Introduction

Identity is a central concept in all of blockchain technology. As it is one of the main concepts, but also because Polymesh has a very specific way of addressing identity, it is valuable to explain different types of identities. Identities in Polymesh are controlled via keys - each identity must have a single primary key and optionally can have additional secondary keys.

uID (unique ID)

A unique identifier that represents a user’s off-chain real-world identity. 
A uID may control more than one account but no one should have more than one uID.

Accounts (DID)

A unique identifier of an account on the Polymesh network. When a user creates a new account, that account will be given a new DID. It connects all keys, both primary keys and other keys, to this single user or entity. It starts with 0x and holds all security tokens and identity-related attestations.

One individual or organization can have more than one DID.

Keys

This is where users hold the POLYX token and how users sign and authorize transactions. Keys may be linked to an Account, or they may be unassigned. Users can have as many keys as they desire for each account. Polymesh keys are begins with 2.

Primary key 

The primary key has full permissions to the Account and can add and remove additional secondary keys.

Secondary key

A secondary key may have its permissions limited to only certain actions, portfolios or assets. It can also be removed by the primary key of its identity at any time.

For more information on secondary keys please visit the Polymesh Developer Portal.

The below chart shows the connection between these entities:

Learn more

Identity - Polymesh Developer Portal 

The Polymesh Pillar Series: Identity on Polymesh

The Polymesh Wallet Extension, Addresses, and Keys - Polymesh Website