Hello, Next.ID Builder Community! We are excited to share with you the end-of-year recap of Next.ID, highlighting the incredible events, product updates, and the roadmap ahead.

What we’ve learned as builders:

Our journey this year taught us valuable lessons. We discovered the importance of building products that resonate with people’s needs with Web3.bio and our Universal profile SDK. Sometimes, we ventured a bit too far into the future with launching self-hosting Core Service. Through our partnerships and hackathons, we’ve found strong demand in integrating decentralized identity and its associated social graph across Web2 and Web3, to build profile features and enrich identity data infrastructure.

What builders need today is growth— onboard new users to Web3 in a quicker and safer manner, and enhance the user connectivity of existing users in games, DeFi, and social applications. With cross-platform and cross-chain DID, users can have a more seamless onboarding experience and bring their social legacy across the cyber space.

Community Updates:

A Productive Year in Developer Community

2023 was a year of active development. Our team committed to 147 code updates and 40 document enhancements. We’ve hosted 11 developer-focused events and 5 hackathons (ETH Denver, ETH Paris, ETH NewYork, ETH Online, ETH Istanbul). Our open-source repository now boasts 127 stars, a significant increase of 40% in this year. We welcomed 5 new contributors, raising our total to 20 dedicated members.

Here’s a big thank you to Next.ID’s following contributors, as listed below:

• 2022: @omahs, @reekystive, @hhio618, @synycboom
• 2023: @pgrimaud, @eltociear, @lyfer233, @ash0521, @xudaotutou

We are actively looking for more devs to contribute to our project! If you are interested in collaboration, leave your information here and check out our Next Planet community rewards program.

Next.ID in Action: Addressing Real-World Challenges

Builders are utilizing the Next.ID open-source Identity Graph and Universal Profile API (api.web3.bio) to address various challenges. Our work in Decentralized Finance (DeFi) and Decentralized Autonomous Organization (DAO) tooling has been particularly impactful. We’ve introduced solutions to enhance trust and streamline lending processes in DeFi, and in DAOs, we’ve created tools for better social interaction. In the realm of instant messaging, we’ve seen hackathon solutions to prevent spam and phishing attacks.

Building Community Through Events

The year was also marked by our highly successful IRL conferences, where we engaged in deep discussions about technology and innovation. Our presence at various global events, from Bangkok to ETHGlobal New York, provided valuable opportunities for learning and networking.

Here are our footprints around the globe:

January: Bangkok Identity Meetup

February — March: ETHDenver Web3 Social House DID panel

April: ETH Hong Kong, DID Panel at MIT

May: Zuzalu

July: ETHGlobal Paris, FWB

October: ETHGlobal New York

November: DevConnect, ZuSocial

Product Updates

Our identity Proof Service saw over 1.2 billion API calls in 2023 through applications such as Mask browser extension and various ETHGlobal Hackathon projects. The introduction of 15,000+ native Next.ID DID Avatars that consists of Web2 and Web3 identity graphs, and the indexing of over 410,000 ENS on Web3.bio are significant milestones that underscore our commitment to innovation and user empowerment.

Builders now have access to a wide array of powerful tools that streamline the building process. We have also made significant improvements to our developer documentation, ensuring that builders have all the information they need to succeed. In addition, we have implemented seamless API integrations, allowing builders to effortlessly leverage external resources and capabilities within their projects.

Universal Profile SDK

The Universal Profile SDK aims to streamline user onboarding across decentralized platforms. By aggregating profiles from various sources, it allows users to carry their reputation wherever they go. For developers, this SDK offers a simplified integration process, ensuring a consistent and efficient user experience to onboard new users to their platforms.

Web3.bio

We’re excited to publicly launch Web3.bio, a platform built on Next.ID protocol where you can instantly search your identity, like Twitter, ENS, Lens profiles, Farcaster accounts, Unstoppable Domains, and get your Web3-native link-in-bio in just 3 seconds! Web3.bio’s API is now available for developers to seamlessly integrate this dynamic identity and social graph into their products, offering a new level of connectivity in the Web3 space. Don’t miss out on exploring and integrating this cutting-edge tool. Check out Web3.bio and claim your own profile link!

New Look

New year and new look — check out our upgraded website and brand guidelines!

Roadmap Ahead

Looking ahead to the upcoming year, Next.ID has an exciting roadmap in store for the builder community. Our primary focus is to continue empowering builders to find value in leveraging DID-empowered open identity and social graph.

As we step into the next year, our roadmap is clear. We aim to continue empowering builders, focusing on expanding the capabilities of our platform and introducing new features around on-chain games, AI agents, and MPC-DID solutions.

We are also committed to fostering a vibrant developer ecosystem, where builders can collaborate, learn from each other, and grow together. In addition, we are launching initiatives such as our Community Grant to provide comprehensive support to builders in their projects. These initiatives will include mentorship programs, resources, and tools to help builders overcome challenges and achieve their goals.

As we close the chapter on 2023, we at Next.ID want to thank our community for their unwavering support and contributions. Stay tuned for more updates and innovations as we embark on another exciting year. Here’s to our future of connected, open, and decentralized cyberspace🚀