The city of Buenos Aires has launched a groundbreaking initiative by rolling out zero-knowledge (ZK)-backed digital identities to its approximately 3.6 million citizens. This makes Buenos Aires the first government globally to leverage blockchain and zero-knowledge cryptography for digital identity management, enabling residents to verify their identity without exposing personally identifiable information (PII).
The update to the miBA application now allows citizens to access nearly 60 documents, including birth certificates and citizen credentials, through government portals. This initiative empowers citizens with digital sovereignty, as the government relinquishes control over digital credentials once they are issued. The integration of QuarkID, a decentralized identity solution powered by ZKsync, into the miBA platform represents a significant step towards enhancing privacy and security in digital identity management.
Empowering Citizens with Privacy and Control
Starting in October 2024, all active users of miBA received their own decentralized digital identity (DID), secured by QuarkID and settled on Era, a Layer 2 blockchain powered by ZKsync. This move positions Buenos Aires as a leader in transforming government services through blockchain technology, setting a new global standard for privacy-focused digital identity.
QuarkID enables citizens to verify their credentials without exposing PII, using zero-knowledge proofs. This ensures that only necessary information is disclosed, such as confirming an individual’s age without revealing their full birthdate. Citizens have full custody over their digital credentials, stored securely on their devices and protected by biometric encryption, significantly reducing the risks of data breaches and identity theft.
Future Prospects and Global Implications
Jorge Macri, Chief of Government of the City of Buenos Aires, commented on the innovation, stating, “The incorporation of zero-knowledge blockchain technology into the City’s digital identity system is an unprecedented milestone that positions us globally as a leader.” The open-source nature of QuarkID allows for scalability and adoption by cities, governments, and private enterprises worldwide.
QuarkID’s architecture is designed to be interoperable with other protocols, adhering to the W3C standard for digital identities. This framework opens the door to numerous applications, such as secure logins and identity verification across various industries. By providing citizens with control over their personal data, Buenos Aires sets a precedent for other governments to follow, potentially transforming how personal data ownership is perceived globally.
For more information on this initiative, visit the official announcement here.
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