Trustless Identity and Application Flow

The objective of a trustless identity and application flow in decentralised systems, such as Polkadot’s bounty management and Web3 apps, is to ensure users can interact, prove their credentials, and participate in processes without needing to rely on a central authority or place blind trust in any single party. Here are key descriptions of this objective:

• User-Controlled Identity (Self-Sovereign Identity): Users create, manage, and control their digital identities through cryptographic means, often using Decentralised Identifiers (DIDs) and Verifiable Credentials (VCs). This removes dependence on centralised identity providers and gives individuals autonomy over what data they share and with whom^1,2,3.

• Trustless Verification: Instead of depending on a central entity to attest identity or application validity, credentials are independently verifiable on-chain using cryptographic proofs and decentralised networks. Blockchain ensures the immutability and transparency of identity attestations, allowing anyone to verify claims without having to trust a third party^1,3,4.

• Private and Secure Interactions: Users can prove eligibility or attributes (e.g., membership, skills, KYC status) by selectively disclosing information, enabled by zero-knowledge proofs or encrypted attestations. Sensitive details remain private, but claims are verifiable, supporting both privacy and integrity in application flows^1,3,4.

• Immutable and Auditable Process: All application steps and identity interactions are recorded on a blockchain, ensuring records cannot be changed retroactively and enabling community-wide auditability of who applied, who was approved, and on what basis^3,4.

• Automated Application Workflows: Smart contracts coordinate application flows from submission to review to reward distribution by enforcing pre-programmed conditions. This reduces reliance on intermediaries, prevents tampering, and ensures fairness, as rewards and actions are triggered only when transparent, verifiable conditions are met^1,5.

• Interoperability and Universal Access: Trustless identity frameworks are designed to be interoperable across networks and apps, using global standards for DIDs and VCs. This lets participants use the same credentials to access various decentralised platforms securely^1,2,3.

In summary, a trustless identity and application flow objective empowers users with full control of their digital identities, ensures transparent and automatic application processes, maximises privacy, and eliminates the need to place trust in any single participant or gatekeeper within decentralised ecosystems. This is foundational to creating open, fair, and secure participation in blockchain-based communities and bounty systems.

References:

1. V. Baladari (2024) 'Designing Trustless Identity: A Multi-Layered Framework for Decentralized Verification in Web3 Ecosystems', International Journal of Advanced Research in Science, Communication and Technology (IJARSCT), 4(1), 2581-9429. Available at: https://philarchive.org/archive/VENAMF-2 (Accessed: 29 July 2025).

2. S. Bialas (2024) Potential of Decentralized Identity in Blockchain. Available at: https://www.ulam.io/blog/discovering-the-potential-of-decentralized-identity-in-blockchain# (Accessed: 29 July 2025).

3. I. Kazeem (2025) Decentralized Identity (2025): What It Is and How It Works. Available at: https://www.dxtalks.com/blog/news-2/decentralized-identity-2025-what-it-is-and-how-it-works-377 (Accessed: 29 July 2025).

4. SecuritySenses (2025) 5 Strategies for Identity Verification in Web3 Applications. Available at: https://www.securitysenses.com/posts/5-strategies-identity-verification-web3-applications (Accessed: 29 July 2025).

5. Gitcoin (2025) [Proposal] Implementation of a Decentralized Bounty Platform - Progressive Decentralization Workstream. Available at: https://gov.gitcoin.co/t/proposal-implementation-of-a-decentralized-bounty-platform-progressive-dec entralization-workstream/9292 (Accessed: 29 July 2025).