import { ArticleLayout } from '@/components/ArticleLayout'

export const article = {
  author: 'Prad Nukala',
  date: '2024-01-15',
  title: 'Building Sonr: The Journey to Decentralized Identity',
  description:
    'How we\'re creating an IBC-enabled blockchain that puts users in control of their digital identity, eliminating passwords and seed phrases while maintaining true self-sovereignty.',
}

export const metadata = {
  title: article.title,
  description: article.description,
}

export default (props) => <ArticleLayout article={article} {...props} />

When I founded Sonr in 2020, I had a simple but ambitious vision: create a world where people truly own their digital identity. After years of watching data breaches, privacy violations, and the centralization of user data, I knew there had to be a better way.

## The Problem with Digital Identity Today

The internet wasn\'t designed with identity in mind. We\'ve patched together solutions using usernames, passwords, and centralized databases, but these approaches are fundamentally broken:

- **No User Control**: Your identity lives on servers you don\'t control
- **Privacy Violations**: Companies monetize your personal data without consent
- **Security Nightmares**: Password breaches affect billions of users annually
- **Platform Lock-in**: Your identity is fragmented across countless services

## Enter Sonr: A New Paradigm

Sonr is an IBC-enabled blockchain specifically designed for decentralized identity. We\'re not just building another blockchain - we\'re creating the identity layer the internet should have had from the beginning.

### Key Innovations

1. **Passkey-Based Authentication**: No more passwords. Users authenticate with biometrics or device-based keys, making phishing virtually impossible.

2. **No Seed Phrases**: Using DKLS-MPC (Distributed Key Lifetime Security - Multi-Party Computation), we\'ve eliminated the need for users to manage complex seed phrases while maintaining true ownership.

3. **Lightning-Fast Performance**: 600ms wallet generation means users can onboard as quickly as traditional web apps.

4. **IBC Integration**: As part of the Cosmos ecosystem, Sonr identities work seamlessly across multiple blockchains.

## Technical Architecture

At its core, Sonr leverages several cutting-edge technologies:

```typescript
// Example: Creating a Sonr identity
const identity = await Sonr.createIdentity({
  authentication: 'passkey',
  storage: 'ipfs',
  recovery: 'social'
});

// The user now has a DID (Decentralized Identifier)
console.log(identity.did); // did:sonr:abc123...
```

### DID Documents
Every Sonr user has a DID document stored on-chain that contains their public keys and service endpoints. This document is the source of truth for their identity.

### IPFS Integration
User data is stored on IPFS, ensuring it\'s distributed, permanent, and under user control. Only the user\'s keys can decrypt their personal information.

### UCAN Tokens
We use User Controlled Authorization Networks (UCAN) for fine-grained access control. Users can delegate specific permissions without sharing their private keys.

## Real-World Impact

Since launching, we\'ve:
- Raised $4.7M in funding to accelerate development
- Onboarded over 120 first-time blockchain developers
- Created tools that make blockchain accessible to mainstream developers
- Built partnerships across the Cosmos ecosystem

## The Road Ahead

We\'re currently preparing for our public testnet launch, with mainnet coming soon. Our goal is to onboard the next billion users to Web3 - not by forcing them to understand blockchain, but by making it invisible.

The future of the internet is one where:
- Users own their identity and data
- Privacy is default, not optional
- Security doesn\'t sacrifice usability
- Interoperability is built-in, not bolted-on

## Join the Revolution

If you\'re a developer interested in building on Sonr, check out our [documentation](https://docs.sonr.io) and [GitHub](https://github.com/sonr-io). We\'re always looking for contributors who share our vision of a more equitable internet.

The identity layer of the internet is broken, but together, we can fix it. Welcome to Sonr - where your identity truly belongs to you.