The moveID project is dedicated to building a decentralized digital identity infrastructure for the mobility ecosystem of the future. Our goal is to empower users with control over their data and enable secure, seamless interactions between vehicles, infrastructure, and service providers.
Back in January 2023, we were excited to release the first version of our component landscape, which you can read about in our initial blog post: Gaia-X project moveID releases component landscape. Since then, our team has been hard at work, and we’re thrilled to announce a significant update to our architecture.
This latest release introduces two major new components, alongside a host of minor changes and updates, that will significantly enhance the capabilities of the moveID ecosystem.
Let’s dive into the details.
1. Ontology-driven Data Provenance Services (SSI-based Trust)
In a world of ever-increasing data exchange, ensuring the trustworthiness and origin of information is paramount. Our new Ontology-driven Data Provenance services address this challenge head-on.
This component provides a suite of services for creating, signing, and verifying data provenance documents. By leveraging the W3C standard provenance ontology, enriched with axioms specific to moveID, we can create a verifiable and tamper-proof record of data’s journey.
The services are built on the principles of Self-Sovereign Identity (SSI) and utilize standard Decentralized Identifiers (DIDs), making them adaptable to various data spaces that adhere to these standards. The system also supports cross-linking to build comprehensive provenance chains, providing a complete history of data’s lifecycle.
The use of the standardized OWL/Turtle format ensures interoperability with a wide range of standard ontology tools. Interface options are flexible, with support for SSI SDKs, data space portals, and catalogues.
2. Offline SSI: Enabling Trust at the Edge
While not a standalone component, the introduction of Offline SSI is a critical advancement for the moveID ecosystem. This sub-module enables the secure exchange and verification of credentials in offline environments using local communication technologies like Bluetooth and NFC.
This is a game-changer for edge devices, allowing them to interact with the moveID ecosystem without a constant internet connection. For a deeper dive into the technical details, we recommend reading the publication from one of our consortium members: Combining Verifiable Credentials and Blockchain Tokens for Traceable and Offline Token Operations.
A key enabler of offline SSI is the Local DID Registry. This registry maintains a cached copy of DID documents, including public keys and metadata from trusted issuers (e.g., OEMs, government authorities), directly on edge devices. This allows for secure credential authentication even when the device is offline.
When connectivity is restored, the local registry automatically syncs with the online DID ledger to ensure consistency and trustworthiness. This offline capability is crucial for a variety of use cases, such as vehicle data access and offline payments, and can be integrated with leading SSI frameworks like Hyperledger Aries and WaltID.
These two major updates represent a significant step forward for the moveID project. By introducing robust data provenance and enabling secure offline interactions, we are building a more resilient, trustworthy, and user-centric mobility ecosystem.
We are excited about the possibilities that these new capabilities unlock and look forward to sharing more updates with you soon. Stay tuned to the moveid.org blog for the latest developments!