Digital Identity Anchor (DIA)
A DIA is a permanent identity credential for an organization or entity. Unlike other credential types that describe products or events, a DIA establishes who you are in a verifiable way.
DIA issuance through the DPP Kit UI is under active development. This page describes the planned functionality.
Purpose
DIAs serve as the foundational identity layer in a supply chain:
- Establish identity — Prove your organization exists and is who it claims to be
- Accumulate history — DIAs are updated over time, building a verifiable track record
- Enable trust — Other supply chain participants can verify your identity before transacting
DIA Data Model
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Entity Name | Organization or entity name |
| Permanent ID | Stable identifier that doesn't change |
| History | Accumulated records over time |
Key Characteristics
Always Re-issue to Same Path
Like DFRs, DIAs always re-issue to the same Identity Resolver path regardless of organization mode (pilot or production). An entity's identity anchor should be updated in place, not duplicated.
Identifiers
DIAs use GLN-13 identifiers, the same format as DFRs.
Admin Only
Only organization Admins can create and manage DIA credentials.
Relationship to DIDs
A DIA is not the same as a DID:
| DID | DIA | |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Cryptographic identity for signing | Verifiable identity record |
| Format | did:web:... URI | W3C Verifiable Credential |
| Contains | Public keys | Organization information and history |
| Created by | DPP Kit (automatic) | Manually issued by an admin |
Think of the DID as the signing key and the DIA as the identity card. The DID signs the DIA (and all other credentials). The DIA tells the world who holds that DID.