May 21, 2025 – IdentiKey is thrilled to announce that our groundbreaking dCypher recryption system has been selected as a recipient of a Shift Grant, recognizing its potential to transform how we store and share data in the cloud while maintaining complete privacy and control.

Shift Grants, which support scientific and technological breakthroughs aligned with decentralized, democratic, differential, and defensive acceleration (d/acc) principles, selected dCypher from a competitive pool of applicants for its innovative approach to solving one of the internet's most persistent challenges: how to have the convenience of cloud storage without sacrificing privacy.

A Game-Changer for Cloud Storage

Imagine having all the benefits of services like iCloud or Google Drive – instant access from anywhere, easy sharing with friends and colleagues, professional management – but with one crucial difference: the storage provider can never see your data. Not even if they wanted to. Not even if they were hacked.

That's what dCypher makes possible through a technology called recryption (or proxy re-encryption). In simple terms, it's like having a secure lockbox in the cloud that only you have the key to, but you can create special "viewing passes" for specific people that you can revoke at any time – all without the storage provider ever being able to peek inside.

"Current cloud storage forces us to make an impossible choice: convenience or privacy," explains Duke Jones. "With dCypher, you don't have to choose. You get both."

Enabling True Data Ownership

But dCypher is just the beginning. As part of the broader IdentiKey vision, this technology enables a future where:

You Own Your Data: Your photos, documents, messages, and digital life remain yours. Apps and services can request permission to access specific data, which you can grant or revoke from a central control panel – just like you manage app permissions on your phone today, but far more powerful.

Apps Work Better Together: Because your data isn't locked inside individual apps, different services can work with the same information (with your permission). Your fitness app, doctor's portal, and AI health assistant could all access your health data – but only what you specifically allow, and only for as long as you permit.

AI Agents You Can Trust: As AI becomes more prevalent in our daily lives, dCypher enables a revolutionary approach to AI interactions. You can grant AI agents specific, limited access to your data to perform tasks on your behalf. Want an AI to organize your photos? Give it read-only access to your photo library. Changed your mind? Revoke access instantly. Every action is logged in a real-time activity feed, giving you complete visibility and control.

How It Works (In Plain English)

Traditional cloud storage is like giving your house keys to a storage company – they promise not to look through your stuff, but technically they could. dCypher is like having a magical safe that:

1. Only opens with your unique key
2. Lets you create temporary "guest passes" for specific people
3. Allows you to cancel those passes anytime
4. Never lets the storage company see inside, even when moving your stuff around

This is achieved through advanced cryptography that was previously theoretical but is now being made practical and accessible through the dCypher project.

A Step Toward Digital Freedom

The Shift Grant recognition validates the importance of this work in advancing the d/acc vision of technology that empowers individuals rather than centralizing control. dCypher embodies all four pillars:

• Decentralized: No single entity controls your data
• Democratic: Everyone gets the same powerful privacy tools
• Differential: Offers a genuine alternative to surveillance-based models
• Defensive: Protects against data breaches and unauthorized access

"We're not just building better encryption," notes Duke. "We're building the foundation for an internet where privacy is the default, not a luxury."

What's Next

With Shift Grant support, the IdentiKey team will:

• Complete development of the production-ready dCypher proxy system
• Deploy initial proof-of-concept integrations with popular storage providers
• Release open-source tools for developers to integrate dCypher into their applications
• Launch the IdentiKey identity management interface for everyday users

The grant will be officially announced during d/acc week at Edge Esmeralda, California, June 2-6, 2025.

About IdentiKey

IdentiKey is building the infrastructure for a user-controlled internet where individuals maintain sovereignty over their digital identities and data. Through projects like dCypher, we're making privacy-preserving technology accessible to everyone, not just technical experts.

About Shift Grants

Shift Grants support scientific and technological breakthrough projects that align with d/acc philosophy. By funding defensive and decentralized innovations often overlooked by traditional venture capital, Shift Grants aim to accelerate progress toward a more democratic and resilient technological future.

For more information about dCypher and IdentiKey, visit identikey.io or contact us.

Press Contact:
Duke Jones - duke(at@)identikey.io

Deeper Dive

Technical Details

IdentiKey's core vision is built on the pillars of decentralization, privacy, freedom, and data sovereignty. The dCypher system, powered by innovative recryption technology, is the engine driving this vision into reality. Recryption allows data to be transformed from one encryption key to another by a proxy service without the proxy ever being able to access the underlying plaintext data. This breakthrough ensures that data remains confidential even from service providers, placing control firmly in the hands of the user.

The Shift Grant will bolster IdentiKey's efforts in three key areas, all powered by dCypher:

1. Secure, Private Cloud Storage with True User Control: dCypher enables the creation of cloud storage solutions where users can securely store and share their data without trusting a central intermediary. Unlike traditional cloud services, the server hosting the data never has access to its content. Users can grant and revoke access to their files with granular precision, creating a truly secure and private alternative to services like iCloud, where data sovereignty is not just a promise, but a technical guarantee.
2. User-Owned, Interoperable Data Ecosystems: IdentiKey is leveraging dCypher to build a system where users own their data and can grant specific read/write permissions to third-party applications. This fosters data interoperability, allowing information to flow seamlessly between services under the user's explicit consent and control. An integrated identity manager will provide users with a centralized dashboard to manage their various digital personas and revoke app access at any time, ensuring transparency and control.
3. Secure and Verifiable AI Agent Interactions: As artificial intelligence becomes more integrated into daily life, dCypher provides a crucial layer of security and accountability. The system's access delegation capabilities allow users to grant specific data access permissions to AI agents. Users will benefit from a real-time activity feed, monitoring how AI agents interact with their data, and a dedicated AI agent control panel to manage and instantly revoke permissions, ensuring AI operates within defined, user-approved boundaries.