## 4 Proposed Framework  
The Metaverse, a communal virtual shared place, is blossoming as a platform for social and economic interactions. Ensuring safe and independent user interactions inside this environment is crucial. We propose a complete Self-Sovereign Identity (SSI)-based authentication architecture aimed to empower individuals with control over their digital identities, boost security, and encourage interoperability across multiple Metaverse platforms. Because it is decentralized and requires compatibility across multiple platforms, the Metaverse poses unique problems for identity authentication. Due to their inadequacies, traditional centralized authentication techniques compromise user privacy and are vulnerable to failure points. One possible answer is an SSI-based architecture, which gives people full control over their identity and eliminates the need for a governing body. Figure 1 demonstrates the components of SSI, which rely on decentralized identifiers (DIDs) and Verifiable Credentials (VCs). A DID is a string created by the user, which is linked to their public key, and it uniquely identifies them as a Metaverse Service Provider (MSP). On the other hand, Verifiable Credentials consist of attribute names and values about a user that are cryptographically signed and are issued by the Credential Granting Authority. The issuer signs the VCs using their private key before sending them to the user, who stores them in a wallet. This user is also known as the holder in SSI, and they interact with an MSP by presenting their VCs, which the MSP verifies as a verifier. The sharing of DIDs happens through a DID document, which contains relevant metadata such as the DID and associated cryptographic public keys. These documents are saved in a data registry, implemented as a blockchain for its immutable and decentralized nature. The process in SSI involves entities establishing connections and the Credential Granting Authority issuing a VC to the holder through the established connection. The holder then stores the VC in their  
wallet. Upon receiving a presentation request from a Metaverse service, the user prepares a presentation, sends it to the Metaverse service through the established connection, and subsequently verifies each VC in the presentation to proceed accordingly. The operational flow of the framework is shown in Figure 2. Users create and store their DIDs and VCs in their Identity Wallet. Holder requests the CGA to attest specific claims. The CGA demands specific data to validate the claim. The user will provide specific data to the CGA. After validation of a claim, the CGA will cryptographically sign a set of data and attest the holder's claim using their public key. When accessing a service in the Metaverse, the SGA requests authentication. Users present specific VCs with the service provider. The service provider verifies the VCs against the Trust Registry using authentication protocols. Upon successful verification, access is granted, and the user's activity within the service is pseudonymously recorded to maintain privacy. **Identity Creation and Management** Using a convenient UI, users start by establishing their digital identity. In order to create their decentralized identifiers (DIDs), a pair of cryptographic keys must be generated. The user's Identity Wallet, which can be an  
Figure 1: Components of the proposed framework. Figure 2: Proposed framework flow. independent program or integrated into already existing Metaverse interfaces, is where the private key is safely kept. The distributed ledger stores the public key, which establishes the user's DID without disclosing any personal information. * Credential Issuance: Verifiable Credentials (VCs) are granted to users by trusted organizations, such as academic institutions. These documents may serve as identification or as proof of a professional qualification. The issuer's public key allows third parties to independently verify the VCs, which are signed using the issuer's private key.