This past year, while the crypto community has been rocked by scandals, hacks, and diminishing returns, Identity.com has been keeping its nose to the grindstone and BUIDLING. Our year has been productive and we have more to accomplish before the year ends. 

Let’s start with the obvious: the website.

The Website

Since you’re currently reading this blog on our website, you can see that it has changed. Or perhaps you haven’t visited our site yet, so let this be an introduction to Identity.com. Our goal with this website is to make it as easy to use as possible. 

We have been quiet as of late, but that is going to change. From this point on, expect 2-3 blogs each month, as we aim to take you on an educational journey about all things Identity related. As we head down this identity road, we are going to take you with us and experience all of the ups and downs we do, along with the education we receive. 

Our new website is set up to make it easy for people to understand what decentralized identity is, and all of the Identity.com tools and protocols to make it easy to start issuing, and working with, decentralized identities. We are leading with a desire to get everyone into our GitHub and our Discord, which is why you will see those buttons first and foremost. Our second website initiative is to ensure that we educate people on the uses of Gateway Protocol, Cryptid, and did:sol. 

The Gateway Protocol Whitepaper

While we launched the new Gateway Protocol in November 2021, we did so prior to releasing a whitepaper discussing the protocol and its future. In early 2022, we pushed out the Gateway Protocol Whitepaper (available here), and have been busy implementing more of the features mentioned in the paper. 

I would like to encourage all of you to read the whitepaper and participate in our Discord. It is the community, people like you, that will help make the Gateway Protocol, and other Identity.com technologies, better and more powerful. 

Hacker Houses

We have found that Web3 is full of surprises, and the concept of Hacker Houses, have created a new way of securing demand for our protocol. In the past (read: the Web2 World), Business Development Specialists sought out companies that might be interested in a protocol and they pitched them. If there is interest, they negotiate a price and ultimately a contract is signed. Only then do the engineers begin coding. 

In the Web3 world, this whole concept has been flipped upside down. Or should I say right side up? Instead of getting mired down with negotiations and business development folks, the engineers are the ones getting involved directly. They see a piece of code that looks good and solves their problem, and they integrate it. Since everything is permissionless, there are no contracts to sign, no minimums, and no negotiations. If the protocol works as advertised, then all is good. If not, then the engineer simply removes the code and finds something else to integrate or suggests changes to our open-source repositories.

Hacker Houses have been instrumental in getting this new Web3 model out into the world, and Identity has been at many of the Solana Hacker Houses, getting an early integration into the candy machine and others. These smaller, and more focused, events are the future. Keep your eyes peeled for the next Hacker House that Identity will be attending. Stop by and say hi to one of our engineers. Who knows, you may leave  with the Gateway Protocol integrated into your product, and some cool Identity-branded SWAG. 

An Ever Expanding Team

This past year has found us growing the team in a variety of ways, including bringing on a handful of new employees and bringing on an amazing PR team. 

Employees

This year we have brought on a few new employees, including Andrew Bertin and Garet Nicholas, and we have just hired two additional employees starting within the next few weeks. We will announce them in a future blog, but know this: we are continuing to grow. 

Andrew Bertin – Software Engineer

Andrew is a self-taught software engineer who entered the field after graduating Magna Cum Laude from Trinity University with a degree in Classics & German. He is particularly enthusiastic about the opportunities that web3 technologies provide for the future of decentralized identity. In addition to his current work in the web3 space, he maintains several projects including a popular Greek & Latin morphology tool (akhos.net).

Garet Nicholas – The Community Manager

Garet has been a Web3 explorer for several years, creating multiple DAOs and groups within the crypto space. He brings years of experience within the marketing & tech sector with a background in development and community growth. Garet is devoted to creating a secure and safe crypto experience for everyone within the Web3 space.

Wachsman

We are delighted to be working with the best crypto PR Agency around, Wachsman. Founded in 2015 and focusing predominantly on crypto/blockchain, Wachsman is a strategic communications consultancy that works with ambitious leaders and technologists at the frontline of the new economy. As you push into uncharted territory, we help shape and elevate the way the world sees you.

Although we have only worked with Wachsman for a few months, we have been inundated with podcast requests and media interviews. We are very excited to be working with this fantastic  team. 

Media Outreach

Since we engaged with Wachsman, we have been featured in numerous podcasts and media articles, and have spoken at a variety of conferences. And this is only the beginning. 

Podcasts

• Crypto Coin Show
• Crypto Conversation Podcast
• The Divi Crypto Podcast – The Worlds of Identity and Anonymity with Phillip Shoemaker
• Coasthawk Talk Podcast – Decentralized Identity and Security with Phillip Shoemaker
• Cardstack – Decentralized Identity Verification with Phillip Shoemaker
• The Crypto Conversation – Identity.com Pseudonymous On-Chain Identity Verification
• The Blockchain Show: Phillip Shoemaker / Identity.com

Articles

• NFTs and the monetization of hope
• What Role Does Anonymity Play in Web3?
• Markets Insider – Crypto parties are still raging in the bear market. Here’s what it’s like at Mainnet, where tickets cost $2,100 and attendees network on yachts
• Fortune: Did Celsius Just dox its customer base?

Solana Breakpoint & Hacker House

Breakpoint is the pre-eminent conference around all things Solana, and we will be there in full force. Taking place from November 1st through the 7th in the beautiful city of Lisbon, the entire Identity team will be attending, making friends and integrating our protocols. If you happen to be there, please find us to chat. You can’t miss us wearing our Identity SWAG!