CommonRift is a protocol and research initiative dedicated to rethinking how identity and data are managed online in a hyper-decentralized way.
It builds on academic researches and aims to provide a decentralized substrate where individuals retain verifiable control over the data they generate.

Identity-Centric
Every interaction is bound to a cryptographic peer identity. Ownership of data and services is enforced at the protocol level, with mechanisms designed to extend into decentralized identifiers (DIDs).

Local-First Storage
Applications operate on local AppSpaces that are owned by the user. Data is stored under the user’s control and only shared with explicit, verifiable consent.

Transparent Protocols
All communication occurs over auditable, open protocols built on libp2p. Request/response flows are visible to the participant, eliminating opaque data transfers.

Privacy as Default
Data exchanges are designed to minimize leakage. AppSpaces apply privacy-preserving techniques (e.g., anonymization, selective disclosure) before data ever leaves the node.

Consent and Revocability
Consent is not a one-time agreement. Users can authorize, restrict, or revoke access to their AppSpaces dynamically, ensuring long-term control.

Modularity
CommonRift provides a substrate of composable behaviours (RPC, discovery, identity, storage). Developers can extend it with new protocols without altering the foundation.

Surveys conducted among both end-users and technical professionals highlight the demand for stronger guarantees:

• General users (788 respondents):

  • 85% perceive their online activity as unprotected
  • 60% would change products for stronger privacy safeguards
  • 90% lack clarity on how their data is used

• Developers and technology professionals (1,500 respondents):

  • 70% are open to adopting ethically aligned SaaS solutions
  • 75% would switch platforms if stronger data control was provided without breaking API compatibility

These findings validate the need for consent-based infrastructures and reinforce the feasibility of adoption.

1. Development of a Web5-inspired system (Rift)
   Note: This design extends beyond TBD’s Web5 guidelines, which are considered insufficient for this project’s objectives.

2. Prototype data-centric application

   • Demonstrates efficiency of the model

CommonRift operates under the Commons-Oriented License (COLv1, draft).
Use is restricted to ethical applications. Commercial reuse requires explicit, informed consent from the individuals whose data is involved.

• Full thesis available on request
• Website under development
• Collaboration open to researchers and practitioners in blockchain, privacy engineering, and data ethics