sonr/docs/reference/architecture/decentralized-identity.mdx

---
title: "DID Generation and Management"
description: "Learn how to generate and manage Decentralized Identifiers (DIDs) using advanced crypto interfaces"
sidebarTitle: "Identity Generation"
icon: "signature"
---

# DID Generation Patterns

The Sonr project provides a robust and flexible DID (Decentralized Identifier) generation system supporting multiple key types and cryptographic methods.

## Supported Key Types

The `didkey.go` interface supports the following key types:

- RSA Public Keys
- Ed25519 Public Keys
- Secp256k1 Public Keys

## Basic DID Generation

### Creating a DID from a Public Key

```go
import (
    "github.com/libp2p/go-libp2p/core/crypto"
    "github.com/sonr-io/crypto/keys"
)

// Generate a new key pair
privateKey, publicKey, err := crypto.GenerateKeyPair(crypto.Ed25519, -1)

// Create a DID
did, err := keys.NewDID(publicKey)
```

### Parsing an Existing DID

```go
// Parse a DID string
did, err := keys.Parse("did:key:z6MkhaXgBZDvotDkL5257faiztiGiC2QtKLGTsyDFWYviJr4")
```

## Advanced DID Operations

### Address Derivation

```go
// Get a blockchain-compatible address from a DID
address, err := did.Address()
```

### Compressed Public Key Retrieval

```go
// Get a compressed public key (for Secp256k1)
compressedPubKey, err := did.CompressedPubKey()
```

## MPC Enclave DID Generation

For MPC (Multi-Party Computation) enclaves, use a specialized method:

```go
// Create a DID from MPC enclave public key bytes
did, err := keys.NewFromMPCPubKey(enclavePublicKeyBytes)
```

## DID Validation

```go
// Validate a DID format
err := keys.ValidateFormat("did:key:example123")
```

## Multicodec Support

The library supports various multicodec prefixes for different key types:

- RSA: `0x1205`
- Ed25519: `0xed`
- Secp256k1: `0xe7`

## Security Considerations

- Always generate keys using cryptographically secure methods
- Validate DIDs before using them in critical operations
- Use the appropriate key type for your security requirements

## Example: Complete DID Workflow

```go
package main

import (
    "fmt"
    "github.com/libp2p/go-libp2p/core/crypto"
    "github.com/sonr-io/crypto/keys"
)

func main() {
    // Generate a new key pair
    privateKey, publicKey, err := crypto.GenerateKeyPair(crypto.Ed25519, -1)
    if err != nil {
        panic(err)
    }

    // Create a DID
    did, err := keys.NewDID(publicKey)
    if err != nil {
        panic(err)
    }

    // Get the DID string
    didString := did.String()
    fmt.Println("Generated DID:", didString)

    // Derive blockchain address
    address, err := did.Address()
    if err != nil {
        panic(err)
    }
    fmt.Println("Blockchain Address:", address)
}
```

## Compatibility and Interoperability

The Sonr DID implementation follows the W3C DID specification, ensuring broad compatibility with other decentralized identity systems.