How Web5 and Bluesky are Building the Next Layer of the Web

Self-Sovereign Identity (SSI) empowers individuals to control their digital identities and personal information. While blockchain technology is popular for implementing SSI, companies like TBD are exploring alternative technologies. A consortium of tech giants and startups is working together through the Decentralized Identity Foundation to establish open standards for SSI. The industry is making progress, particularly in government sectors with initiatives like Mobile Driver's Licenses. However, concerns exist about fragmentation as different companies implement varied proprietary methods for SSI. TBD's Web5 and Bluesky's AT Proto are two contrasting approaches to building a decentralized and user-centric web. Both aim to add a new layer to the existing web architecture, enabling data to exist beyond individual applications. While sharing the vision of a decentralized web, their approaches and underlying technologies differ. Web5 focuses on a broader range of applications, including financial tools and health management, while AT Proto focuses on decentralized social media. Both platforms offer data portability, enabling users to move their data between applications within their respective ecosystems, but they employ different data management approaches. Web5 uses Decentralized Web Nodes (DWNs) for user-controlled data storage, while AT Proto utilizes Personal Data Servers (PDS) managed by app providers. Both platforms leverage Decentralized Identifiers (DIDs) for authentication, but they implement DID methods differently, with Bluesky using did:plc and Web5 using did:dht. Both AT Proto and Web5 provide permission management systems, but Web5 offers more granular user control over data access. They utilize specialized URLs to access data within their respective ecosystems, with AT Proto using "at://" and Web5 using "https://dweb". While both platforms have unique features, their differences highlight the need for further exploration and collaboration to build a truly decentralized web.