Signature Verifier

Verifier plays a crucial role in the credential (Cred) minting process.

What is a Verifier?

In the Phi Protocol ecosystem, a Verifier plays a crucial role in the credential (Cred) minting process. Verifiers are responsible for:

• Creating and implementing the logical criteria to verify a Minter's eligibility to claim a credential

• Querying the user's onchain data to perform verification

• Implementing and hosting the backend validation logic

• Earning a portion of mint fees for the credentials they help verify

Becoming a Verifier

To become a Verifier in the Phi Protocol ecosystem, follow these steps:

1. Understand the Phi Protocol: Familiarize yourself with the Phi Protocol, its credential system, and the role of Verifiers.

2. Choose Your Niche: Decide on the types of credentials you want to verify. This could be based on your expertise, interests, or market demand.

3. Set Up Your Development Environment: Prepare your development environment for implementing verification logic. This typically involves:

   • Setting up a Node.js environment

   • Familiarizing yourself with Web3 libraries

   • Understanding how to interact with blockchain data

4. Implement Verification Logic: Develop the logic to verify user eligibility for specific credentials. This often involves checking on-chain data or off-chain sources.

5. Deploy Your Verification Endpoint: Set up a server or serverless function (e.g., Vercel Functions, AWS Lambda) to host your verification logic.

6. Test and Iterate: Thoroughly test your verification service and iterate based on feedback and real-world usage.

Implementing Your Verifier Service

Your verifier service should be an API endpoint that:

1. Accepts incoming requests with credential and minter details

2. Performs the necessary checks to determine mint eligibility

3. Returns a structured response

Here's a basic example using Vercel Functions:

GitHub - PHI-LABS-INC/phi-resources: Resources for Phi protocol development.GitHub

GitHub - ZaK3939/base-credsGitHub

import type { VercelRequest, VercelResponse } from '@vercel/node';
import { Address } from 'viem';
import { check_cred } from '../../lib/check';

export default async function handler(req: VercelRequest, res: VercelResponse) {
  const { credId, minterAddress } = req.body;

  try {
    const [mintEligibility, additionalData] = await check_cred(minterAddress as Address, credId);

    return res.status(200).json({
      mintEligibility,
      verifierAddress: process.env.VERIFIER_ADDRESS,
      additionalData
    });
  } catch (error) {
    console.error('Error in verification:', error);
    return res.status(500).json({ error: 'Internal server error' });
  }
}

Verifier's Role in the Minting Process

As a Verifier, you are a key part of the credential minting process. Here's a breakdown of the typical flow:

1. Endpoint Registration: Your verification service endpoint is registered with Phi Protocol.

2. Verification Request: When a user attempts to mint a credential, the Phi Protocol backend sends a verification request to your endpoint.

3. Eligibility Check: Your service checks the minter's eligibility based on the credential's criteria.

4. Response: You return the verification result, including mint eligibility and any additional data.

5. Attestation Creation: If eligible, an attestation is created using EthSign, incorporating your verification result.

6. Minting: The attestation is used to complete the minting process on the blockchain.

   

   EthSign is used in the Phi Protocol to create secure and transparent attestations. The actual interaction with EthSign is handled by the Phi Protocol backend, but you should be aware of the following:

   • Attestations include details such as credential chain ID, credential ID, minter address, your verifier address, mint eligibility, and any additional data you provide.

   • The attestation schema can be viewed at: https://scan.sign.global/schema/SPS_EYCpY61Us0W3-M2g3SOU0

   

Choosing Creds to Participate In

When selecting which Creds to verify, consider the following:

1. Expertise: Choose Creds that align with your technical expertise and domain knowledge.

2. Network Compatibility: Ensure you're familiar with the blockchain networks the Creds are minted on. Check the eligible networks for each Cred.

3. Community Interest: Look for Creds with high community interest. You can gauge this through:

   • Phi Protocol's official Discord channel

   • Community forums or the Phi Protocol Discourse

   • Social media discussions around specific Creds

4. Verification Complexity: Consider the complexity of the verification logic required. Start with simpler verifications and gradually move to more complex ones as you gain experience.

5. Potential Earnings: Look into the minting fees and distribution for different Creds to estimate potential earnings.

6. Cred Owner Restrictions: Some Cred owners may specify which addresses can act as Verifiers for their Creds. Ensure you're eligible or reach out to Cred owners for potential collaboration.

Verifier Economics

As a Verifier, you earn a portion of the minting fees for the Creds you verify. Here's how it works:

1. Fee Structure: Each Cred has a minting fee, a portion of which is allocated to Verifiers.

2. Distribution: Fees are typically distributed automatically through smart contracts.

3. Volume: Your earnings depend on the volume of successful mints you verify, so popular Creds can be more lucrative.

Attestations

Phi Protocol also supports on-chain attestation. This feature allows individual users, not just Phi, to perform attestations against trusted verifiers.

Key Points:

1. Role: User can create attestations to validate trusted verifiers.

2. Trustless Verification: This system enables a more decentralized and trustless verification process.

3. Simplified Schema: The schema for trusted verifier attestations is straightforward, focusing only on the verifier's address.

Schema for Trusted Verifier

The schema for the trusted verifier attestation is structured as follows:

[
  {"name": "verifier", "type": "address"}
]

This simple schema only includes the verifier's Ethereum address.

Example Attestation for Trusted Verifier

Here's an example of what a trusted verifier attestation looks like:

• Attestation ID: 0x267

• Created at: July 26, 2024 06:08:52

• Schema: Trusted Verifier

• Network: Base Sepolia

• Data Location: Base Sepolia

• Decoded Data:

  • verifier: 0xF83cd7e07343ebee84c3100cafe1e4340d266846d

You can view an example of this schema at: https://testnet-scan.sign.global/schema/onchain_evm_84532_0xab

Implications for Verifiers

1. Enhanced Credibility: Being attested by respected curators can increase your credibility as a verifier.

2. Community Trust: On-chain attestations provide a transparent way for the community to trust verifiers.

3. Monitoring Attestations: As a verifier, it's important to monitor and potentially seek out these on-chain attestations to build your reputation in the ecosystem.

This user-driven attestation system adds another layer of trust and decentralization to the Phi Protocol, further enhancing the role and importance of verifiers in the ecosystem.

FAQs

1. Q: Can anyone become a Verifier? A: While the technical aspects of being a Verifier are open to anyone with the necessary skills, some Creds may have restrictions on who can verify them. Always check the specific requirements for each Cred.

2. Q: How quickly will I start earning as a Verifier? A: Earnings depend on the popularity of the Creds you're verifying and how quickly your verification service is integrated. It may take some time to see significant earnings.

3. Q: Can I verify multiple Creds with one service? A: Yes, you can design your service to handle verification for multiple Creds, potentially increasing your earning potential.

4. Q: What if my verification service goes down? A: It's crucial to maintain high uptime for your service. Consider implementing redundancy and monitoring to quickly address any issues.

5. Q: How do I stay updated on new Cred opportunities? A: Regularly check the Phi Protocol , join their Discord channel, and follow their official social media accounts for announcements about new Creds.

Remember, being a successful Verifier requires ongoing learning and adaptation. Stay engaged with the Phi Protocol community.