ICert , Decentralized Cetificate Authority

Developers Rust
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Introducing iCert: Decentralized Digital Certificate Management on Internet Computer

What is iCert?

iCert is a decentralized digital certificate management platform built on the Internet Computer that enables secure, verifiable, and tamper-proof digital certificates. Think of it as a “Let’s Encrypt for digital credentials” but with the added power of blockchain verification and community-driven reputation.
Digital certificates ranges from tls/ssl certificates to more complex usage .

:rocket: Key Features

For Certificate Issuers:

  • Create and issue digital certificates with custom metadata

  • Leverage IC’s chain-key signatures for cryptographic security

  • Build reputation through community endorsements

For Certificate Holders:

  • Share certificates instantly via QR codes

  • Manage your professional portfolio

  • Track your reputation score across the ecosystem

For Verifiers:

  • Scan QR codes to instantly verify certificate authenticity

  • Access transparent endorsement and rating systems

  • Trust the blockchain-verified credentials

For Developers & Domain Owners:

  • ACME protocol implementation for SSL/TLS certificates

  • Chain-key signed X.509 certificates

  • Automated certificate renewal and management

:wrench: Technical Innovation

iCert leverages IC’s unique capabilities:

  • Chain-key signatures for decentralized certificate authority

  • ECDSA integration for cryptographic verification

  • HTTP outcalls for external data integration

  • Internet Identity for secure authentication

  • X.509 certificate generation with IC based chain key cryptography

:bullseye: Real-World Impact

Problem Solved: Traditional digital certificates suffer from centralization risks, verification complexity, and lack of transparency. iCert addresses these by creating a trustless, verifiable certification ecosystem.

Use Cases:

  • Educational institutions issuing verifiable diplomas

  • Professional organizations creating skill certifications

  • Domain owners obtaining decentralized SSL certificates

  • Employers verifying candidate credentials instantly

:handshake: Community Feedback Needed

We’re seeking input from the IC community on:

  1. Feature Priorities: Which features would you find most valuable?

  2. User Experience: How can we make certificate verification more intuitive?

  3. Integration Ideas: What platforms should we integrate with?

  4. Security Concerns: What security aspects should we focus on?

  5. Adoption Strategy: How can we encourage widespread adoption?

:bar_chart: Current Status

:white_check_mark: Completed:

  • Core certificate management system

  • QR code verification

  • Endorsement and reputation algorithms

  • ECDSA and HTTP outcalls integration

  • Frontend foundation

:counterclockwise_arrows_button: In Development:

  • ACME server implementation

  • Chain-key signature infrastructure

  • Advanced UI/UX features

  • Mobile responsiveness

:light_bulb: Vision

iCert aims to become the go-to platform for decentralized digital credentials, serving as both a certificate management system and a decentralized Certificate Authority. We believe this showcases IC’s potential for real-world enterprise applications.

:speaking_head: Join the Discussion

  • What aspects of digital certificate management frustrate you most?

  • How would you use a decentralized certification platform?

  • What features would make you switch from traditional certificate authorities?

  • Any security or privacy concerns we should address?

Your feedback will help shape iCert’s development and ensure we’re building something the community truly needs!

Project: iCert - Decentralized Digital Certificate Management

Built on: Internet Computer

GitHub: GitHub - mahmudsudo/ICert: Decentralized certificate authorithy ; ACME but decentralized , on the ICP

#InternetComputer #DigitalCertificates #ICDev

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I run an indie game server and need the SSL certificate for proper WebSocket integration. So this feature right here, I’m definitely waiting on since ACME is the current choice for validating my server certificates. If you could make this work natively with ACME-based applications, it would be absolutely groundbreaking for game developers, web server hosters, cloud developers and more.

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Do you plan on getting iCerts root certificate signed by any existing CAs, or just go a purely independent route?

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There are a variety of approaches we are considering as regards this :

  1. moving independently of the centralized CAs is great but still brings the initial trust issues

  2. trusting the traditional CAs also exposes the same trust base

  3. self verification of icert is also a viable option as that helps cement its credibility and reliability without traditional CAs

Community feedback is still very much appreciated on these

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From my understanding you could be independent but also be signed off by an existing CA for best of both worlds
I feel like getting broad support of clients/software starting out would need traditional CAs but if you grow, independence would be easier

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Focus on SSL certificates first. The indie game developer comment shows you might have real demand. If you can make ACME work as a drop-in replacement for Let’s Encrypt, you’ll have actual users immediately. Don’t dilute focus with diplomas and other use cases yet.

Solve the browser trust problem now. Get your root CA signed by traditional authorities first. Nobody will use certificates their browsers don’t recognize. You can build independence later, but you need adoption first.

Make migration dead simple. I should only need to change my ACME server URL. If it requires more changes than that, most developers won’t bother.

Be transparent about costs. “No gas fees” sounds great but how do you sustain this? What happens when IC costs change? Developers need predictable pricing.

Security audit timeline. You’re building a CA. When are you planning third-party audits? This can’t be an afterthought.

Ship the ACME server first. Get that working perfectly before adding features. The SSL use case alone could drive significant adoption if executed well.

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