Indicio Networks
A professionally run ledger for verifiable credentials
The Indicio MainNet is a public, permissioned distributed ledger built on Hyperledger Indy. Indicio and a consortium of node operators run it on five continents to publish the public information that verifiable credentials depend on: issuer identifiers, keys, credential schemas and revocation data. Personal data is never written to it.
What the ledger does
What does the Indicio Network store?
A distributed ledger holds the public information that lets anyone check a credential without contacting the organization that issued it. Every node keeps a copy, and the copies are kept in sync, so a verifier can confirm who issued a credential and that it hasn’t been altered since.
Written to the ledger
- Public DIDs and keys for issuers, verifiers and other authorities
- Credential schemas: the fields a credential contains, not their values
- AnonCreds credential definitions
- Revocation information, so verifiers can check whether a credential is still valid
Never written to the ledger
- Personal data of any kind
- The credentials themselves, which stay with the person or organization holding them
- Records of when, where or to whom a credential is presented
Do you need a ledger?
Not always. Indicio Proven issues and verifies credentials in every major format. Credentials that use did:indy and AnonCreds publish their trust information to a ledger such as the Indicio MainNet. Others don’t need one: mdoc and mDL credentials rely on X.509 certificates, and did:webvh works without a ledger. We’ll help you choose what fits your ecosystem.
See every credential format Proven supports →The networks
Which Indicio network should I use?
Most teams start on the TestNet, move to the DemoNet to show their solution to customers and end users, and go live on the MainNet. Organizations that need full control can run a private network of their own.
MainNet
For live credential ecosystems. Writing to the MainNet is governed by the Transaction Author and Transaction Endorser Agreements.
Talk to us about MainNet →DemoNet
A stable network for demos and end-user testing, so you can show a working solution before you go live.
Get a DemoNet DID →TestNet
A free community network for building and trying out agents, DIDs and schemas. It gets new upgrades first, so it changes most often.
Get a TestNet DID →Private network
A permissioned network that your organization controls: where it’s hosted, who can write to it and how it’s governed.
Explore private networks →Developer tools
Why Indicio
Why build on the Indicio MainNet?
A ledger is only useful if it’s there every time a verifier needs it. The Indicio Networks are staffed, monitored and upgraded by the engineers who build Indicio Proven, so the infrastructure under your credentials gets the same care as the software.
Professionally run
Indicio engineers manage upgrades and maintenance, and monitoring tools alert them if a node needs attention.
A 100% uptime record
The Indicio Networks have run without downtime, giving issuers and verifiers a dependable place to anchor trust.
Geographically diverse
Nodes run on five continents and are operated by different organizations, so the network keeps running if one node goes offline and no single company controls it.
Open and standards-based
Built on Hyperledger Indy, an open-source project of LF Decentralized Trust, with governance documents published openly.
Node operators
How do I become an Indicio node operator?
The Indicio Network is run by the Indicio Network Consortium, a group of companies and organizations that host nodes and share in keeping the network healthy. Joining is free.
- Discounts on ledger writes for organizations that contribute a node
- Engineering help from Indicio with node setup, maintenance and updates
- A global community of consortium members building on the same infrastructure
Interested in running a node?
Leave your details and the network team will be in touch.
Governance
How is the Indicio Network governed?
The Indicio Charter and Governance Framework sets out the policies and rules for the network. Two further agreements govern writing to the ledger: the Transaction Author Agreement, accepted by anyone who writes, and the Transaction Endorser Agreement, signed by the organizations that endorse writes for others. The authoritative versions are kept in Indicio’s governance repository on GitHub.
FAQ
Questions about the Indicio Networks
Is personal data stored on the Indicio ledger?
No. The ledger holds public information such as issuer DIDs, keys, credential schemas and revocation data. Personal data stays in the credential, which is held by the person or organization it describes.
Do I need a ledger to use Indicio Proven?
No. It depends on the credential format. Credentials that use did:indy and AnonCreds publish their trust information to a ledger such as the Indicio MainNet. mdoc and mDL credentials rely on X.509 certificates, and did:webvh works without a ledger. See the formats Proven supports.
What is the difference between the MainNet, DemoNet and TestNet?
The MainNet is for production credential ecosystems. The DemoNet is a stable network for demos and end-user testing. The TestNet is a free network for development, and it gets new upgrades first, so it changes most often.
How do I get a DID written to the TestNet or DemoNet?
Create a public DID and verkey in your agent or wallet, or with the indy-cli, then submit them through SelfServe and choose the network.
How do I write to the MainNet?
Writing to the MainNet is governed by the Transaction Author Agreement and the Transaction Endorser Agreement. Contact Indicio to set up access for your organization.
Can my organization run a node?
Yes. Join the Indicio Network Consortium. Membership is free, and organizations that contribute a node receive discounts on ledger writes.
Get started
Build on the Indicio Network
Tell us about your credential ecosystem. We’ll help you decide whether a ledger fits, which network to start on and how to move to production.
