Goodbye uPort DIDs, Hello Ethr-DIDs

We have released a major app update that enables migrating all old uPort identities created before September 2018, to the current DID architecture. Not to worry though, your old Identity data will still be available to use and all verifications issued will be available

During the fourth quarter of 2018, we announced our updated identity app release that implements the new W3C Verifiable Claims Working Group identity architecture. As a followup to that, we released version 1.0 of our libraries which is the first version of our developer platform, including support for our new identity architecture.

Why do we need to migrate all identities created before September 2018?

First, we’re part of the W3C identity working group. We believe that interoperable standards are essential to successfully deliver the value of decentralized identity for everyone. Second, more tactically, we want to ensure our developers and users can start to take advantage of the benefits of having Ethr-DIDs, which include:

• Identities anchored on Ethereum’s Mainnet
• Automated creation of Ethereum Mainnet accounts per App
• Scalable and more stable identity

We will also be introducing a feature that allows you to store your old uportDID and the accounts associated with it, including all the verifications and claims you have stored over the years. We know they could be valuable some time in the future, so we decided to keep them safe for you.

It also allows you to switch between your EthrDID, which is called your main identity, and your old uportDID, which is called your legacy identity.

So, heads up that support for uPort-DIDs will be deprecated over the coming months in our developer platform, while we’ll be releasing more features based on the new architecture later in the year.

If you do have issues migrating your identity, please reach out to us via our support channel . We are always available to help with any issues you might be facing while using the app.