Re: [Email-to-DID Bridge] Exploring a practical migration path for email infrastructure

email + DIDComm work:
https://github.com/decentralized-identity/didcomm-messaging/blob/main/extensions/email_transport/main.md

On Mon, Jan 26, 2026 at 4:57 PM Michael Herman (Trusted Digital Web) <
mwherman@parallelspace.net> wrote:

> Amir, once you’ve mapped an SMTP email address to a DID, which protocol
> are you using to complete the email message delivery?  …for example, is it
> DIDComm?
>
>
>
> Best regards,
>
> Michael Herman
>
> Chief Digital Architect
>
> Web 7.0™ / TDW™
>
>
>
> *From:* Amir Hameed <amsaalegal@gmail.com>
> *Sent:* Sunday, January 25, 2026 12:51 PM
> *To:* W3C Credentials CG <public-credentials@w3.org>
> *Subject:* [Email-to-DID Bridge] Exploring a practical migration path for
> email infrastructure
>
>
>
> Hello CCG community,
>
> I'm writing from Sirraya Labs to share an early-stage but
> production-tested approach we've been developing: an *Email–DID Router* that
> bridges traditional email infrastructure with decentralized identity
> (DID/VC) systems. We're keen to gather feedback, explore alignment with
> related W3C work, and understand whether this direction resonates with the
> community’s broader interoperability goals.
> What we’re exploring
>
> The system operates as an enterprise-grade gateway that:
>
>    - Maps traditional email addresses (e.g., executive@company.com) to
>    DIDs (e.g., did:example:alice123)
>    - Transforms SMTP-based emails into verifiable, identity-aware messages
>    - Routes messages using confidence-based logic, security screening,
>    and configurable policies
>    - Runs with full auditability and measurable performance (tested in
>    live environments)
>
> Here’s a snapshot from a recent run:
>
> text
>
> [2026-01-25T11:31:28Z INFO  email_did_gateway] Processing incoming email from chairman@board-of-directors.com to executive@company.com
>
> [2026-01-25T11:31:28Z INFO  email_did_gateway] Successfully processed email into DID message: 71259949-4f38-46a1-8c74-c86540ba5917
>
> [2026-01-25T11:31:28Z INFO  email_did_router] Processed executive email - Confidence: 0.78, Method: RuleBased
>
> Why this matters for DID/VC adoption
>
> Email remains the dominant channel for business, institutional, and
> personal communication. Rather than proposing a disruptive replacement,
> we’re focused on *building incremental, opt-in bridges* that allow:
>
>    1. Gradual migration of trust from SMTP+PKI to DID/VC models
>    2. Immediate value through better routing, security screening, and
>    audit capabilities
>    3. Preservation of existing infrastructure and investment while
>    enabling verifiable communication
>
> We see potential alignment with several W3C efforts—DID Comm, VC-API,
> identity hubs, and trust spanning protocols—and are keen to explore how
> this work might complement ongoing standardization.
> Questions for the community
>
> Before we formalize or release anything publicly, we’d value your
> perspectives on:
>
>    - *Use cases* we may have overlooked (enterprise, government,
>    healthcare, education, etc.)
>    - *Privacy and compliance considerations* (GDPR, residency, retention,
>    consent)
>    - *Mapping lifecycle* (persistence, revocation, recovery, expiration)
>    - *Confidence and trust models* suitable for email→DID routing
>    - *Potential alignment* with existing or emerging W3C specifications
>
> We’re particularly interested in whether this kind of bridge could help
> accelerate real-world adoption of DID/VC systems in environments where
> email remains non-negotiable.
>
> We’re at the stage of gauging interest and refining the approach based on
> community feedback. If this resonates, we’d be happy to:
>
>    - Share more detailed design notes
>    - Discuss integration with related CCG work items
>    - Potentially present in a future CCG call
>    - Explore collaboration with groups working on interoperability, trust
>    layers, or migration pathways
>
> Our goal is to help build *responsible, incremental bridges*—not to
> replace email or DIDs, but to enable them to coexist and evolve together.
>
> We look forward to your thoughts, critiques, and suggestions.
>
> Best regards,
> Amir Hameed
> Sirraya Labs
>