Cardano’s Prism Becomes Hyperledger Identus: A Decentralized Identity Framework

• Cardano’s Prism has transitioned into Hyperledger Identus, an open-source framework for decentralized identity applications.
• IO Engineering and community developers maintain Identus, which supports products like Midnight, RealFi, and Lace.
• Charles Hoskinson stresses that identity should enhance products, not turn users into a product themselves.

Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson announced that Prism has become Hyperledger Identus , a decentralized identity framework. Hoskinson highlighted the importance of self-sovereign identity (SSI), where users control their own identity without being commodified by centralized entities.

Hyperledger Identus is an open-source identity framework under the Apache2 license. Cardano’s research wing, IO Engineering, is developing this identity framework with community contributions. It forms the backbone for key Cardano products like Midnight, RealFi, and Lace, which use it for their identity needs. Hoskinson said identity should improve the user experience without turning individuals into the product.

Hoskinson’s comment aligns with Cardano’s emphasis on decentralization. Frameworks like Identus are crucial for blockchain projects because they allow users to maintain control over their personal data, ensuring privacy without compromising product functionality.

Hyperledger Identus Powers Midnight’s Testnet Launch

Midnight , one of the products built on Cardano that leverages Hyperledger Identus, has launched its public testnet.

Being a Cardano sidechain, Midnight combines data privacy along with blockchain transparency. It uses zero-knowledge cryptography to protect sensitive data while ensuring regulatory compliance. The sidechain, designed to address privacy concerns in decentralized applications (dApps), also ensures regulatory compliance through zero-knowledge cryptography.

Combined with Hyperledger Identus, Midnight can play a crucial role in Cardano’s ecosystem, providing essential identity management services. Regarding the launch, Hoskinson praised the development team, encouraging the community to recognize their efforts.

“It’s worth giving some love their way.”

That said, Cardano’s focus on decentralized identity, powered by Hyperledger Identus, is a step toward reshaping how identity works in the digital age and creating secure and privacy-preserving decentralized applications.

With products like Midnight and RealFi already utilizing this framework, the vision for self-sovereign identity is becoming a reality, ensuring that identity remains in the hands of users, not corporations.