Advancing the did:ethr Method Specification

Estimated Project Duration: 1-4 months

Budget Range: $10,000 - $25,000 USD (flexible based on scope)

Background

The did:ethr method is a widely and organically adopted DID method in the Ethereum ecosystem, providing a lightweight identity solution that leverages ERC-1056 smart contracts on each EVM chain to serve as a VDR readable by smart contracts with a simple onchain view.

While this alone could be called a success story for permissionless DID adoption and development, rough edges remain that are not being sanded down by the market. To wit:

• The current specification and reference implementation are out-of-date to be safely and fully compatible with other DID methods and external DID-consuming systems.

• A light-weight, self-directed process for "self-certifying" this degree of interoperability and maturity has been established by the Decentralized Identity Foundation (DIF)'s DID Methods Working Group, but getting did:ethr to "recommended" status would require a investment of time and testing (primarily documenting conformance and tooling).

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• An inventory of existing deployments and in-the-wild usage across public EVM chains is lacking and would help the specification and the community alike iterate and evolve safely.

Project Objectives

This grant aims to advance the did:ethr method specification through a structured approach that may include analysis, specification updates or improvement proposals, implementation improvements, and formal standardization through DIF processes.

Primary Goals:

1. Specification Analysis & Assessment - Focused study of other comparable DID method specifications and the DID method specification itself to ground iterations and improvements, and to guide the grant team through the "DIF Recommended" process (assisted by DIF members and staff)
2. Modernization & Updates - Bring the specification in line with current DID Core standards, and consider upgrades in light of usage patterns and evolving EVM/L2 topologies
3. Reference Implementation Improvements - Update reference implementations and resolve outstanding issues
4. DIF Process Advancement - Guide the specification through the DIF recommended standardization process, and work with EF to communicate the outcome to the Ethereum community more broadly
5. Community Engagement - Re-establish the DID method as an Ethereum public good, do outreach to identity projects and rekindle the community conversation around identity primitives in common across all EVM chains

Scope of Work

Proposers should address some or all of the following work areas, with flexibility to propose alternative approaches or extended/expanded teams for specific work items:

Phase 1: Analysis & Planning ($10K Max)