The linketh Manifesto
Decentralizing Digital Identity and Link Aggregation
The Problem We're Solving
In the current digital landscape, millions of creators, professionals, and individuals rely on centralized link aggregation services like Linktree to consolidate their online presence. While these services provide convenience, they create fundamental problems that undermine user autonomy and the open web:
Data Monopolization
A single company controls and owns all user profile data, creating vendor lock-in and potential for data loss, censorship, or service discontinuation.
Platform Dependency
Users cannot migrate their profiles or maintain their digital identity if the service becomes unavailable, changes terms, or restricts access.
Limited Interoperability
Profile data is siloed within proprietary systems, preventing integration with other applications or services.
Centralized Points of Failure
Service outages, security breaches, or policy changes can instantly affect millions of users worldwide.
Hidden Costs of "Free"
Users pay with their privacy, data, and lack of true ownership over their digital identity.
Our Vision: Truly Owned Digital Profiles
linketh reimagines digital identity aggregation through blockchain technology, creating profiles that are:
Truly Owned
Users maintain complete control over their data through smart contracts
Permissionless
No central authority can restrict, censor, or delete profiles
Interoperable
Any application can read and display profile data
Cost-Effective
Leveraging Layer 2 solutions for affordable transactions
Censorship-Resistant
Stored on decentralized networks beyond any single entity's control
Inspiration and Related Work: Building on EIP-7866
EIP-7866: Decentralized User Profiles
linketh was inspired by EIP-7866 by @anistark, which proposes a standard for decentralized user profiles using Soul Bound Tokens (SBTs). EIP-7866 introduces several innovative concepts:
Key Features of EIP-7866:
- • Unified Profile System: Cross-chain user profiles with unique identifiers (
username@network.soul) - • Soul Bound Tokens: Non-transferable tokens ensuring profile immutability
- • Decentralized Identifiers: Integration with DID standard (
did:chain:address) - • dApp-Specific Customization: Flexible avatar and metadata management
- • Off-chain Metadata: IPFS/Arweave storage for rich profile content
linketh vs. EIP-7866: Different Approaches, Shared Vision
While linketh shares EIP-7866's vision of decentralized identity, our implementation takes a different technical approach:
Compatibility Note:
linketh is not compatible with EIP-7866's specific standard, but both projects aim to solve similar problems.
| Aspect | EIP-7866 | linketh |
|---|---|---|
| Token Type | Soul Bound Tokens (SBTs) | Standard smart contracts |
| Profile Format | username@network.soul | ENS integration (username.eth) |
| Immutability | Immutable via SBT design | User-controlled mutability |
| Cross-chain | Multi-chain from start | Arbitrum-focused, expandable |
| Use Case | Universal digital passport | Link aggregation platform |
| Metadata | Structured avatar/bio system | Flexible link/content system |
Shared Principles:
- • Decentralized profile ownership
- • User-controlled data and privacy
- • Interoperable identity systems
- • Resistance to platform lock-in
- • IPFS integration for content storage
Why Different Approaches Matter
The blockchain space benefits from multiple approaches to decentralized identity. While EIP-7866 focuses on immutable, cross-chain identity verification, linketh prioritizes practical link aggregation with user-friendly mutability. Both contribute to the broader ecosystem of self-sovereign identity tools.
Technical Architecture: Building on Decentralized Infrastructure
Arbitrum
Affordable Layer 2 Scaling
- • Low transaction costs
- • High throughput
- • Ethereum compatibility
- • Optimistic rollup security
ENS
Human-Readable Identity
- •
username.ethdomains - • Decentralized resolution
- • Rich metadata support
- • Universal compatibility
IPFS
Decentralized Storage
- • Content addressing
- • Distributed storage
- • Immutable links
- • Bandwidth efficiency
Conclusion: Reclaiming Digital Autonomy
The future of digital identity lies not in building better centralized platforms, but in fundamentally decentralizing the infrastructure that powers our online presence. linketh represents a practical step toward this future, combining:
User Sovereignty
Through blockchain ownership
Economic Efficiency
Through Layer 2 scaling
Technical Innovation
Through decentralized storage
Practical Utility
Through familiar experiences
linketh: Your identity. Your data. Your web.
By choosing linketh, users don't just get a profile platform—they participate in building a more open, equitable, and resilient internet where digital identity truly belongs to individuals, not corporations.
This manifesto serves as the foundation for linketh's technical and philosophical approach to decentralized identity. As the project evolves, these principles will guide development decisions and community governance.