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Blockchain","\u002Fmisconceptions\u002Fkeri-misconception-blockchain-required","misconceptions\u002Fkeri-misconception-blockchain-required",{"title":113,"path":114,"stem":115},"Misconception: KERI Needs a Central Registry","\u002Fmisconceptions\u002Fkeri-misconception-central-registry","misconceptions\u002Fkeri-misconception-central-registry",{"title":117,"path":118,"stem":119},"Misconception: KERI Is Just Another DID Method","\u002Fmisconceptions\u002Fkeri-misconception-just-another-did-method","misconceptions\u002Fkeri-misconception-just-another-did-method",{"title":121,"path":122,"stem":123},"Misconception: Losing Your Wallet Means Losing Your Identity","\u002Fmisconceptions\u002Fkeri-misconception-wallet-is-identity","misconceptions\u002Fkeri-misconception-wallet-is-identity",{"title":125,"path":126,"stem":127},"Misconception: Witnesses Control Your KERI Identity","\u002Fmisconceptions\u002Fkeri-misconception-witnesses-authorities","misconceptions\u002Fkeri-misconception-witnesses-authorities",{"id":129,"title":121,"author":130,"body":134,"chunked":245,"date":246,"description":247,"extension":248,"image":249,"meta":250,"minRead":251,"navigation":245,"path":122,"seo":252,"stem":123,"__hash__":253},"misconceptions\u002Fmisconceptions\u002Fkeri-misconception-wallet-is-identity.md",{"name":131,"avatar":132},"KERI Learning Team",{"src":133,"alt":131},"https:\u002F\u002Fimages.unsplash.com\u002Fphoto-1544005313-94ddf0286df2?auto=format&fit=crop&w=400&q=80",{"type":135,"value":136,"toc":237},"minimark",[137,145,148,154,159,163,167,201,205,208,212],[138,139,140,144],"p",{},[141,142,143],"strong",{},"Misconception:"," \"If your phone or wallet is stolen, your KERI identity is gone.\"",[138,146,147],{},"A wallet is an important tool, but it is not the identity itself. In KERI, the AID persists across key rotations. Pre-rotation lets the controller commit to future rotation keys before they are needed, making recovery possible after compromise.",[149,150],"video-embed",{":autoplay":151,":muted":152,":playlist":153},"true","false","[{\"url\":\"\u002Fconfs\u002FKERI\u002F2026\u002Fapr\u002Ftalks\u002FThomas Mayfield ｜ KERI Infrastructure & the 5 W's ｜ KERI Conference 2026.mp4\",\"bumper\":\"Thomas Mayfield - wallet functions\",\"subtitles\":\"\u002Fconfs\u002FKERI\u002F2026\u002Fapr\u002Ftalks\u002FThomas Mayfield ｜ KERI Infrastructure & the 5 W's ｜ KERI Conference 2026.srt\",\"volume\":4,\"start\":\"5:32\",\"stop\":\"6:14\"},{\"url\":\"\u002Fconfs\u002FKERI\u002F2026\u002Fapr\u002Ftalks\u002FThomas Mayfield ｜ KERI Infrastructure & the 5 W's ｜ KERI Conference 2026.mp4\",\"bumper\":\"Thomas Mayfield - pre-rotation\",\"subtitles\":\"\u002Fconfs\u002FKERI\u002F2026\u002Fapr\u002Ftalks\u002FThomas Mayfield ｜ KERI Infrastructure & the 5 W's ｜ KERI Conference 2026.srt\",\"volume\":4,\"start\":\"11:25\",\"stop\":\"12:17\"},{\"url\":\"\u002Fconfs\u002FKERI\u002F2026\u002Fapr\u002Ftalks\u002FThomas Mayfield ｜ KERI Infrastructure & the 5 W's ｜ KERI Conference 2026.mp4\",\"bumper\":\"Thomas Mayfield - compromise recovery\",\"subtitles\":\"\u002Fconfs\u002FKERI\u002F2026\u002Fapr\u002Ftalks\u002FThomas Mayfield ｜ KERI Infrastructure & the 5 W's ｜ KERI Conference 2026.srt\",\"volume\":4,\"start\":\"12:37\",\"stop\":\"12:59\"},{\"url\":\"\u002Fconfs\u002FKERI\u002F2026\u002Fapr\u002Ftalks\u002FSamuel Smith ｜ State of the KERI Suite ｜ KERI Conference 2026.mp4\",\"bumper\":\"Samuel Smith - not your keys, still your identity\",\"subtitles\":\"\u002Fconfs\u002FKERI\u002F2026\u002Fapr\u002Ftalks\u002FSamuel Smith ｜ State of the KERI Suite ｜ KERI Conference 2026.srt\",\"volume\":0.7,\"start\":\"39:50\",\"stop\":\"40:08\"},{\"url\":\"\u002Fconfs\u002FKERI\u002F2026\u002Fapr\u002Ftalks\u002FThomas Mayfield ｜ KERI Infrastructure & the 5 W's ｜ KERI Conference 2026.mp4\",\"bumper\":\"Thomas Mayfield - ACDC recovery\",\"subtitles\":\"\u002Fconfs\u002FKERI\u002F2026\u002Fapr\u002Ftalks\u002FThomas Mayfield ｜ KERI Infrastructure & the 5 W's ｜ KERI Conference 2026.srt\",\"volume\":4,\"start\":\"14:42\",\"stop\":\"15:12\"}]",[155,156,158],"h2",{"id":157},"summary","Summary",[160,161],"handwritten-note",{"text":162},"Your wallet holds keys and credentials, but your KERI identity is the AID plus its verifiable key history. With pre-rotation, compromise does not have to mean starting over.",[155,164,166],{"id":165},"what-the-clips-cover","What the clips cover",[168,169,170,177,183,189,195],"ul",{},[171,172,173,176],"li",{},[141,174,175],{},"Thomas Mayfield - wallet functions."," The wallet generates and rotates keys, stores credentials, and signs interactions. It is the holder's home, not the root of identity by itself.",[171,178,179,182],{},[141,180,181],{},"Thomas Mayfield - pre-rotation."," KERI commits to future rotation keys in advance, keeping them hidden until a rotation is needed.",[171,184,185,188],{},[141,186,187],{},"Thomas Mayfield - compromise recovery."," Pre-rotation supports post-compromise recovery because an attacker with current signing keys does not automatically control the next rotation keys.",[171,190,191,194],{},[141,192,193],{},"Samuel Smith - not your keys, still your identity."," KERI is designed so loss of a key set does not necessarily destroy the identifier.",[171,196,197,200],{},[141,198,199],{},"Thomas Mayfield - ACDC recovery."," Even if a wallet is lost, credentials can be recovered or reissued because proof of ownership traces back to keys and identifier control.",[155,202,204],{"id":203},"why-it-matters","Why it matters",[138,206,207],{},"The LF Decentralized Trust \"stolen phone\" scenario shows why this distinction matters in ordinary life. If active keys are compromised, the controller can rotate to pre-committed keys and keep the same identifier, so credentials bound to that identifier can remain meaningful.",[155,209,211],{"id":210},"sources","Sources",[168,213,214,223,230],{},[171,215,216],{},[217,218,222],"a",{"href":219,"rel":220},"https:\u002F\u002Fmedium.com\u002Ffinema\u002Fthe-hitchhikers-guide-to-keri-part-1-51371f655bba",[221],"nofollow","The Hitchhiker's Guide to KERI, Part 1",[171,224,225],{},[217,226,229],{"href":227,"rel":228},"https:\u002F\u002Fmedium.com\u002Ffinema\u002Fthe-hitchhikers-guide-to-keri-part-2-what-exactly-is-keri-e46a649ac54c",[221],"The Hitchhiker's Guide to KERI, Part 2",[171,231,232],{},[217,233,236],{"href":234,"rel":235},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.lfdecentralizedtrust.org\u002Fblog\u002Fa-day-in-your-life-with-keri",[221],"A Day in your Life with KERI",{"title":238,"searchDepth":239,"depth":239,"links":240},"",2,[241,242,243,244],{"id":157,"depth":239,"text":158},{"id":165,"depth":239,"text":166},{"id":203,"depth":239,"text":204},{"id":210,"depth":239,"text":211},true,"2026-07-01","KERI separates the identifier from any one device or wallet by using recoverable key state and pre-rotation.","md",null,{},4,{"title":121,"description":247},"50hgaUfuLDTpqz_rqXKIEq8PQHLoQ4xetcXRWlLArM4",[255,257],{"title":117,"path":118,"stem":119,"description":256,"children":-1},"KERI can interoperate with the DID world, but its larger goal is a portable identity and trust-spanning layer.",{"title":125,"path":126,"stem":127,"description":258,"children":-1},"KERI witnesses and watchers support availability and verification, but they do not own or issue the identifier.",1791282196208]