CryptoGate Specification

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CryptoGate

Open Source Authentication for a Secure World.

Specification

CryptoGate is an open source authentication specification and implementation framework designed to provide secure, privacy-first identity verification through modern cryptography, decentralized device trust, and zero-knowledge authentication methods.

CryptoGate replaces traditional password-based authentication models with a modular security architecture built around cryptographic identity, encrypted credentials, device-bound keys, and user-controlled authentication flows.

Designed for developers, organizations, governments, and privacy-focused platforms, CryptoGate enables secure authentication systems that are:

Fully auditable
Self-hostable
Vendor independent
Privacy preserving
Cryptographically verifiable
Modular by design

Mission

CryptoGate’s mission is to create an open authentication standard that provides stronger security than traditional passwords, centralized identity providers, and vulnerable recovery systems.

CryptoGate is designed to make advanced authentication accessible through open source technology while preserving:

User ownership of identity
Privacy of authentication data
Transparency of security mechanisms
Freedom from vendor lock-in
Long-term cryptographic resilience

Core Design Principles

CryptoGate is built around the following principles:

Zero Trust Authentication

Every authentication request must be verified cryptographically.

Trust is never assumed based on:

Password possession
Network location
Device reputation alone
Third-party identity providers

Privacy First Identity

CryptoGate minimizes exposed identity information by:

Avoiding centralized password databases
Reducing metadata collection
Encrypting identity credentials
Limiting authentication data exposure

User Controlled Identity

Users maintain control over:

Identity keys
Trusted devices
Recovery methods
Authentication permissions

Modular Security Architecture

CryptoGate is designed as a collection of independent security modules that can be deployed individually or combined into complete authentication systems.

Architecture Overview

CryptoGate uses a modular cryptographic authentication architecture.

Core Components

CryptoGate Core

The cryptographic foundation responsible for:

Identity key generation
Signature verification
Challenge-response authentication
Encryption operations
Secure credential management
Authentication policy enforcement

CryptoGate Identity Module

Provides decentralized identity capabilities.

Features:

Cryptographic identity creation
Public/private key management
Identity verification
Identity rotation
Identity recovery
Identity delegation

CryptoGate Authentication Engine

Handles authentication workflows.

Features:

Passwordless authentication
Zero-knowledge proofs
Challenge-response verification
Multi-factor authentication
Adaptive authentication policies
Risk-based authentication

CryptoGate Device Trust Module

Manages trusted authentication devices.

Features:

Device registration
Device fingerprinting
Device keypairs
Device approval workflows
Device revocation
Device permissions

CryptoGate Encryption Module

Provides end-to-end encryption capabilities.

Features:

Client-side encryption
Encrypted credential storage
Secure key exchange
Encrypted authentication records
Private key protection

CryptoGate Recovery Module

Provides secure account recovery without insecure password reset systems.

Features:

Recovery key generation
Sharded recovery secrets
Threshold recovery
Trusted contact recovery
Offline recovery support

CryptoGate Federation Module

Enables integration with external authentication systems.

Supports:

OAuth2
OpenID Connect
SAML
Enterprise identity providers
Federated authentication networks

CryptoGate Gateway Module

Integration layer for applications and services.

Features:

API authentication
SDK support
Application connectors
Identity provider integration
Session management

Full Feature List

Passwordless Authentication

CryptoGate eliminates traditional password storage.

Features:

Cryptographic login challenges
Signature-based verification
Passwordless user authentication
Reduced credential theft risk

Zero Knowledge Authentication

Authentication occurs without exposing secrets.

Capabilities:

Zero-knowledge proofs
Challenge-response protocols
Secretless authentication verification
Minimal server knowledge requirements

End-to-End Encryption

Authentication credentials remain protected.

Features:

Client-side encryption
Encrypted identity storage
Secure key exchange
Private credential ownership

Multi-Factor Authentication

CryptoGate supports multiple authentication factors.

Supported factors:

Passphrases
Device authentication
Hardware security keys
Passkeys
Biometric unlock through device security
Multi-device approval

Distributed Authentication Approval

Multiple trusted devices can participate in authentication.

Examples:

2-of-3 device approval
Multi-user authorization
Enterprise approval workflows
High-security account protection

Device Bound Authentication

Each device maintains its own cryptographic identity.

Features:

Device key generation
Device enrollment
Device approval
Device removal
Device expiration policies
Device permission controls

Passkey and WebAuthn Support

CryptoGate supports phishing-resistant authentication.

Features:

FIDO2 compatibility
WebAuthn integration
Passkey authentication
Hardware-backed credentials

Hardware Security Support

Compatible with:

FIDO2 security keys
Secure hardware modules
Hardware-backed key storage

Offline Authentication Recovery

Provides secure recovery mechanisms without relying on insecure email resets.

Features:

Recovery key shards
Threshold recovery
Offline recovery workflows
Encrypted backup systems

Self Hosted Deployment

CryptoGate supports multiple deployment models.

Deployment options:

Private servers
Enterprise infrastructure
Cloud environments
Local networks
Air-gapped environments

Security Policy Management

Organizations can define authentication rules.

Features:

Authentication requirements
Device policies
Geographic restrictions
Risk thresholds
User permissions
Administrative controls

Cryptographic Auditability

CryptoGate is designed for public review.

Features:

Open cryptographic implementations
Transparent protocols
Security documentation
Independent auditing support

Component Compatibility

CryptoGate modules are designed for interoperability.

Compatible systems:

Web applications
Mobile applications
Desktop applications
Enterprise systems
Cloud platforms
Distributed applications
Blockchain identity systems

Data Requirements

CryptoGate minimizes required data collection.

Required data:

Public identity keys
Authentication policies
Device registrations
Cryptographic verification records

Optional data:

User profiles
Organization metadata
Device labels
Security preferences

CryptoGate avoids storing:

Plaintext passwords
Private cryptographic keys
Unencrypted identity credentials

Authentication Flow

Example authentication process:

User requests authentication
CryptoGate generates a cryptographic challenge
Client signs the challenge
Additional authentication factors are requested
Trusted devices approve if required
Server verifies cryptographic proofs
Access is granted

No passwords or shared secrets are transmitted.

Technology Stack

Backend

Rust
PostgreSQL
Redis
gRPC
Secure API services

Cryptography

libsodium
Argon2id
Ed25519
WebAuthn
FIDO2 standards

Client Applications

TypeScript
WebAssembly cryptography
Flutter
Native mobile applications
Tauri desktop applications

Specification Branding License (SBL)

Standard

Fully AGPL-3.0+ compliant system
Copyleft enforced for network deployments
Required attribution:
- Roxanne Ardary
- https://www.roxanneardary.com/

Optional

Specification Branding License (SBL)
- Attribution-free commercial deployment
- Pricing based on scale, usage, and deployment scope
- https://roxanneardary.com/cryptogate/

License & Notice Requirements

CryptoGate is released under the GNU Affero General Public License v3.0 or later (AGPL-3.0+).
By contributing to this project, you agree that your contributions will also be released under this license.

Please note the following:

All contributions must comply with the AGPL-3.0+ terms.
Under Section 7 of the license, all redistributions, forks, and derivative works must preserve attribution to: Roxanne Ardary and roxanneardary.com.
CryptoGate specifications are free to use with attribution. A Specification Branding License can be negotiated upon request.
The project’s notice.md file tracks attribution requirements and contributor acknowledgments. Any update that adds new contributors or modifies attribution should also update notice.md.
When submitting a pull request, ensure that any new files maintain the attribution headers where applicable.
Network-deployed versions of this software must also remain fully AGPL-3.0+ compliant, including exposure of source code modifications when applicable under the license.

For full legal details, please refer to the AGPL-3.0+ license and the project’s notice.md file.

Notice – CryptoGate

Attribution Requirement: Under Section 7 of the AGPL 3.0+ license, all redistributions, forks, and derivative works, including network-deployed versions of this project, must provide attribution to Roxanne Ardary and roxanneardary.com.

Contributors

This file tracks contributors and their specific contributions to the project.

Roxanne Ardary, roxanneardary.com – March 9, 2026
Created the repository for CryptoGate. Designed and implemented the core zero-knowledge authentication architecture with end-to-end encryption, distributed 2FA, and privacy-first identity management.
Add other contributors here – [Date]
[Describe contribution in one sentence]

License – CryptoGate

This repository is licensed under the GNU Affero General Public License v3.0 or later (AGPL-3.0+).

Key Points

You are free to use, modify, and distribute the code.
All redistributions, forks, and derivative works or network-deployed versions must also be licensed under AGPL-3.0+ and provide attribution to Roxanne Ardary and roxanneardary.com as required under Section 7 of the license.
The software is provided “as is,” without warranty of any kind.

For the full license text, see GNU AGPL-3.0 License.