The ECTLC-Horcrux Protocol for Decentralized Biometric-Based Self-Sovereign Identity with Time-Lapse Encryption

In the era of rapid development of digital communication, there is a growing need for technologies that guarantee secure user identification, document authentication and protection of personal data, including biometrics. Previously used centralized identity management systems are becoming increasingly vulnerable to hacking, falsification and misuse. This problem is especially relevant when information must remain closed until a specific moment or event occurs, for example, in the fields of forensics, healthcare or law (medical certificates, legal acts, inheritance agreements, etc.). The main goal is to create a secure, verifiable and at the same time distributed access control system with the ability to defer disclosure of information. The study proposes a cryptographic protocol that combines Self-Sovereign Identity (SSI), Time-Lapse Cryptography (TLC), and decentralized biometric data management. The protocol is based on the principles of Time-Lapse Cryptography (TLC) and the Horcrux protocol, which enable time-controlled disclosure of encrypted information associated with a user's identity. The architecture includes the use of QR codes as a transport for Verifiable Credentials (VC), blockchain for authenticity verification and key management, and biometrics as a second factor of identity binding. The proposed solution is intended for use in scenarios where cryptographic protection against premature access to sensitive data is required, such as in medicine, forensics, notarial acts, or intellectual property. The study presents the protocol structure and application options.

@article{Kaziyeva2025,
  title     = {The ECTLC-Horcrux Protocol for Decentralized Biometric-Based Self-Sovereign Identity with Time-Lapse Encryption},
  journal   = {International Journal of Advanced Computer Science and Applications},
  volume    = {16},
  number    = {8},
  year      = {2025},
  publisher = {The Science and Information Organization},
  author    = {N. M. Kaziyeva and R. M. Ospanov and N. Issayev and K. Maulenov and Shakhmaran Seilov},
  doi       = {10.14569/IJACSA.2025.0160825},
  url       = {https://doi.org/10.14569/IJACSA.2025.0160825}
}