[reginold]

ENS is solving for this by creating a common identity across crypto wallets: https://ens.domains/

That way he can be patio11 across all platforms if he wishes (and doesnt need to worry about getting "patio11" on every new platform that's created). Or, he can just create a subwallet with a different identity but still rolls up into his main wallet.

It also protects against somoene putting their twitter in their profile and pretending to be patio11. i.e.:

Hey HN I'm patio11, here's proof, I linked my twitter: https://twitter.com/patio11

[patio11]

Yes, and as I'm a notorious crypto skeptic, someone squat on that ENS domain (with good intentions) and I really don't care that much.

Casually, rather than e.g. legally or as a matter of trademark, I "own" patio11 across all the namespaces because I've put in the work over the years to make people associate that with me. This doesn't necessarily work in reverse; you should probably not assume patio11 DMing you in a Chinese MMORPG is actually me and will actually wire you money if you give them all your dragon eggs.

If I need to auth myself to a savvy technologist in a channel not known to be controlled by me, I don't say "Trust the display name" or "Trust that I also know my username on Twitter." I publish something somewhere where the technologist would know "Hmm compromise of that account would be a much larger problem for him than this transaction." (Bonus: invariably relies on public key cryptography; no blockchain required.)

[reginold]

If you do ever want patio11.eth, the team at [e-mail] will give it to you for free.

[tuxman]

It is a shame that Zoom appears to have killed Keybase. Having a safe, secure identity management system to link social media and software development accounts is currently a gaping hole in providing trust online. ENS is useful for crypto wallets specifically, but there is still missing a general identity management solution.