Blockchain-Based Digital Identity Management for E-Governance

Abstract

Digital identity management is a cornerstone of effective e-governance, yet centralized identity systems face critical challenges including single points of failure, data breaches, and lack of citizen control over personal information. This paper proposes a blockchain-based Self-Sovereign Identity (SSI) framework for e-governance that enables citizens to own, control, and selectively disclose their identity credentials without relying on centralized authorities. Built on Hyperledger Fabric with W3C Decentralized Identifier (DID) standards and Verifiable Credentials, the framework incorporates zero-knowledge proofs (ZKPs) for privacy-preserving authentication and smart contracts for automated credential verification. Performance evaluation on a 4-organization, 16-peer Hyperledger Fabric network demonstrates a throughput of 4,800 transactions per second with an average identity verification latency of 85 ms, suitable for citizen-scale e-governance applications. Security analysis confirms resistance to identity theft, Sybil attacks, man-in-the-middle attacks, and credential forgery, achieving resistance scores above 94% across all evaluated attack vectors. The framework provides a practical pathway for governments to modernize identity infrastructure while preserving citizen privacy and data sovereignty.