# SSI in a nutshell Self-sovereign Identity describes a concept that allows the user to share only the minimum amount of data needed to receive a specific service. {% hint style="info" %} **Example:** If you want to visit a bar, the doorman doesn't need your birthday, not even your age. He only needs to know if you are old enough to visit a bar. In today's world, you might show your driver's license or ID card. Both of them disclose unnecessary data to the doorman. {% endhint %} A self-sovereign architecture for managing verifiable claims is one in which an end-user is in complete control of their identifier, where the verifiable claims are contained, and how they are used. This architecture will need a wallet to hold your credentials. #### The current standard for expressing and transacting verifiable claims Self-sovereign and privacy-enhancing standards haven't found a common baseline that is strong enough to receive sufficient adoption. {% content-ref url="/pages/usgJT5MsZQYrQACYVCql" %} [Self-Sovereign Identity (SSI)](/open-directory-for-all/fundamentals/scientific-foundation/task-lists.md) {% endcontent-ref %} --- # Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter: ``` GET https://ssi-did-directory.gitbook.io/open-directory-for-all/fundamentals/ssi-in-a-nutshell.md?ask= ``` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.