China has announced development of a blockchain-powered national identification platform dubbed RealDID to verify the real-world identities of its 1.4 billion citizens.

The identification initiative stems from a partnership between the government's Blockchain-based Service Network (BSN) and Ministry of Public Security. It enables website logins using decentralized identifiers while keeping personal data disconnected.

RealDID launches shortly after Beijing mandated social media influencers to publicly display their legal names and backers for "enhanced credibility." State media says its the world's first nationwide blockchain identity system.

The identification drive is likely to prompt privacy concerns however given revelations of Russia weaponizing stolen Ukrainian data amid the ongoing war. It also follows reports of a US bill to ban federal reliance on Chinese blockchain networks over information security risks.

Of course verifying identities could assist law enforcement efforts around issues like fentanyl production and trafficking. But human rights groups may question intrusive monitoring that could enable suppression of dissidents.