To enhance security, scalability, and user experience, Bhutan NDI has upgraded its digital identity management system from Hyperledger Indy to Polygon blockchain. Polygon is a type of blockchain technology that securely stores and transfers data. It is faster, cheaper, and more efficient compared to other well-known blockchain technologies. A blockchain is a technology that securely records information across many computers, making it difficult to alter or tamper with the data.
The migration from the Hyperledger Indy blockchain to the more advanced Polygon blockchain offers several benefits, including the ability to handle smart contracts and digital currencies.
According to Bhutan NDI, the Polygon blockchain is more widely adopted globally, making it easier to integrate with other systems and services, which enhances the utilisation of the Bhutan NDI platform both within Bhutan and internationally.
An official from Bhutan NDI also said that the transaction costs for performing operations on a blockchain network, such as processing or verifying transactions, are lower on the Polygon blockchain.
“So, we took this migration opportunity to introduce new features, such as a liveness test, which is easier to use. Additionally, we have integrated with our stakeholder, GovTech, to issue RCSC employee credentials through their portal into the NDI wallet. We have also integrated to include driving license and vehicle ownership credentials in the wallet. These are the use cases we have developed during our migration phase,” said Dev Raj, IT Engineer, Bhutan NDI.
Meanwhile, to ensure Bhutan NDI’s digital identity system remains secure, up-to-date, and effective, Bhutan NDI has switched its underlying technology from Acentrid to CREDEBL.
The primary reason for this change, according to an official from Bhutan NDI, is that Acentrid is no longer supported or updated by its developers.
In contrast, CREDEBL is actively maintained and backed by a strong community of developers.
As a result, the technology behind Bhutan’s digital identity system will stay aligned with the latest advancements in IT and computer science.
Bhutan NDI is also exploring digital currency services and integrating its platform with various organisations and agencies, such as banks and the health sector.
To date, Bhutan NDI has received several international recognitions, including the most recent Special Award for Decentralised ID in Practice from Germany.
Additionally, Bhutan NDI has participated in several international conferences to raise awareness and exchange knowledge for further platform improvement.
This October, they are set to participate in the Digital Government Africa Summit in Zambia and Identity Week Asia in Singapore.
Sonam Dendup
Edited by Sherub Dorji
