Peer DID Integration

This guide covers the did:peer method integration for TrustWeave. The did:peer plugin provides peer-to-peer DIDs without external registries or blockchains.

Overview

The did/plugins/peer module provides an implementation of TrustWeave’s DidMethod interface using the peer DID method. This integration enables you to:

  • Create and resolve peer DIDs for P2P communication
  • Store DID documents locally (no external registry)
  • Support numalgo 0, 1, and 2
  • Embedded document resolution
  • No blockchain or HTTP dependencies

Installation

Add the did:peer module to your dependencies:

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dependencies {
    implementation("com.trustweave.did:peer:1.0.0-SNAPSHOT")
    implementation("com.trustweave:trustweave-did:1.0.0-SNAPSHOT")
    implementation("com.trustweave.did:base:1.0.0-SNAPSHOT")
    implementation("com.trustweave:trustweave-common:1.0.0-SNAPSHOT")
}

Configuration

Basic Configuration 

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import com.trustweave.peerdid.*
import com.trustweave.kms.*

// Create configuration
val config = PeerDidConfig.builder()
    .numalgo(2) // Use numalgo 2 (recommended)
    .includeServices(true)
    .build()

// Create KMS
val kms = InMemoryKeyManagementService()

// Create did:peer method
val method = PeerDidMethod(kms, config)

Pre-configured Numalgos 

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// Numalgo 0 (static numeric)
val config0 = PeerDidConfig.numalgo0()

// Numalgo 1 (short-form with inception key)
val config1 = PeerDidConfig.numalgo1()

// Numalgo 2 (short-form with multibase, recommended)
val config2 = PeerDidConfig.numalgo2()

SPI Auto-Discovery

When the module is on the classpath, did:peer is automatically available:

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import com.trustweave.did.*
import java.util.ServiceLoader

// Discover did:peer provider
val providers = ServiceLoader.load(DidMethodProvider::class.java)
val peerProvider = providers.find { it.supportedMethods.contains("peer") }

// Create method
val options = DidCreationOptions()
val method = peerProvider?.create("peer", options)

Usage Examples

Creating a did:peer 

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val config = PeerDidConfig.numalgo2()
val kms = InMemoryKeyManagementService()
val method = PeerDidMethod(kms, config)

// Create DID
val options = didCreationOptions {
    algorithm = KeyAlgorithm.ED25519
    purpose(KeyPurpose.AUTHENTICATION)
    purpose(KeyPurpose.ASSERTION)
    property("serviceEndpoint", "https://example.com/didcomm")
}

val document = method.createDid(options)
println("Created: ${document.id}") // did:peer:2...

Resolving a did:peer 

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val result = method.resolveDid("did:peer:2...")

result.document?.let { doc ->
    println("Resolved: ${doc.id}")
    println("Verification methods: ${doc.verificationMethod.size}")
} ?: println("Not found")

Updating a did:peer 

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val document = method.updateDid("did:peer:2...") { currentDoc ->
    currentDoc.copy(
        service = currentDoc.service + Service(
            id = "${currentDoc.id}#didcomm",
            type = "DIDCommMessaging",
            serviceEndpoint = "https://example.com/didcomm"
        )
    )
}

Deactivating a did:peer 

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val deactivated = method.deactivateDid("did:peer:2...")
println("Deactivated: $deactivated")

DID Format

Numalgo 0 (Static Numeric) 

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did:peer:0...

Numalgo 1 (Short-form with Inception Key) 

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did:peer:1...

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did:peer:2...

Numalgo Versions

  • Numalgo 0: Static numeric algorithm (legacy)
  • Numalgo 1: Short-form with inception key
  • Numalgo 2: Short-form with multibase encoding (recommended)

Local Storage

Peer DIDs don’t use external registries or blockchains:

  • Documents are stored locally in memory or persistent storage
  • No external dependencies required
  • Fast resolution from local cache
  • No network calls needed

Embedded Documents

Long-form peer DIDs can embed documents:

  • Documents can be encoded in the DID itself
  • Useful for offline or P2P scenarios
  • No external resolution needed

Configuration Options

PeerDidConfig 

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val config = PeerDidConfig.builder()
    .numalgo(2)           // Numalgo version (0, 1, or 2)
    .includeServices(true) // Include service endpoints
    .build()

Integration with TrustWeave 

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import com.trustweave.TrustWeave
import com.trustweave.peerdid.*

val config = PeerDidConfig.numalgo2()

val TrustWeave = TrustWeave.create {
    kms = InMemoryKeyManagementService()

    didMethods {
        + PeerDidMethod(kms!!, config)
    }
}

// Use did:peer
val did = TrustWeave.dids.create("peer") {
    algorithm = KeyAlgorithm.ED25519
}

val resolved = TrustWeave.dids.resolve(did.id)

Error Handling

Common errors and solutions:

Error Cause Solution
Unsupported numalgo Invalid numalgo version Use 0, 1, or 2
DID document not found Document not stored locally Create DID first
Public key multibase required Missing multibase key Ensure key has multibase format

Testing

Peer DIDs are ideal for testing since they don’t require external services:

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val config = PeerDidConfig.numalgo2()
val method = PeerDidMethod(kms, config)

// Create and resolve (stored locally)
val document = method.createDid(options)
val result = method.resolveDid(document.id)

Best Practices

  1. Use numalgo 2: Recommended for new implementations
  2. Local storage: Consider persistent storage for peer DIDs
  3. Service endpoints: Include service endpoints for P2P communication
  4. Key management: Securely store keys for peer DIDs
  5. Document sharing: Share documents explicitly in P2P scenarios

Advantages

  • No external dependencies: No blockchain or HTTP needed
  • Fast resolution: Local storage provides instant resolution
  • P2P ready: Designed for peer-to-peer communication
  • Privacy: No external registry tracks DIDs
  • Offline support: Works without network connectivity

Use Cases

  • P2P messaging: Direct communication between peers
  • Offline scenarios: No external services required
  • Privacy-sensitive: No external registry tracking
  • Testing: Fast, local-only DIDs for testing
  • Temporary DIDs: Short-lived identifiers

Next Steps

References