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Sign-in with Ethereum (SIWE) is an open standard for decentralized authentication that allows users to sign in to websites and applications using their Ethereum accounts. Unlike traditional centralized authentication methods, this innovative approach allows users to access various online services and applications using their Ethereum wallet address and cryptographic keys. This groundbreaking login solution represents a significant step forward in the evolution of decentralized identity management, empowering users with enhanced privacy and ownership of their digital identities.
The Ethereum Foundation and Ethereum Name Service (ENS) had put forward a Request for Proposal for Sign-in with Ethereum in 2021, based on EIP-4361 (ERC-4361: Sign-In with Ethereum). The reference implementation of Sign-In with Ethereum by SpruceID (SpruceID ) provides an easy integration with Application’s Identity services and assures smooth Sign-In user experience. It has numerous benefits over other PKI based signatures, such as :
A standard human readable verifiable message to confirm signatures.
An EIP-standard message schema to incorporate all the information needed for a secure authentication.
Verification for domain and uri, this assures the authenticity of the requester / verifier. Users can validate the domain the transaction was initiated from and the URI to which the access would be provided to (redirection) upon signing for authentication / authorization.
Preventing replay attacks with a nonce, which could be a challenge from a server or a random token .
authority is the RFC 3986 authority that is requesting the signing.
address is the Ethereum address performing the signing conformant to capitalization encoded checksum specified in EIP-55 where applicable.
statement (optional) is a human-readable ASCII assertion that the user will sign, and it must not contain '\n' (the byte 0x0a).
uri is an RFC 3986 URI referring to the resource that is the subject of the signing (as in the subject of a claim).
version is the current version of the message, which MUST be 1 for this specification.
chain-id is the EIP-155 Chain ID to which the session is bound, and the network where Contract Accounts must be resolved.
nonce is a randomized token used to prevent replay attacks, at least 8 alphanumeric characters.
issued-at is the ISO 8601 datetime string of the current time.
expiration-time (optional) is the ISO 8601 datetime string that, if present, indicates when the signed authentication message is no longer valid.
not-before (optional) is the ISO 8601 datetime string that, if present, indicates when the signed authentication message will become valid.
request-id (optional) is an system-specific identifier that may be used to uniquely refer to the sign-in request.
resources (optional) is a list of information or references to information the user wishes to have resolved as part of authentication by the relying party. They are expressed as RFC 3986 URIs separated by "\n- ".
Given all these advantages, Sign in with Ethereum proved to be an ideal choice for Energy Web in implementing authentication for our decentralized applications (DApps). Authentication with SIWE is supported by our Passport strategy (available in passport-did-auth from v2.0.0 ).
A signature request with Metamask SIWE will look something like :
Note: The text block in the above MetaMask pop-up for signing is the SIWE message.
During each session initiation, it is crucial to select a nonce with sufficient entropy to thwart replay attacks – a type of man-in-the-middle attack where an adversary intercepts the user's signature and uses it to initiate a new session on their behalf.
To ensure security, implementers have the option to utilize privacy-preserving but readily accessible nonce values. For instance, they may consider using a nonce derived from a recent Ethereum block hash or a recent Unix timestamp. These methods offer a balance between safeguarding privacy and ensuring widespread applicability.
Wallets are required to verify that the domain aligns with the actual source of the signing request.
It is recommended to cross-check this value with a trusted data source, such as the browser window, or through another reliable protocol. By doing so, wallets can enhance security and mitigate potential risks associated with fraudulent or unauthorized signing requests.
Many organizations aim to deploy a unified Identity Service that can be utilized across all federated services, employing OpenID Connect for efficient user session management. Thanks to SIWE-OIDC (OpenID Connect Identity Provider for Sign-In with Ethereum), this objective has now become achievable.
SpruceID has deployed an OpenID Connect Provider (OP) which has support for SIWE and hosted under SIWE Open ID Connect . This deployment is a DAO-governed OP supported by ENS DAO.
To use the hosted OIDC server it is required to register the application as an OIDC client using the OIDC client registration of SIWE Open ID Connect . Currently, no user interface for OIDC client registration is supported. For that reason, developers will need to use the REST API.
The following is an example response:
A client can then be updated or deleted using the registration_client_uri with the registration_access_token as a Bearer token. The authentication could be similar to
Note : This flow is just a possible flow, it could be different for a different use case.
Apart from the existing functionalities offered by SIWE, there is potential for future extensions, including support for Decentralized Identifiers and Verifiable Credentials, as well as integration with EIP-712 for Type structured data hashing and signing.
When using , users can create and update data that is stored in smart contracts on the . These actions require users to pay a small cost. Users pay transaction costs using their such as . Transaction costs on the Energy Web Chain are in . Transaction costs on the Volta Test Network on are in .
Read more about transactions and transaction costs in the Energy Web Tech Stack .
The transaction cost amount depends on what action the user is performing, and the current . Actions and their estimated associated are listed below. They are organized according to the three main domains of Switchboard: , and .
The total costs calculated below is the sum of the cost to process the metadata and the current gas cost. The costs below are approximate values per operation. The total cost can change:
Based on the user input data (e.g. number of input fields)
Based on congestion (i.e. how many transaction requests are currently in the pool to be processed), which affects gas price
Switchboard is used to , , and . These credentials are persisted on the Energy Web Chain (read more about on-chain credentials ). As such, they require transaction costs to cover their on-chain lifecycle events.
Read our documentation on SSI Credential Governance using ENS Domains here.
VC-API is specification of a data model and HTTP protocols to issue, verify, present, and manage data in a ecosystem.
Energy Web provides an implementation of to reduce difficulties for organizations to start issuing and verifying Verifiable Credentials. Using these APIs it becomes easy for anyone to do Proof of Concepts for SSI use cases.
VC-API can be easily integrated with existing systems and are configurable for complex exchanges. Implementers can choose to implement APIs that fits their use case. One can keep it simple with minimal set of APIs even for complex data exchanges (presentation).
Refer for more information.
Portable, can be easily deployed to any environment and can be kept generic.
Easy integration and configuration.
Selective implementation of APIs based on the use case. For an application that provides feature to issue a credential only need to consume APIs specific to .
Supports both Mediated and Unmediated exchange.
The Verifiable Credentials data model introduces three actors . VC-API defines components that these actors may use for credential issuance, verification and exchange.
Each actors can have their own set of components to participate in the credential exchange.
Energy Web's implementation of VC-API only provides services which enable VC-API functionality. A developer can implement their own components that are mentioned above.
Applications can perform authorisation, issuance, verification and presentation exchanges using VC-API.
Servers implementing VC-API can confirm clients to utilise authorisation mechanism when performing certain requests. The request APIs endpoint can specify whether authorisation is needed or not.
For issuance of Verifiable Credentials, a holder can request any authority (Issuer) to issue a credential or can self-sign a credential.
A Holder can present their Verifiable Credential to the Verifier for verification. The Verifier can request the required credential from the holder using presentation-exchange protocol.
The sharing / exchange of Verifiable Credentials happen through presentation. These exchanges are executed based on the exchange-definition that are configured at run time.
A general exchange flow would look like :
The VC-API implementation can be easily deployed to any environment and can be kept generic, in other words exchanges are configured rather than coded in the application. This configuration is done at runtime via the use of Exchange Definitions.
Some different types of exchange definitions are :
Sample DIDAuth query VP Request
Sample PresentationDefinition query VP request
Exchange Definition Structure and Properties
exchangeId
exchangeId is definition identifier, used to fetch exchange-definition
Exchange Queries
The DIDAuth query type is used for exchange needed for authorisation, while PresentationDefinition could be used to request certain data from the Holder.
Exchange Callbacks
When defining an exchange, callbacks can be configured to allow parties to receive notice of a VP submitted in response to an exchange. Notifications consist of POST requests to the configured URLs. A callback is configured by adding an entry to the callback array in the Exchange Definition.
Exchange Interact Services
The exchange interaction types used by this VC-API implementation are directly related to Verifiable Presentation Request Interaction Types. The interaction types indicate to the receiver of the presentation request how they can expect to interact further with the issuer/verifier.
Mediated Exchange Interactions
Mediated exchange interactions signal to the receiver of the presentation request that the exchange is mediated by an additional component and may not be automatically processed. Mediated exchanges therefore allow for a review of presentation submission by a human or automated process as well as the issuance of credentials based on this review.
Due to the duration of the mediation process being unknown, the submitter of the verifiable presentation may have to query repeatedly in order to check if the result of the mediation is available.
Unmediated Exchange Interactions
Mediated exchange interactions signal to the receiver of the presentation request that the exchange is not mediated by an additional component and can be automatically processed.
serviceEndpoint
serviceEndpoint is used to continue exchanges
Presentation Definitions.
The presentation_definition are constructed of inputs, that describe the format and details for proofs required. They may also contain selection or filter rules for the presented Verifiable Credentials.
A presentation_definition has input_descriptors property which has an array of objects with properties describing what type of input data (credential) or sub-fields are required for submission.
Presentation exchange between Holder and Issuer
Presentation exchange between Holder and Verifier
This is a walk-through covering the main functionality of the system released to date. It assumes you already have a wallet in either a WalletConnect-compatible mobile application or MetaMask browser
-> The of the system leverages the Energy Web Volta test network. Therefore, all chain transaction fees use Volta tokens, which have no value and are freely obtainable . Here you can try and become familiar with what the system can do for you.
-> The of the system is on the Energy Web Chain and uses Energy Web Tokens for transactions. You can view the cost of transactions for each operation using this .
We recommend using Switchboard on Chromium (Google Chrome, Brave, etc.) or FireFox browsers.
Please note that some privacy-related browser extensions could cause problems with the system. Therefore, if you find that you are unable to complete a step described below, please try disabling your privacy extensions and reloading the page.
Using a web browser on your computer, visit the system landing page. It should appear similar to the image below.
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The system is a progressive web app, meaning that if you access the system website via a browser on your mobile device, you can add the system as an app on your device’s home screen (without using the iOS App Store or Google Play Store).
To do this, first, open your browser and navigate to the system landing page.
Using Chrome on an Android device, click the three-dot overflow menu in the upper-right corner to reveal a menu similar to that shown at the right. Click on “install app” to initiate the download. You should then see the system logo as an app on your home screen.
On an iOS device, the process is similar. Navigate to the welcome page in Safari, then tap the “share” button and scroll down to “add to the home screen.” the system will now appear on your home screen.
As noted above, you may connect to the system using either a WalletConnect-compatible mobile wallet app (on your mobile device) or a MetaMask browser extension. Each of these methods is described below. You can complete either one and skip the other option.
This step requires that you have two devices: a primary device (e.g., a computer) with a browser displaying the system landing page, and a mobile device (tablet or smartphone) on which you have installed a WalletConnect-compatible application.
First, on your primary device, click “use mobile wallet” to view a QR code similar to that in the image at the right. Next, on your mobile device, open the mobile application you use as a wallet, and use that mobile app to scan the QR code on your primary device’s screen.
The app on your mobile device will ask you to confirm that you wish to connect to the system. Your mobile app might then ask you to sign one or more messages. Finally, your mobile app might ask to confirm the connection. After signing and confirming as instructed in your mobile app, your primary device should automatically bring you to the Switchboard dashboard screen.
When you click the “use MetaMask” button, the MetaMask browser extension should open automatically. After you sign in to MetaMask, click the “connect” button. You will be requested to sign a message; do this to complete the connection to the system. You should land on the Switchboard dashboard screen.
The Switchboard dashboard contains functionality related to assets (creating managing an asset DID), governance (managing organizations, applications, and roles), and enrolments (issuing, viewing and revoking roles).
If you click "Manage Profile" button on the top right corner of the dashboard, you can access the user profile menu.
You can add a human-readible name label to your DID account using this menu item. The name is only stored locally and viewable by you.
DIDs are not very human-readible and hard to memorize, therefore you can use the DID Book function to store the most used DIDs with labels to access them quickly.
You can use this function to scan DID encoded QR Codes.
You can use this function to see the DID document in raw JSON format and copy it.
You can use this function to logout from the current DID account.
An asset is a virtual representer of the user’s solar panels, smart energy meters, batteries and other devices in the system. Each asset is assigned its own DID that gives them the ability to be a part of the Energy Web Network, so they can be transferred or enrolled in a role.
By clicking on the “Register Asset” button on my assets tab, you add one more asset to your list. It will get its own DID automatically.
You should see a general list of assets similar in appearance to the image below.
As an owner, you can perform several options under the three vertical dots button (next to the last updated date in the list).
Assets can be enroled to a role credential. By clicking on the Enrolments button (next to the asset name) you can see all roles that the chosen asset has. We recommend adding this issued claim to the asset's DID document so that you have the credentials you need in order to access the application with the appropriate role, you can use the Publish button to do this operation.
One set of functionality in the system relates to governance: managing organizations and applications. To explore this, click on the “governance” button from the system main screen. You should see a governance dashboard similar in appearance to the image below.
The development version of the system is built on Energy Web’s Volta test chain. As you set up your organization, applications, and roles, these will be anchored to Volta. We hope that you test out all available functionality, but we also recommend that you do not enter any sensitive information into the fields at this time. For example, when you create an application in part B below, use a test name if you wish to keep secret the real name of your application for now.
The first tab within governance relates to organization management.
If you haven’t had an organization yet, you can add it by clicking on the “Create Organization” button. The system asks you to fill the form and submit the request.
The “Create Organization” button allows creating only one organization per wallet. After using, the button is hidden from UI.
Assume that you already own an organization, on the Organization management tab you can perform several options related to your organization and its EWNS namespace, each using the options under the three vertical dots button (next to an organization namespace in the list).
After you have created an organization and set its root namespace, you may wish to set the namespace for decentralized applications your organization will own/operate.
The first step is to create the new application namespace, using the “create an application” option on the organization management tab. You will then see a pop-up with several fields to complete. Starting with step 5 of this process (registering the namespace for the app), you will be asked to confirm the transaction using your linked wallet.
Note that any application namespace you define will automatically be created under an “apps” subdomain within your organization’s namespace. For example, if your organization’s namespace is “exampleco.iam.ewc" and you wish to create a new subdomain for an application you call "DERmanager," then your resulting namespace will be "dermanager.apps.exampleco.iam.ewc" (the "apps" subdomain is added automatically, to organize applications separately from other subdomains).
After you have completed all steps to create the new application, your application management tab should appear similar to the image below.
You have several possible actions, similar to your options under organization management. Note that you also have the option to filter your applications by the organization; this may be helpful if, for example, different subsidiaries within your corporate umbrella wish to manage applications separately, but you as a designated super admin need to be able to view all of them.
The final governance task is perhaps the most powerful use of the system, and it builds on the organization and application management functionalities described above. It is governance related to roles—not only roles within your organization but also roles that different users might have in your applications.
As noted above, the system allows you to define two types of roles:
Roles associated with an organization - these roles are independent of any particular application. For example, you might create the role “global dApp admin” to manage all of your organization’s applications. This role is created under your organization or chosen sub-organization on the Organization management tab.
Roles associated with an application - these roles are specific to a particular application. For example, you might create the role “installer” or “renewable energy buyer” in an application that you own. These roles relate to your application but are not necessarily part of your organization. This role is created under your application on the Application management tab.
For creating a role, you should fill the role definition form. You can find detailed explanation of the each step below;
At this step, you will choose an unique role name to host the role definition, full domain path will be shown including application and organization names. The system will prompt if the name is already in-use.
At this step, you will select who is allowed to issue this role. As a role definition creator, your DID will be listed as an issuer by default. You can easily override it by adding another DID or even a role name.
At this step, you will select who is allowed to revoke this role. As a role definition creator, your DID will be listed as a revoker by default. You can easily override it by adding another DID or even a role name.
At this step, you can define a precondition for the user to request this role from the issuer. The user needs to obtain the precondition role and publish it to its DID document and afterwards can continue to requesting this role.
At this step, you can define a default validity period to guide the issuers. The issuers have authority to override it at the time of the issuence.
At this step, you can create custom input fields that will be used to collect data from the user at the time of the role request. This data is only for the issuer to get some more information about the user before the issuence. The data is not stored on the role credential.
At this step, you can create custom input fields that will be used to collect data from the issuer at the time of the issuence. The data will be stored on the role credential.
When you have at least one role, the role governance tab should look similar to the image below.
Each role in the list has the same list of options: View Details, Edit and Copy Role Enrolment URL. The first two are the same as we described above. By choosing the latter one you will copy a link to a URL that others can use to enroll as that role type. You will try this in the next section of this document below.
Users of the system can use the enrolments functionality in two ways. Recall that, because the system uses a decentralized system of identity and access management, any person can own a DID and add claims verified by authorities, which are then used to take on roles in applications. This system of enrolment has three key users:
An authority (issuer) who can verify claims about users, so that the users can add the verified claims to their DID documents (and use them to enroll in an application).
Users who request claims from authorities, so that users can add the verified claims to their DID documents.
The owner of an application, who specifies what claims (the content of the claim, and from whom) are required in order to enroll in that application.
Example: Imagine you wish to deploy an application related to electric vehicle smart charging. Your application might include the roles of vehicle owner, vehicle manufacturer, __ and vehicle dealer. In order for a DID to enroll in your application as a vehicle owner, you might require a verified claim from a vehicle dealer that this DID is in fact the person to whom it sold a particular vehicle (you might require many more claims, including claims from the manufacturer about the vehicle’s model, identification number, battery capacity, and other things, but let us keep the example simple for now). In this example, you can use the system to set up these roles and requirements: a DID can enroll in you application as a vehicle owner only if it has a verified claim from a dealer that the DID is the owner of the vehicle.
Returning to the work you have done so far, you have set up the required claims and issuers. Now let us see how a new user can enroll in an example application. First, ensure you have the enrolment URL. Next, open a new browser window, and paste that URL in the navigation bar. This will load the sign-in page, and you can sign in with your existing address (i.e., the same DID and thus the same user) or create and sign in with a new wallet address (simply create one in your mobile wallet or MetaMask browser extension) if you wish to test this from the perspective of a new user. Either way, you will see an enrolment screen similar to the example below.
When you complete these fields and register, the system sends the enrolment request to the issuer(s) who had previously been specified to approve the role.
Return now to your sign-in as the issuer who can approve the role. The issue will be informed about the new request by Task Manager in the top navigation. The notification’s bubble disappears as soon as the task has been completed.
Your enrolments screen should display the request from the new user.
“View Request” pop-up under the three vertical dots button contains information about the requestor, chosen role, and the fields from the enrolment form. If you approve this request, you have issued a verified claim that the new user can add to that user’s DID document and thereby access your application in the appropriate role.
Return one final time to the new user’s sign-in. You can view this pending role request on your “my enrolments” screen, which should appear similar to the image below.
You can add this newly received role credential to your DID document and publish it to on-chain ClaimManager smart contract, so that you have the credentials you need in order to access the application with the appropriate role. Use the “Publish” button, in order to publish the role credential.
You can also revoke a role credential if your DID is listed as one of the revokers. In order to revoke a role credential, you should navigate to "Revocable Enrolments" tab and click "Revoke Off-Chain Enrolment" or "Revoke On-Chain Enrolment" to revoke.
Because the system leverages EWNS, it is instantly possible for any user to search for organizations and applications that have defined namespaces.
To see an example, return to the main landing page by clicking on the system logo in the top left of your browser window. Your screen should appear similar to the image below.
In the search bar below your name and address, enter any search term. Try “flex” for an example. The system will display all organizations and applications that have the word “flex” in their EWNS namespaces. You are likely to see many examples and test applications. When you click on any of these, you will see the relevant public information associated with this namespace. For example, clicking on the Energy Web Flex (example) “application” displays information about that app, including the roles defined in that app’s namespace. In this way, you can view what roles (user types) are part of a given application.
You can even request to enroll your DID in one of these roles directly from this screen, using the action buttons in the roles list at right. Your enrolment request will be submitted to the relevant issuer, as defined by that app owner via the process described in Part V of this document.
| Action | Cost in EWT |
|---|
| Action | Cost in EWT |
|---|
Switchboard is used to create and manage organizations, applications, and roles associated with them. These elements are persisted in . ŮŤ Each time a user creates or updates one of these entities, they must pay a small transaction cost
| Action | Cost in EWT |
|---|
| Action | Cost in EWT |
|---|
Switchboard is used to , and Assets. Each Asset is registered in a smart contract on the Energy Web Chain (read more about Assets as ownable smart contracts .) Each time a user interacts with these contracts for Asset management, they must pay a small transaction cost:
| Action | Cost in EWT |
|---|
: execute the business rules and policies set by the actors. Also acts as mediator between these actors.
: enable general VC-API functionality.
: facilitate publishing and checking of status of Verifiable Credentials.
: responsible for configuring and managing all the other components.
: provide mechanisms to store and manage Verifiable Credential of the associated actor.
In order to configure the credential exchange, you can use the exchange definition data transfer object. For reference see the implemented by Energy Web.
The Exchange Definition has a query property that tells which data needs to be requested. The type of queries that are supported are defined by VerifiablePresentationQueryType, for reference see .
These presentation exchange take place on the basis of . Verifiers articulate these definitions of what they require for proofs. The issuer then wraps their Verifiable Credentials on the basis of presentation-definition in a VP and provide a response to the Verifier.
See to know more.
Example for a VC issuance and presentation using VC-API can be seen in .
This step requires that you already have installed the MetaMask browser extension and created a wallet in MetaMask. See the page on for more details.
The system leverages the (an implementation of the Ethereum Name Service for Energy Web). With EWNS, you can organize your organization, any applications your organization owns/operates, and all roles within your organization or those applications.
If you wish to use more than one DID, then it is recommended to either (a) use a different browser for each user or (b) use a browser extension that manages multiple sign-ins to a single website, such as .
Revoke on-chain role | 0.00016711 |
Create Organization | 0.00077047 |
Create Sub-Organization | 0.00077047 |
Create an organization-level role | 0.00085867 |
Transfer organization ownership | 0.00013159 |
Edit organization details | 0.0001474 |
Delete organization | Not Available |
Create application | 0.00064152 |
Create an application-level role | 0.00085867 |
Edit application-level role details | 0.00032897 |
Edit application details | 0.0001474 |
Delete application | 0.00010978 |
Edit application role details | 0.00032897 |
0.00031849 |
0.0002375 |
0.0000956 |
0.00010972 |
Accept/decline Asset offering | 0.00007288 |
Symbol | Name | Description |
View Ownership History | View the history of owners and transaction of chosen asset. |
Verification Method | Existence of the asset can be verified by a third-party. For this you should know the third-party public DID and type of Network. |
Transfer Ownership | Transfer ownership of your asset. For this you should know public DID of a new owner. As soon as a request submited your asset from My assets tab will be moved to Previously owned assets. |
Edit | At any time, you can set a personal name and icon for each of your items. For security reasons, assets names are blurred in the general list. |
Generate QR-Code | Generate a QR-code for a chosen asset. |
Issue Claim to Asset | Inform about Verified Claim of a chosen asset. |
Symbol | Name | Description |
View Details | View the basic details of your organization, including the logo, namespace, organization name, website, description, and other data. |
Create Sub-Organization | Create a new sub-organization owned by the organization. This allows you to define applications and roles for specific subsidiaries or business units within your organizational umbrella. For example, you might create “subsidiary1.exampleco.iam.ewc” and “subsidiary2.exampleco.iam.ewc” so that you can define applications and roles specific to those subsidiaries (as described in the following sections of this document). |
View Applications | View the applications owned by this organization (i.e., go to application management tab). |
View Roles | View the roles associated with this organization or with any application owned by this organization (i.e., go to role governance tab). Note that that are two kinds of roles:
|
Create Application | Create a new application owned by the organization. |
Create Role | Create a new role associated with either this organization or a specific application owned by this organization. |
Edit | Change the details of your organization. Please note that it is not possible to change the root namespace of an organization. For example, after you have defined “ The “others (JSON)” field allows you to specify formatting-related details (e.g., color scheme) that should be applied, so that when you integrate the system into your decentralized applications the branding is consistent. For example, you could add into this field the text:
The above text will set the background color for the system in your application to be the light blue color with hex code |
Transfer Ownership | Transfer ownership of your organization and its root namespace to another address. |
Delete | Delete your organization. |
Publish role to
(offer) of Asset
to DID Document
