Internet Identity Workshop (IIW)

What this conference is for

IIW runs twice a year as an unconference. No fixed agenda — attendees propose sessions each morning. The result is the most concentrated gathering of standards contributors, decentralized identity builders, and identity philosophers anywhere in the world.

Who attends

Standards contributors (OAuth, OIDC, DID, VC working groups), open-source identity engineers, academics, and a steady core of identity philosophers. Very few vendor sales reps. Higher than usual ratio of "people you've read on the internet."

Content quality

The format makes signal density extremely high. If you want to actually move a standard forward or argue about decentralized identity architecture, IIW is where that work happens. Bad for buyers wanting product roadmaps; great for builders.

Worth attending if

• You contribute to identity standards or want to start
• You build with DIDs, verifiable credentials, or selective disclosure
• You want unfiltered access to the people who write the specs
• You can handle three days of room-jumping with no fixed schedule

Skip if

• You want a product expo or vendor briefings
• You need a structured agenda
• You're early in your identity career and want guided learning