Protonlinked
Protonlinked is a privacy-preserving identity linkage protocol designed to securely connect multiple online accounts and verifiable credentials across services without exposing underlying personal data. It relies on user-controlled proofs that attest attributes such as age, education, or membership while keeping sensitive information off smaller service providers. The goal is to enable seamless cross-service trust without creating a central repository of identifiers.
Technically, Protonlinked uses decentralized identifiers (DIDs) and verifiable credentials (VCs) alongside privacy-preserving cryptography, including zero-knowledge proofs.
The project originated in the early 2020s, emerging from a coalition of researchers and engineers who advocated
Use cases include financial onboarding, healthcare data sharing, academic credential verification, and employment history attestation. Users
Reception has been mixed. Proponents emphasize improved privacy, user control, and reduced central risk, while critics
Related concepts include decentralized identifiers and verifiable credentials, self-sovereign identity, and privacy-preserving cryptography.