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NAMECOIN IDENTITIES
Established 2012, Precursor To Ethereum Name Service (ENS), Third Ever NFT Collection, First Web3 Decentralized Identity & Unified Login Project, 7705 Supply
Launched in May 2012, Namecoin Identities (id/ prefix) refers to the first-ever attempt at Web3 decentralized identity service, which aimed to trustlessly verify identity securely and without relying on a central party storing or processing info. It’s the primitive precursor to the Ethereum Name Service (ENS).
The third oldest NFT collection after Historical Domains (April 2011) and Punycodes (May 2011), Namecoin Identities are also one of the first examples of utility NFTs, meaning that these non-fungible tokens (NFTs) have some purposes, apart from the art or aesthetic value. Though, some Namecoin Identity (id/) assets have pictorial references.
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FUNCTION, PURPOSE AND NAMEIDS
In the Namecoin system, there are multiple possible uses for names: The most common today is for domain names (these are names with the d/ prefix), but another possible use case is that of identities (id/ assets): The Namecoin address holding the identity id/ is able to sign data on behalf of the identity for online logins and other applications via cryptographic verification of the challenge to reliably prove ownership and authenticity of the information.
The most well-developed and relatively known formal implementation or specific software built on top of Namecoin Identities known as NameIDs was introduced roughly on June 23, 2013, by Daniel Kraft @domob. It synergizes both OpenID and Namecoin Identity assets. NameID brings both concepts together: It is an identity provider, but you don't (and can't) have to create an account or even remember a password. Instead, you need a Namecoin identity (that is, at the very least some id/ name which you own, no matter what values you have stored with it). The password is replaced by a digital signature with the private key associated with your name.
There are some assets that still have personal information attached to them. The most common information that has been added to these identities over the years is a mix of email, website, cryptocurrency wallet addresses (Bitcoin, Namecoin, etc.), XMPP, OpenPGP, Off-the-Record Messaging (OTR), and BitMessage keys.
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HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE
According to famous NFT Archaeologist WhiteRabbit1111's magnum opus and definitive timeline of digital antiquities, it’s the third oldest NFT collection after .bit domains (April 2011) and Punycodes (May 2011), right at the beginning of the Golden Emergence Era. Namecoin Identities are also prime examples of very early Utility NFTs, i.e., meaning that these NFTs have a problem-solving purpose.
Namecoin Identities also has a special representation in the infographic released by w3b.eth showing the evolution of Non Fungible Tokens (NFTs) in a 24-hour clock format from the birth of Bitcoin to the present day. We are at 06 hours: 06 minutes: 33 seconds portion of the clock marking the launch of the world's first decentralized identity and unified login id/khal and subsequent Namecoin Identity (id/ assets) prominently!
The first Namecoin Identity id/khal was registered on May 31, 2012, at Block 58311 by Namecoin lead developer Khalahan Henkh. It’s the absolute first known Namecoin Identity and is noted as one of the top ten eminently primitive and significant NFTs in blockchain history by the NFT Timeline. https://namebrow.se/name/id/khal/.
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In HarryBTC's comprehensive timeline of Namecoin NFT collections, Namecoin Identities are again noted as one of the first NFT collections ever on the Namecoin blockchain. They form an indispensable part of blockchain history and remain the first concept/initial prototype of how decentralized identities and unified logins should function.
UTILITY
The third-ever NFT collection Namecoin Identity is also unique in the sense that it's one of the very few historical NFTs collections which still have a valid utility aspect, meaning that you still use these assets on multiple websites for a purpose. The purpose is decentralized identity management and unified logins. Check the below video for a demo and then see the list given at the end of the section for a detailed list of supported websites.
See Namecoin Identities In Action
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TOTAL ASSET SUPPLY (2012-2017)
Until 2017, the total supply of valid Namecoin Identity id/ assets is 7705. The least supply is found for the year 2012 with only 46 assets, with the highest being 4818 for 2014. All assets have been claimed on the Namecoin Identities native Namecoin blockchain and a large number of them have been brought over to OpenSea/LooksRare via Emblem Vault (EV) integration.
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The Namecoin Identities can be traded on OpenSea/LooksRare via Emblem Vault (EV) integration. You just have to enter the id/, if it's valid, the generator will make an automated title, and description and create an image to be used. It can be found here.
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ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
OLDNFT Database
Namecoin Identities - Curated List
The NFT Timeline
NFT Relics Database
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