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Identity

Every NTL node has an identity. Identity determines who can emit signals, who can form synapses, and how trust is established in the network.

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Identity Model

NTL supports a layered identity model: 
┌─────────────────────────────┐
│   Application Identity      │  ← App-level (username, org)
├─────────────────────────────┤
│   Decentralized Identity    │  ← Optional DID anchor
├─────────────────────────────┤
│   NTL Node Identity         │  ← Core (keypair-based)
└─────────────────────────────┘

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NTL Node Identity (Required)

Every node generates a keypair on initialization. The public key serves as the node’s identity: 
struct NodeIdentity {
    id: NodeId,                    // Derived from public key
    public_key: PublicKey,         // From the active crypto module
    created_at: u64,
    capabilities: Vec<Capability>,
}
This is self-sovereign — no registration, no authority, no permission needed. A node generates a key and exists.

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Decentralized Identity (Optional)

Nodes can anchor their NTL identity to a DID for cross-system verification: 
struct DidAnchor {
    did: String,                   // e.g., "did:web:nyuchi.com:nodes:abc123"
    verification_method: String,
    proof: Vec<u8>,
}

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Application Identity (Optional)

Applications built on NTL can layer their own identity systems on top — usernames, organizational roles, permissions. These exist at the application layer and don’t affect NTL transport.

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Trust

NTL doesn’t have a global trust model. Trust is local and earned:
  1. New synapse → minimal trust (low weight)
  2. Successful signal exchange → trust increases (weight grows)
  3. Failed or malicious signals → trust decreases (weight drops)
  4. Sustained bad behavior → synapse prunes (isolation)
This is a reputation system built into the topology itself — no external oracle, no staking, no governance vote. Just observed behavior over time.

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Anonymous Participation

NTL supports anonymous participation. A node can:
  • Generate a fresh keypair for each session
  • Not anchor to any DID
  • Participate with reduced trust (lower initial synapse weight)
Anonymous nodes can still emit and receive signals, but they start with less network influence and must earn weight through participation.