Layer 01: The Identity Layer

The Identity Layer is the root of the Verdant protocol. It operates entirely client-side to ensure that private keys never leave the user's local environment.

Hierarchical Deterministic (HD) Derivation

Verdant utilizes standard BIP-32 and BIP-44 derivation paths to generate identity shards. However, unlike standard wallets that derive addresses sequentially (Index 0, Index 1, Index 2), Verdant utilizes a "Persona" branch structure.

• Root Key: The user's primary Solana wallet private key.

• Persona Branch: A specific derivation path representing a unique identity cluster (e.g., m/44'/501'/0'/0').

• Shard Leaves: Individual addresses derived from the Persona Branch.

Cryptographic Isolation

Each Persona acts as an isolated container. The protocol enforces strict separation rules preventing Shard A (from Persona 1) from interacting with Shard B (from Persona 2). This ensures that if one Persona is compromised or "doxxed" by user error, the privacy integrity of other Personas remains intact.

All local data regarding shard mapping is encrypted using AES-256 before being stored in the browser's local storage or the optional encrypted cloud backup.