NFT Based Authentication

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About OAuth 2.0

The OAuth 2.0 authorization framework enables a third-party application to obtain limited access to an HTTP service

For example, you would have used your social media accounts like Google, Facebook or Twitter to sign up and login to other websites. Behind the scenes OAuth 2.0 enables social login. For further reading on OAuth 2.0 please refer to this page: https://oauth.net/2/.

NFTs have the potential to be used for achieving functionality of the OAuth protocol.

Illustration of an authentication use case:

Refer to the diagram below. The client wallet is the one that requests for an authentication NFT. The Auth SC is the smart contract that mints the auth NFT and delivers to the requested client. Whether to authorise a client is decided by the issuer and in practice can depend on various aspects. If authorised, the issuer delivers the NFT to the client. The client can then request access to the protected resource. The smart contract at the protected resource checks for the correct NFT and accordingly grants or denies access.

Feasibility of this idea.

Based on the Proof of Concept (POC) work we undertook previously, this is feasible. Notably, the POC implementation was selected by IOG as the winner of the judges' award in the Asia region for the Capstone challenge for Plutus Pioneers held in September. You can see the winning projects mentioned during the October 2021 edition of Cardano 360. https://youtu.be/R0s3lPG8XDw?t=1438

The evolution of standard and reusable libraries require dedicated effort in terms of development. We intend to bootstrap this process by developing starter repositories and documentation. Further we will maintain the repository up to date with Plutus which is Cardano's smart contract language. Plutus is still undergoing development and can be expected to change significantly in the coming months.

Deliverables

• Open source repositories with documentation and executable code.
• Plutus smart contract and PAB based implementation.
• Maintain the repository up to date with Plutus version as well as expand the use cases.
• A discord channel to build up a working group with interested teams in evolving a standard that can be used in the Cardano ecosystem.

Roadmap

February - March 2022

• Develop repositories with documentation
• Add Plutus smart contract and PAB based implementation.

April 2022

• Start a Discord server with relevant channels
• Consult with Gimbalabs and other groups to invite experts to form a working group.

May 2022 - Dec 2022

• Update and maintain the repository in line with the latest Plutus version.
• Coordinate and work with the working group to evolve the standard.

Success metrics

• 3 months: open source repository completely developed
• 6 months: draft standard for NFT based authentication and adoption of the library by other projects.
• 12 months: extension towards a standard that is interoperable with other blockchains.

KPIs

• Number of projects adopting or extending the authentication scheme
• Number of members in the working group and contribution from the working group.

Team

We are a team of Plutus Pioneers and experienced web developers. We won 3 prizes in the Cardano Summit hackathon, and won 3rd place in the CardStarter hackathon, both in 2021. We have been funded through Catalyst in Fund 6 for some of our proposals:

• Win-Win Dispute Resolution: https://cardano.ideascale.com/a/dtd/368353-48088
• Gravatar for ADA Wallets: https://cardano.ideascale.com/a/dtd/367448-48088
• Proof of identity for mediators: https://cardano.ideascale.com/a/dtd/368367-48088

Matthias Sieber

• Professional Software Engineer for over 20 years
• worked on Liqwid through MLabs internship
• Conflict Resolution Specialist (Mediator, Facilitator, Peacekeeper, Educator)
• BA in Negotiation, Conflict Resolution, and Peacebuilding
• Master of Dispute Resolution
• Community-elected Moderator on Cardano Stack Exchange
• Plutus and Prism Pioneer (1st cohorts)
• Project Catalyst Community Advisor and Veteran Community Advisor
• Catalyst Circle member representing the Cardano Foundation
• Cardano Ambassador
• Built successful marketplaces, startups, SMBs, and mission-driven teams
• Gimbalabs PPBL Team Member

Eli Selkin, L.C.S.W., M.S

• Professional Software Engineer for over 5 years
• Plutus Pioneer
• Gimbalabs PPBL Team Member
• MS in Computer Science, specializing in Machine Learning
• ML architect
• B.A. in Psychology

Ganesh N

• Professional Software Engineer for over 8 years
• Plutus Pioneer (1st cohort)
• Gimbalabs PPBL Team Member
• BTech in Electronics and Communication Engineering
• Has lead development of large scale applications
• Experience in the financial services industry

Budget

• 3 Plutus developers part time for 2 months (3 x $2000) = $12k
• Tech services for communication channels = $500
• Total = $12.5k