Buenos Aires residents will soon be able to hold their identification documents in digital wallets.
Buenos Aires, Argentina's capital, is about to overhaul its civic infrastructure by merging it with blockchain technology.
Starting next month, citizens will have the option to access crucial identity documents through a digital wallet.
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This innovative leap was made possible through a partnership with Web3 firm Extrimian, responsible for creating the digital identity protocol known as QuarkID.
Utilizing an Ethereum scaling protocol that leverages zero-knowledge rollups, zkSync Era, the digital identity system will keep data both secure and efficient. Zero-knowledge rollups ensure that any statement doesn't reveal more information than it needs to, which safeguards individual privacy.
One of the standout features of QuarkID is its self-sovereign nature. All data will be stored in individual wallets, allowing people to have complete control over their credentials when dealing with governmental bodies, commercial establishments, or even other people.
When talking about the initiative, Extrimian's CEO Guillermo Villanueva stated:
This is a monumental step towards a safer and more efficient future for government services in Latin America.
The initial rollout will include essential documents such as birth certificates, marriage licenses, proof of income and academic diplomas. Plans to incorporate health data and financial management features are also on the horizon. The government aims to establish a full-fledged roadmap for the nationwide adoption of this blockchain solution by 2024.
According to Diego Fernandez, Buenos Aires' Secretary of Innovation:
With this development, Buenos Aires becomes the first city in Latin America, and one of the first in the world, to integrate and promote this new technology and set the standard for how other countries in the region should use blockchain technology for the benefit of their people.
This announcement comes as Buenos Aires and the Argentine federal government also explore other digital identity initiatives, including an investigation into the Worldcoin project. This project, which is also undergoing scrutiny in other parts of the world, was flagged for potential privacy issues related to its method of collecting and storing user biometric data.
By pioneering blockchain use in public services, Buenos Aires is setting a new standard for technological advancement and citizen welfare in Argentina and other nations watching this development closely.
