Blockstack Connect

Contents

• About
• Installation
• Profiles
• Proofs
• Wiki
• Testing

About

A library for working with cryptographically-signed JSON profiles.

This library can be used to:

1. transform a JSON profile into signed tokens
2. recover a JSON profile from signed tokens
3. validate signed profile tokens

Note: this document uses ES6 in its examples but it is compiled down to Javascript (ES5) and is perfectly compatible with it. If you're using the latter, just make a few adjustments to the examples below (e.g. use "let" instead of "var").

Installation

$ npm install blockstack

Profiles

Follow these steps to create and register a profile for a Blockchain ID:

1. Create a JSON profile object
2. Split up the profile into tokens, sign the tokens, and put them in a token file
3. Create a zone file that points to the web location of the profile token file

Create a profile

let balloonDog = {
  "@context": "http://schema.org/",
  "@type": "CreativeWork",
  "name": "Balloon Dog",
  "creator": [
    {
      "@type": "Person",
      "@id": "therealjeffkoons.id",
      "name": "Jeff Koons"
    }
  ],
  "dateCreated": "1994-05-09T00:00:00-0400",
  "datePublished": "2015-12-10T14:44:26-0500"
}

Sign a profile as a single token

import { PrivateKeychain, PublicKeychain } from 'blockstack-keychain'
import { signToken, wrapToken } from 'blockstack'

let privateKeychain = new PrivateKeychain(),
    privateKey = privateKeychain.privateKey('hex'),
    publicKey = privateKeychain.publicKeychain.publicKey('hex')
let token = signToken(balloonDog, privateKey, {publicKey: publicKey})
let tokenRecord = wrapToken(token)
console.log(token)
eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJFUzI1NksifQ.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.4M-XodG4PaNm1NovKKo3gZVUMwG6aN7W9sVESqdZ4I9UaTB30jEuvqKWyD4aPcckw6SEEbZ1cBwgW9qXNXipzg
console.log(tokenRecord)
{
  "token": "eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJFUzI1NksifQ.eyJjbGFpbSI6eyJAY29udGV4dCI6Imh0dHA6Ly9zY2hlbWEub3JnLyIsIkB0eXBlIjoiQ3JlYXRpdmVXb3JrIiwibmFtZSI6IkJhbGxvb24gRG9nIiwiY3JlYXRvciI6W3siQHR5cGUiOiJQZXJzb24iLCJAaWQiOiJ0aGVyZWFsamVmZmtvb25zLmlkIiwibmFtZSI6IkplZmYgS29vbnMifV0sImRhdGVDcmVhdGVkIjoiMTk5NC0wNS0wOVQwMDowMDowMC0wNDAwIiwiZGF0ZVB1Ymxpc2hlZCI6IjIwMTUtMTItMTBUMTQ6NDQ6MjYtMDUwMCJ9LCJzdWJqZWN0Ijp7InB1YmxpY0tleSI6IjAzMTc1MTFlOWVhY2Y0MmZlOGY3MTdmNzU3ODc2YzU1YmQ1ZDRjODgxOGViYWMxNzdiMzUwZmEyZDMzMzAwMTA2NiJ9LCJpc3N1ZXIiOnsicHVibGljS2V5IjoiMDMxNzUxMWU5ZWFjZjQyZmU4ZjcxN2Y3NTc4NzZjNTViZDVkNGM4ODE4ZWJhYzE3N2IzNTBmYTJkMzMzMDAxMDY2In0sImlzc3VlZEF0IjoiMjAxNi0wNC0xOFQyMzo0NTo1Mi40MTFaIiwiZXhwaXJlc0F0IjoiMjAxNy0wNC0xOFQyMzo0NTo1Mi40MTFaIn0.4M-XodG4PaNm1NovKKo3gZVUMwG6aN7W9sVESqdZ4I9UaTB30jEuvqKWyD4aPcckw6SEEbZ1cBwgW9qXNXipzg",
  "data": {
    "header": {
      "typ": "JWT",
      "alg": "ES256K"
    },
    "payload": {
      "claim": {
        "@context": "http://schema.org/",
        "@type": "CreativeWork",
        "name": "Balloon Dog",
        "creator": [
          {
            "@type": "Person",
            "@id": "therealjeffkoons.id",
            "name": "Jeff Koons"
          }
        ],
        "dateCreated": "1994-05-09T00:00:00-0400",
        "datePublished": "2015-12-10T14:44:26-0500"
      },
      "subject": {
        "publicKey": "0317511e9eacf42fe8f717f757876c55bd5d4c8818ebac177b350fa2d333001066"
      },
      "issuer": {
        "publicKey": "0317511e9eacf42fe8f717f757876c55bd5d4c8818ebac177b350fa2d333001066"
      },
      "issuedAt": "2016-04-18T23:45:52.411Z",
      "expiresAt": "2017-04-18T23:45:52.411Z"
    },
    "signature": "4M-XodG4PaNm1NovKKo3gZVUMwG6aN7W9sVESqdZ4I9UaTB30jEuvqKWyD4aPcckw6SEEbZ1cBwgW9qXNXipzg"
  },
  "encrypted": false,
  "parentPublicKey": "02b511f1267a77f5814b2c07f03f1f112438d4be6f553dd4b877b2832874b4e706",
  "derivationEntropy": "1f8eaa7a916f05218cfc6904a3dab1a1ccd3ab69fbdd9d96a24db8c7445d118c"
}

Verify an individual token

import { verifyTokenRecord } from 'blockstack'

try {
  let decodedToken = verifyTokenRecord(tokenRecords[0], publicKeychain)
} catch(e) {
  console.log(e)
}

Transform a profile to multiple signed tokens

import { signTokenRecords } from 'blockstack'

let privateKeychain = new PrivateKeychain()
let tokenRecords = signTokenRecords([balloonDog], privateKeychain)
console.log(tokenRecords)
[
  {
    "token": "eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJFUzI1NksifQ.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.vEUJzl713FApgDNYzbUue5SDOdeElxEaAnMbmT-A6ihfrnzhOd5WvzlGJwTiz1LbeTruhQgbh_XyCJ6aLxfu6A",
    "data": {
      "header": {
        "typ": "JWT",
        "alg": "ES256K"
      },
      "payload": {
        "claim": {
          "@context": "http://schema.org/",
          "@type": "CreativeWork",
          "name": "Balloon Dog",
          "creator": [
            {
              "@type": "Person",
              "@id": "therealjeffkoons.id",
              "name": "Jeff Koons"
            }
          ],
          "dateCreated": "1994-05-09T00:00:00-0400",
          "datePublished": "2015-12-10T14:44:26-0500"
        },
        "subject": {
          "publicKey": "03a59dbfd9612e4088818c90e19afcf8d1793b38a5c040c38d7d07bb7d39d86d72"
        },
        "issuedAt": "2016-03-10T17:01:32.879Z",
        "expiresAt": "2017-03-10T17:01:32.879Z"
      },
      "signature": "vEUJzl713FApgDNYzbUue5SDOdeElxEaAnMbmT-A6ihfrnzhOd5WvzlGJwTiz1LbeTruhQgbh_XyCJ6aLxfu6A"
    },
    "publicKey": "03a59dbfd9612e4088818c90e19afcf8d1793b38a5c040c38d7d07bb7d39d86d72",
    "encrypted": false,
    "parentPublicKey": "03be573c8dbdd74bbc457f530c4f5898f7147f105af57c1aee20127f981697b884",
    "derivationEntropy": "35d0d4e73780d7e47b404a961c9005f415db76ae88c1bcd4bdcd742d68670f26"
  }
]

Recover a profile from tokens

import { getProfileFromTokens } from 'blockstack'

let publicKeychain = privateKeychain.publicKeychain()
let recoveredProfile = getProfileFromTokens(tokenRecords, publicKeychain)
console.log(recoveredProfile)
{ '@context': 'http://schema.org/',
  '@type': 'CreativeWork',
  name: 'Balloon Dog',
  creator: 
   [ { '@type': 'Person',
       name: 'Jeff Koons',
       id: 'therealjeffkoons.id' } ],
  dateCreated: '1994-05-09T00:00:00-0400',
  datePublished: '2015-12-10T14:44:26-0500' }

Validate profile schema

import { Person } from 'blockstack'
let validationResults = Person.validateSchema(recoveredProfile)
console.log(validationResults.valid)
true

Proofs

Node

import { validateProofs } from 'blockstack'

Usage

let fullyQualifiedDomainName = "naval.id"
validateProofs(profile, fullyQualifiedDomainName).then((proofs) => {
  console.log(proofs)
})


[
  { "identifier": "naval",
    "proof_url": "https://twitter.com/naval/status/486609266212499456",
    "service": "twitter",
    "valid": true
  },
  {
      "identifier": "navalr",
      "proof_url": "https://facebook.com/navalr/posts/10152190734077261",
      "service": "facebook",
      "valid": true
  },
  {
    "identifier": "navalr",
    "proof_url": "https://gist.github.com/navalr/f31a74054f859ec0ac6a",
    "service": "github",
    "valid": true
  }
]

Testing

$ npm run test

Testing in a browser

This test will only work with your browser's Cross-Origin Restrictions disabled.

Run npm run compile; npm run browserify before opening the file test.html in your browser.

Wiki

Names

A blockchain ID = a name + a profile, registered on a blockchain.

Let's say you register the name 'alice' within the 'id' namespace, the default namespace for identities for people. In this case, your "fully qualified name" name would be expressed as alice.id.

Profiles

Profile schemas are taken from schema.org. The schema for a person record can be found at http://schema.org/Person. There are some fields that have yet to be included, like the "account", "key", "policy", "id", and "publicKey" fields. An updated schema definition will be published to a different location that superclasses the schema.org Person definition and adds these fields.

Profile Storage

Blockchain ID profiles are stored in two files: a token file and a zone file:

• token file - contains signed tokens with profile data
• zone file - describes where to find the token file

Lookups

An identity lookup is performed as follows:

1. lookup the name in blockstore's name records and get back the data hash associated with the name
2. lookup the data hash in the blockstore DHT and get back the zone file
3. scan the zone file for "zone origin" records and get the URL found in the "data" field - the token file URL
4. issue a request to the token file URL and get back the token file
5. parse through the token file for tokens and verify that all the tokens have valid signatures and that they can be tied back to the user's name (by using the public keychain)
6. grab all of the claims in the tokens and merge them into a single JSON object, which is the user's profile