FAQ | IdentityHub

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Litentry IdentityHub?

The IdentityHub is the the interface to the protocol and front-end product of Litentry. It functions as a decentralized Web3 personal data management tool. Designed for users to aggregate and manage their personal data among blockchains and decentralized storage systems and provide data access to 3rd party dApps to maximize personal identity value without compromising privacy & anonymity.

What is a shielding key?

A shielding key is a cryptographic key pair that is generated randomly and protected by the user password. Its public key is used by the Litentry TEE worker to encrypt user-sensitive information when passing back the data. It is used to encrypt all the data in the communication between the user and the Litentry Parachain. The shielding key is generated in the user’s local environment and used isolate sensitive user data from the IDHub server and all other third parties. Overall, it is an extra layer of security on top of your main account, used exclusively to encrypt your data for transmission and ensure only you or the Enclaves can decrypt it.

Set shielding key

Sign in with your Substrate or EVM wallet
Go to My Identity
Click on “Account is not protected”
Dialog pops up
set your shielding key with a strong password

I'm receiving the UserShieldingKeyNotFound error. How do I reset my password?

You should reset your password if you have been using an older version of the IdentityHub or experience problems linking accounts to your identity. If you get a UserShieldingKeyNotFound error, please reset your password. You can reset your password by clicking on 'My Identity' in the lefthand side. -> Afterwards click the 'Account is protected' -> Reset Password. Once successfully done, linking identities and generating credentials should work.

My wallet is not connecting when setting my main identifier, or displays an error.

When you are experiencing an error upon wallet selection make sure your wallet isn't rejecting your connection with the IDHub website. You will need to allow the website access manually from the extension. If one doesn’t consent connection at the start, it won’t ask again and deny websites to connect in the future. Adjust this setting in the settings of your wallet.

How do I link an identity?

Identity linking refers to the process of linking a Web2.0 or Web3 identity with their Litentry or Litmus parachain address. An identity graph records the sensitive relationships between the different accounts of a user. It is used for mapping the user’s aggregated identity through any of the associated crypto addresses. The IDHub aims to provide the tool to generate a trustless identity graph that can be used for generating verifiable identity data for Web3 products and services.

Link identity

Set shielding key (See above)
Go to My Identity
Click on Link accounts
For web3 accounts
Select substrate or evm account
Sign the challenge code with your account-to-be-linked
Sign the transaction with your main address
Link Discord (If you are unsuccessful during campaign launch, wait until traffic is less)
Link Twitter (If you are unsuccessful during campaign launch, wait until traffic is less)

I'm unable to link any web2 accounts to my identity (Discord, Twitter).

The linking of your twitter or discord address relies on web2 API connections. There is a limit to the amount of connections we can make with web2 platforms at any given time. During peak traffic of campaign launches we request you to try again later.

I'm unable to link discord account to my identity. What might I be doing wrong?

Read the explainer below to make sure you are copying the exact link for proving your discord identity.

What is a 'Profile' in the Litentry IdentityHub

A profile in the IdentityHub consists of a collection of credentials that show how well you match a certain 'profile'. These profiles can be used to measure community contributions, a users DeFi experience or other metrics. A profile can be measured by a single credential but also a series of weighted credentials that compose a score. A profile is our preferred way of offering communities the opportunity to find users that fit their desired 'profile'.

What is a Verifiable Credential?

Think of verifiable credentials as digital versions of real-life documents or qualifications, like passports, driver's licenses, or academic degrees. These credentials enable you to prove your identity, qualifications, or other personal information in a secure and privacy-preserving manner. Verifiable credentials play a crucial role in the Web3 ecosystem, as they offer several key benefits:

Enhanced Privacy: Users can selectively share only the necessary information with verifiers, maintaining their privacy and reducing unnecessary data exposure.

Greater Trust: Verifiable credentials are issued by trusted entities and verified cryptographically, ensuring authenticity and increasing trust between users and verifiers.

Interoperability: Standardized data models and protocols enable seamless interaction between different systems, platforms, and organizations, promoting broader adoption of verifiable credentials.

Does Litentry make use of Zero Knowledge Proofs?

No, Litentry uses a Trusted Execution Enclave (TEE) to protect user data. The TEE is like a blackbox in which the code is open sourced, yet Litentry cannot see what input is given by the identity owner. This ensures that the data is stored, processed and protected in a secure environment. The Intel SGX chipset is used for this purpose, where all verified accounts & addresses are stored in the form of an identity graph.

Can Litentry see the sensitive relationships between the accounts in my profile?

No, the sensitive relationships between the accounts are stored in the Trusted Execution Environment, which is only accessible when the private key of the identity owner is included in the request to open it. Currently, all the SGX nodes are under the control of Litentry, which minimizes the risk of attacks by malicious nodes. Litentry is actively working towards decentralization, and the eventual decentralization of the nodes is inevitable.

How are you managing identity data and 3rd partners?

Litentry's protocol infrastructure follows a self-sovereign identity framework, which gives users complete control over their data at every stage of the process. The IdentityHub is unable to access or analyze user data unless they give permission through a cryptographic signature. All data management and sharing is initiated and authorized by the user.