First Steps of the PLC Organization – Independent Public Ledger of Credentials

This announces the formal creation of the Public Ledger of Credentials Organization, a Swiss association formed to operate and steward the PLC directory: a public system that collects and distributes signed updates for AT Protocol accounts (identified by did:plc:... identifiers). The directory records account handles and which Personal Data Server (PDS) hosts an account’s content; updates are cryptographically signed by keys the directory does not control, preventing tampering. Accounts initially use keys managed by a chosen PDS (for UX reasons like password reset) but users can rotate those keys or register new identifiers and generate their own keys. Documentation and the live directory are available at web.plc.directory and related Identity Protocol docs.

The association has defined statutes, set up operational tools and a bank account, and received an initial bootstrap payment from Bluesky Social PBC. Initial board and founding members are Richard Barnes (security researcher/protocol engineer), Thyla van der Merwe (cryptography and formal verification lead), Bryan Newbold (protocol engineer at Bluesky), Wendy Seltzer (lawyer and technologist), and Filippo Valsorda (cryptography engineer and infrastructure operator; discloses a minor investment in Bluesky). Next steps are preparing to assume control of PLC assets, defining governing policies, improving user identity tools, diversifying funding, and maturing into a small, sustainable operator. Contact is [email protected].