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The Circle Protocol: A Federated Identity and Trust Management System

The Circle Protocol (CP) is a federated identity management system that organizes personal relationships, data access, and transactions through concentric circles of trust. Originating from the LastID concept (2007) and formalized from 2016 onward, the protocol enables individuals to exercise granular command and control over their electronic communications, personal information, and financial interactions.

At its foundation, a Person holds a multiply-authenticated root identity (C0) with two alternate root keys held in escrow trust requiring dual-signer authorization. From this root, the protocol defines seven circles — C0 through C6 — arranged by relational proximity. The inner circles comprise Self (C1), Intimates (C2), and Associates (C3), bounded by a Dunbar limit of 256 members. Outer circles cover Commercial relationships (C4), Public interactions (C5), and an anonymous Beacon layer (C6) that provides minimal proof of existence.

Each circle governs what profile information, data, and transaction types are authorized for its members. Circle membership requires mutual confirmation through a proffer-and-acceptance workflow, with periodic revalidation enforced via time-to-live (TTL) leases — a “dead man switch” mechanism inspired by HashiCorp Vault and AWS IAM roles. Leases that are not renewed within their TTL are automatically revoked. Promotions between circles are mutual; demotions can be unilateral.

The C4 and C5 circles are further subdivided into classes — professional services, financial, credentials, dating, retail, and anonymous cash exchange — enabling fine-grained transaction authorization. The protocol thus provides a comprehensive personal sovereignty framework unifying identity verification, access control, relationship management, and financial transactions under a single trust model.

  • User-controlled trust framework that enables people to define who can interact with them and when.
  • Graphical “Bullseye” Interface: Easy visual representation of trust circles.
  • LastID: An enhanced cryptographic identity standard with fine-grained trust settings.
  • Business vs. Personal Trust Differentiation.