
- π Website: https://www.w3.org/community/did-native-addr/
Universal DID-Native Addressing is more than a protocolβit's a foundation for a more secure, private, and equitable digital future. Join us in building the next generation of Internet infrastructure.
The future of networking is identity-native. The future is UDNA.