Identike

Identike is a term used in discussions of digital identity systems to describe a modular toolkit or framework designed to help individuals create, manage, and prove digital identities and attributes. It is not a single standard, but a class of approaches that emphasize user control, interoperability, and privacy.

Etymology: a portmanteau of identity and kit, sometimes also linked to the concept of an identikit—a composite portrayal used for identification—reimagined for digital credentials.

Concept and components: An identike architecture typically includes a user-owned identity wallet, credential issuers, verifiers, and a policy or consent engine. It supports the issuance of verifiable credentials, selective disclosure, and revocation. It is often aligned with open standards such as Decentralized Identifiers (DID) and Verifiable Credentials (VC).

Workflows: Onboarding involves user consent and verification by an issuer; credentials are stored in a secure wallet; when needed, the user presents verifiable credentials to a verifier, who checks cryptographic proofs and revocation status.

Governance: Since identike frameworks interact across domains (finance, health, education), governance focuses on privacy by design, purpose limitation, and consent management, with emphasis on interoperability.

Limitations: As a concept, identike faces challenges in user experience, deployment at scale, and regulatory alignment.

See also: identikit, digital identity, verifiable credential, GDPR.