Microsoft Is Using Bitcoin to Help Build a Decentralized Internet

The ION project promises to give individual users absolute control over their online identity and privacy.
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In an age of increasingly ubiquitous government surveillance, security breaches, and high-profile cancellations, in which internet giants have ultimate control over users' online profiles, credentials, and data, Microsoft is helping to build a technology that would give individuals ownership rights over their own virtual identities.

The mission of the ION project is to build Decentralized Identifiers, or DIDs, that can serve as the anchor point for our activities all across the internet. If the goal of bitcoin is to eliminate the power of centralized institutions over money, ION is trying to do the same thing with online identities.

To achieve this level of decentralization and immutability, ION is built on top of the shared database that's used for recording bitcoin transactions, which is known as the blockchain. Though Microsoft is contributing most of the work, the company would have no control over who participates in the system.

Daniel Buchner, a self-described libertarian, is the project lead for ION. Reason sat down with him at the Bitcoin 2021 conference in Miami to talk about how this technology could usher in a new era of hyper-individualized online identity and privacy.

Narrated by Nick Gillespie, edited by John Osterhoudt, camera by Jim Epstein and Noor Greene, additional graphics by Lex Villena

[DogeMcLovin]

The company that loads massive amounts of tracking and bloatware into their operating systems?

No thanks, I'll pass.

[Semper_Iratus]

Big tech will never do you plebs any favors ever.

[aaronchapin]

This is actually a great example of competition in the marketplace. Microsoft stands to lose nothing because wide adoption of such a technology will only simplify their existing identity management. If adopted, companies like Google and Facebook stand to lose a great deal of control over how individuals are used as products. It's good news for Bitcoin too. Very excited to see where this goes.

[nathanrathbun]

Microsoft "This system is too inefficient. How can we get people to give us ALL of their information?"

[NogardCodesmith]

Sounds more like M$ is consolidating power, not decentralizing anything.

[MaxPlayne]

Personally, I wouldn't trust Microsoft with building mud from water and dirt.

[grantarmbruster]

Nope. Every transaction of digital currency will be logged and used against you.

[Aivottaja]

Microsoft? Decentralized? I have a bridge to sell you.

[Yates__]

A libertarian who wants digital IDs for all. Now I've heard it all. This guy can't even lie with a straight face.

[FloydMaxwell]

Sounds a lot like China's Social Credit system

[tomorrow]

Did Microsoft host Parler? Or refuse to? Let’s see which.

[JR-lybx]

your title is wrong. Its not using Bitcoin, its using Blockchain, huge difference. Blockchain is the decentralized technology that Bitcoin is built on like other crypto's and these new DEFI (decentralized finance) applications....just an FYI for the viewers, new to this tech

[johnmckenzie]

Nick looks like the insurance boss from The Incredibles.

[geraldhammond]

Doubt it. I don’t trust them. The tech yes, in the right hands.

[vasilistheocharis]

So the decentralisation is a side effect of a higher quality identification system?

[HappilyCamping]

Yeah...NO. Let's not do that. Sorry. I don't want my information digitized further. Its too much power.

[rothbardfreedom]

ION probably will not be successful (most things don't actually), but it can inspire others to tackle the problem in different ways. That's the beauty of the Market (descentralized system of resource exchanges).

[luvmusl]

I'm leery whenever any entity tries to get involved in something that's already free and open. I'm not a Bitcoin holder yet, or deeply knowledgeable, but from what I see the purpose is to be separate from systems

[matthewlee]

This type of high-quality content deserves 100x more attention. I really wish reasonTV got more attention than shit like Vice, Fox News, or CNN. But then again, I suppose that's the point. In an age where polarizing, sensationalist media is the norm, the level-headed journalists (like reasonTV) get lost in the sea of polarized discourse.

But I digress. ReasonTV, let me just say: I'm incredibly grateful that you exist, and I sincerely hope you guys have a bright future ahead of you.

[tradingwithwill]

Microsoft and privacy, decentralization don’t go together… so address the elephant in the room right off the bat imo. Does it work if you don’t have a vaccine passport?