Solana Launches Identification Verification Service: Exploring the Similarities and Differences between AS and Oracle Machine

The Solana ecosystem has recently welcomed an important update. On May 24th, the Solana official announced the launch of the Solana Authentication Service (SAS) on its mainnet. This is an open, permissionless verifiable credential protocol designed to provide users with a safer and more convenient identification experience.

The core function of SAS is to allow trusted entities to associate offline information with user wallets. This information may include KYC check results, geographic eligibility, membership, or certification status, among others. It is worth noting that these certifications are signed and verified, allowing for reuse across different applications while avoiding the exposure of sensitive data on the blockchain or redundant verification steps.

By providing a neutral and permissionless proof layer, SAS aims to achieve compliance, access control, reputation systems, and programmable identification throughout the Solana ecosystem. This not only brings a higher quality and more convenient experience for end users but also offers new possibilities for developers.

However, when we talk about bringing off-chain information on-chain, we inevitably compare SAS with another common mechanism - Oracle Machine. Although both involve the on-chain application of off-chain information, they have significant differences in positioning, use cases, trust models, and how they operate.

The following is a detailed comparison between the verification service (AS) and the Oracle Machine:

| Feature | Verification Service (AS) | Oracle Machine | |------|---------------|--------| | Main Purpose | Convert off-chain identification, status, behavior and other subjective or static information into on-chain certificates | Provide off-chain objective, dynamic data (such as prices, weather, etc.) to on-chain applications | | Data Type | Subjective/Event-based: such as age verification, identification, organizational membership | Numerical/Fact-based: such as cryptocurrency prices, API data, meteorological information | | Data Structure | Reusable, wallet-bound verification "stamp" | Real-time data flow used in transactions | | Source of Trust | Specific trusted publishers (such as KYC institutions, DAOs, device manufacturers) | Multiple data sources aggregated and published through the Oracle Machine network | | Update Frequency | Low Frequency, usually valid for a long time after generation | High Frequency, may update once every minute | | Composability | High, one verification can be used for multiple applications | Low, data is mainly used for specific transaction behaviors | | Privacy Protection | Strong, only verifies results, does not disclose detailed information | Generally does not involve user privacy | | Project Representation | Solana verification service, Ethereum verification service | Certain well-known Oracle Machine projects |

To understand the difference between the two more intuitively, we can look at the following example:

Verification service application scenarios: After users complete real-name authentication through the Web3 platform, they receive an "adult" on-chain verification stamp. This stamp is stored in the user's wallet and can be verified by any decentralized application in the future without the need to resubmit identification.

Oracle Machine application scenarios: Decentralized finance protocols require real-time ETH prices to determine liquidation conditions. It will read the current ETH/USD price through the Oracle Machine.

Overall, the Oracle Machine mainly focuses on providing "objective facts" off-chain, while verification services emphasize validating "subjective or conditional trust" off-chain. These two mechanisms are not mutually exclusive; instead, they play complementary roles in the Web3 ecosystem, collectively driving the expansion of blockchain technology applications.