The Case for Multiple Web3 Digital Identities

In the early days of the internet, it was quickly discovered that individuals needed some form of online identifier. This identity needed to not only be recognizable, but it had to be unique and memorable for users. There was a need for some kind of digital calling card that connected identities with their individual users. Enter email addresses - the perfect solution. Now, email addresses are how we sign into websites, communicate with others, and conduct business. They have become our identities online.

Fast forward to the age of Web3 and a new kind of digital identity is emerging. This kind of digital identity lives on the blockchain, but not in the form of a website or email address. Instead, this identity is tied to a digital wallet that sets the foundation for your Web3 transactions. It’s a new kind of calling card, and just like email, it requires a level of identity management.

One Identity? Think Again.

Think about your email habits. Most people don’t rely on a single address. You might have:

• A personal email address for family, friends, and personal affairs. You might use this address, or identity, for keeping in touch with people and for receiving important messages from your doctor, bank, or electric company
  
• A work email address for business communication and collaboration. You would share this email address with partners and coworkers, and all your work files might be stored online under this address
  
• A junk email address for newsletters, promotional signups, and free trials - basically a catch-all for communications you don’t need cluttering your daily life
  

Each email address serves a specific purpose for each identity. Where does a colleague send this month’s report? They send it to your business email. Your friend, on the other hand, only knows you by your personal email address, and they have never sent a birthday party invite to your business! Each address helps keep your corresponding identities separate and organized.

Now, cross over to the world of Web3. Blockchain participants often follow the exact same pattern but with wallets and digital identities.

Web3 Personas: More Than Just Wallets

On Web3 blockchains, a digital identity is tied to a digital wallet. And just like with email addresses, people use digital identities for multiple purposes:

• A personal Web3 digital identity might be used to manage Bitcoin investments, NFTs, or DeFi savings for yourself
  
• A business digital identity could be used by a small business to conduct crypto transactions, manage payroll in stablecoins, or interact with decentralized finance platforms
  
• A gaming or dApp digital identity might be reserved for Web3 games, virtual worlds, and decentralized applications
  

Each identity is unique, each one serves a role, and each one keeps its data, transactions, and activities separate.

Why It Matters

Having multiple Web3 identities isn’t just a convenience, it’s a strategy. It helps users:

• Manage privacy: Just like you wouldn’t want your junk email tied to your work, separating wallets helps avoid cross-activity leaks
  
• Track activity: Want to see only business-related transactions? Use your business digital identity and wallet instead of sifting through every single transaction in a single wallet
  
• Control risk: Isolating experimental investment activity from your main wallet can safeguard your funds
  

How .locker Can Help Manage Your Web3 Digital Identity

The standard digital identity that comes with most wallets is a random string of alphanumeric characters. These identities are long, complex, and definitely hard to remember. That poses a risk to users. It’s easy to mix up addresses when they are unrecognizable at first glance. The same way you don’t want junk email to be sent to your personal inbox, you don’t want to send Bitcoin to your business wallet when it was intended for your personal wallet. .locker helps simplify this process by enabling you to have custom, recognizable Web3 digital identities tied to specific wallets. Multiple .locker digital identities can help organize your life, just like email addresses.

.locker is a pioneer in the Web3 space by bridging the gap between Web2 and Web3. Register your .locker domain name with an ICANN-accredited registrar and .locker will provide you with step-by-step instructions on how to claim your corresponding Web3 digital identity. It’s easy and it’s fast.

The Takeaway

As we move deeper into a decentralized future, Web3 digital identities will become as commonplace, and as necessary, as having multiple email addresses today. It’s not just about wallets and transactions; it’s about curating personas for the different ways we engage with the digital world.

So the next time you think about creating a new wallet, don’t just think of it as another address. Think of it as a new Web3 persona built with a purpose- just like your email accounts.