Self-sovereign identity adoption: Antecedents and potential outcomes

Self-Sovereign Identity (SSI) technology is transforming digital identity management by enabling individuals and organizations to control personal data securely. Its adoption promises enhanced privacy, data security, and trust in digital ecosystems. However, despite its rising importance, the key drivers and broader impacts of SSI adoption remain unclear. Understanding these factors is essential to support informed decision-making by organizations and policymakers, ensuring successful implementation and widespread adoption. This study addresses this critical research gap. We employed a qualitative field study, gathering data through interviews with senior SSI practitioners, participatory observations, and document analysis. This multi-method approach facilitated a comprehensive exploration of factors shaping SSI adoption. Our findings identify four categories of adoption antecedents. Organizational factors include leadership attitudes and financial stability. Societal and environmental drivers involve regulatory frameworks and public sector involvement. Ecosystem dynamics cover governance models and technological readiness. Individual traits such as risk tolerance and technical expertise also play a central role. We also highlight significant outcomes of SSI adoption. These include enhanced organizational efficiency, strengthened data privacy, and expanded ecosystem collaboration. Additionally, SSI adoption improves trust and scalability within digital ecosystems. Theoretically, this study advances technology adoption research by integrating ecosystem governance and individual-level factors into established frameworks. Practically, it provides actionable insights for organizational leaders and policymakers. • The adoption of self-sovereign identity requires a holistic viewpoint from the stakeholders involved. • The ecosystem-specific antecedents include technology and governance factors. • SSI adoption has organisational, ecosystem-specific and societal potential outcomes.