THE AIR CHALLENGEToday, there is a digital identity management system ‘race’ raging with both public and private organizations actively seeking a viable solution to the issue of online security for individuals. There are many challenges in this race; the majority are due to the divided nature of the various solutions so far implemented by a great number organizations. This has resulted in a poor user experience via the need to maintain multiple service registrations, logins, usernames and passwords, due to largely different and confusing security policies. The centralized nature of identity providers such as Facebook are of great value to bad actors based on constantly updating threats, and therefore centralized solutions will become increasingly unsound as we continue to evolve with, and live more of our lives via the Internet.
Cryptography and decentralized technologies such as blockchain offer a potential solution for these challenges. These technologies revert the ownership of a digital identity from centralized Internet services such as Facebook to the individual, so that the individual is in control. This approach decentralizes data and computing capacity, thereby greatly decreasing potential security exploits, and further preventing future potential threats due to the increased technical complexity needed to exploit.
THE AIR OPPORTUNITYAir is a platform for digital identity for both the Enterprise (Platform/Application Programming Interface (API)) and individuals (cell/mobile phone application).
The Air digital identity system uses blockchain technologies via the implementation of a per user specific Smart Contract to complete cryptographically secured digital identity management actions, for authentication, authorization and transaction completion verification. Air is based on open-source technologies, and is defined from the start as an ‘open standards’ based system, to ensure the greatest interoperability in the future.
Air also implements a novel approach for user adoption whereby an individual will receive an XID digital token micropayment to an Air digital wallet once a successful identity transaction has taken place. Once completed, targeted content based on the user’s stated interests will then be sent to the user’s cell/mobile application, as per the following overview:
THE AIR PLATFORM POTENTIAL MARKETThe digital identity market is estimated to grow from EUR 8.43 Billion (USD 8.09 Billion) in 2016 to EUR 14.13 Billion (USD 14.82 Billion) by 2021, at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 12.9% between 2016 and 2021. Major growth drivers of the market are rise in awareness about compliance management across various industries, increase in security concerns among organizations and individuals, and demand for mobility solutions (see our Whitepaper for citation).
THE AIR PLATFORM USE CASE EXAMPLESThere are many potential use cases for Air, as It is expected that Air-based digital identities will take a variety of forms, such as individual, enterprises, organizations or devices. However please consider the following initial use case examples:
USE CASE 1I am an end-consumer, using a cell/mobile phone, tablet or Personal Computer (PC), and I want to buy an item from a popular online retailer. I select the item from the retailer’s website; I confirm that I want to “pay” for the item; the Air platform is engaged in the background; my identity is checked and confirmed, and the transfer of funds is made directly from my bank. My order is then successfully concluded in the usual manner (logistics etc.) without the need for a password (or other form of authorization).
USE CASE 2I am a consumer of medical services, and want to share my patient record with a third-party insurer, I can authorize this engagement via direct identity authorization in a single transactional step, with the records shared simply and efficiently.
USE CASE 3For the end-consumer application, for each transaction that I will complete successfully leveraging the Air product for Identity Management, I will receive a micropayment, and a targeted advertisement based on my selected content of interest, as previously stated.
THE AIR PLATFORM ARCHITECTUREAir is a highly secure platform for digital identity, based on the Hyperledger blockchain. The baseline technology of Air is composed of three major components: Chaincode (also known as a Smart Contract), Application Programming Interface (API) and a mobile/cellphone application (initially for Apple iOS/Google Android, with other platforms to follow) for individual use.
The following diagram shows the technology components of the Air system:
The API will allow organizations and enterprises to integrate support for Air into their existing and new systems. The cell/mobile application can secure and maintain an individual’s Air identity. The individual can also store their identity within a Digital Vault of their choice, such as their bank.
The Hyperledger Chaincode forms the basis of the given identity and contains program logic that will allow an individual to recover their identity if their mobile device is lost.
AIR PLATFORM KEY FEATURES AND BENEFITSAir features all required functions to secure a given individual’s digital identity, and greatly simplifies the usage of Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) for the user. Air removes the given user’s identity data from the identity transaction itself, thereby providing increased individual security, identity fraud protection and privacy.
Air also features a cell/mobile phone digital wallet, that will enable the individual to receive an XID token micropayment for all actions undertaken using the system, thereby allowing the user to build XID token spending power with relevant service providers over time.
The benefits of the Air system are clear, however at a high level the following key system attributes are:
USER CONTROLAir enables the individual to be 100% in control of their digital identity via full user controllability of the individual's registered identity and associated attributes for data sharing needs.
SECURITYAir provides a highly secure Blockchain based environment for digital identity and micropayment based transactions.
INTEROPERABILITYAir provides system interoperability with both blockchain and non-blockchain based systems via Smart Contract based access control.
PORTABILITYAir provides integration with on and off blockchain based systems, a truly global scale solution for Identity Management.
THE AIR PLATFORM PROJECT ROADMAPFrom the Air project 2017 major milestone perspective, the development of Air Platform is scheduled as follows. However, it is expected that where possible, major milestone completion can be brought forward in time, based on full development team and required infrastructure scale-out, to be based on Crowdsale funds available.
THE AIR PLATFORM XID TOKENThe Air XID token is a key component of the Air Platform. The token is a reward for users of the platform upon completion of a successful identity based transaction. Post completion, targeted content based on the user’s stated interests will then be sent to the user’s cell/mobile application.
The XID token can then be used by via the Air XID Digital Wallet to facilitate exchange to fiat currency, and potentially direct purchase of goods and services from supporting vendors.
AIR PLATFORM XID TOKEN PRICING AND PROJECT FUND ALLOCATIONThere will be 50 million XID tokens to be distributed to Crowdsale participants.
In addition:
A total of 2.5% of total Crowdsale, to a maximum of 1.25 million XID will be created for founder’s reward (to be held within a formal ESCROW agreement for 12 months).
A total of 6.5% of the maximum Crowdsale, to a maximum of 3.25 million XID will be created for large bug and significant development bounties which will be published during the Air Platform project cycle.
A fixed amount equivalent to 1% (400,000 XID) of the total Crowdsale, will be created for community bounties during the Crowdsale period.
Combined, the total possible supply of XID is 55 million.
All XID tokens will be distributed to participants post the conclusion of the Crowdsale timeline and will be based on the number of XID tokens sold during the Crowdsale period. There will be no further XID tokens made available for later purchase.
Prior to reaching a steady state where Air Platform resources can be supported through advertising revenue (for the end-consumer application) and enterprise engagement. The XID token sale will be utilized to acquire the necessary funds to complete the Air Platform project. These funds will be allocated towards the project in the following manner:
THE AIR PLATFORM DECENTRALIZATION OVERVIEWAs stated, it is expected that Air-based digital identities will take a variety of forms, such as individual, enterprises, organisations or devices. These identities will be fully owned and controlled by the creator, and will not rely on any centralised third party for validation. A further advantage of an Air-based digital identity is that due to its blockchain-based implementation, that digital bearer’s assets -- such as cryptocurrencies or other tokenized assets -- are also intrinsically supported.
Air is built on principles of cryptography, consensus theory, transparency, accountability (and in the case of the end consumer, sound economics) to serve as a new foundation for our future identity systems, and a fairer Internet.
THE TEAMDaren Seymour - CEO -
LinkedInAlison Fawcett - Chair of the Board -
LinkedInKuldip Pardesi - Software and Technical Director -
LinkedInMat Birch - Business Development -
LinkedInJake Vartanian - Community and Strategic Advisor -
TwitterFran Strajnar - Principal Advisory -
LinkedInPatrick Dugan - Advisory OMNI Foundation -
LinkedInMichael Terpin - Advisor and Marketing -
LinkedInMarc Godard - Technical Advisor -
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