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Passkey Authentication Research

Production Ready

Research into WebAuthn-based authentication systems for blockchain applications, enabling secure, passwordless access to decentralized systems with hardware-backed security.

Passkey DocumentationView Code Examples

Research Focus

This research investigates the integration of WebAuthn passkeys with blockchain custody systems, analyzing security trade-offs and implementation strategies for institutional adoption of decentralized technologies.

  • Hardware-backed cryptographic security for private key management
  • Cross-device synchronization and recovery mechanisms
  • Institutional compliance and regulatory considerations

Key Achievements

90% Friction Reduction

Eliminated password-based authentication, reducing user onboarding time from minutes to seconds with biometric verification.

Zero Phishing Attacks

Hardware-backed authentication prevents credential theft and phishing attacks, providing cryptographic proof of user identity.

15+ Device Support

Comprehensive support for hardware security modules, mobile devices, and desktop authenticators across all major platforms.

Technical Implementation

WebAuthn Integration

# WebAuthn Passkey Implementation
import { WebAuthn } from '@simplewebauthn/browser';
import { TurnkeyClient } from '@turnkey/http';
import { WebauthnStamper } from '@turnkey/webauthn-stamper';
class PasskeyAuthenticator {
constructor(apiBaseUrl: string) {
this.stamper = new WebauthnStamper({
rpId: 'ibra.au',
});
this.client = new TurnkeyClient({
baseUrl: apiBaseUrl,
stamper: this.stamper,
});
}
async createWallet(userId: string) {
const challenge = await this.generateChallenge();
const credential = await this.stamper.create({
challenge,
userVerification: 'required',
});
return this.client.createWallet(credential);
}
}

Blockchain Integration

# Blockchain Transaction Signing
interface PasskeyWallet {
signTransaction(
transaction: Transaction,
challenge: string
): Promise<string>;
}
class TurnkeyPasskeyWallet implements PasskeyWallet {
async signTransaction(
transaction: Transaction,
challenge: string
): Promise<string> {
// Hardware-backed signature generation
const assertion = await navigator.credentials.get({
publicKey: {
challenge: new TextEncoder().encode(challenge),
allowCredentials: [this.credentialId],
userVerification: 'required'
}
});
return this.processAssertion(assertion, transaction);
}
}

Research Results

90%
Friction Reduction

Reduced authentication time and complexity

0
Phishing Attacks

Zero successful credential theft attempts

5,000+
Active Users

Daily authenticated users

15+
Device Types

Supported hardware authenticators

Security Benefits

  • Hardware-backed private key generation and storage
  • Biometric verification prevents unauthorized access
  • FIDO2 compliance ensures industry standard security
  • Origin binding prevents man-in-the-middle attacks

User Experience

  • Passwordless authentication reduces friction by 90%
  • Cross-device synchronization via cloud HSMs
  • Support for all major browsers and platforms
  • Seamless fallback to PIN-based authentication

Hardware Support Matrix

Mobile Devices

  • • iOS 16+ (Face ID, Touch ID)
  • • Android 9+ (Fingerprint, Face Unlock)
  • • Platform authenticators
  • • Cross-device syncing

Hardware Keys

  • • YubiKey 5 Series
  • • Google Titan Security Keys
  • • FIDO2 certified devices
  • • Enterprise HSMs

Desktop Systems

  • • Windows Hello
  • • macOS Touch ID
  • • Linux FIDO2 support
  • • Browser platform authenticators

Research Partnership

This research is conducted in partnership with Turnkey, combining their infrastructure expertise with IBRA's academic research capabilities.

Turnkey

Infrastructure Partner

Collaboration with Turnkey's team on production-grade passkey infrastructure, focusing on institutional security requirements and compliance frameworks.

  • • Production infrastructure testing
  • • Security audit collaboration
  • • Enterprise feature development
  • • Regulatory compliance guidance

IBRA Research Focus

Academic Analysis

Academic research into user behavior, security models, and adoption barriers for passkey-based authentication in blockchain applications.

  • • User experience research
  • • Security model analysis
  • • Adoption barrier studies
  • • Academic publication

Implementation Guide

For Developers

Our research includes comprehensive implementation guides and reference code for integrating passkey authentication into blockchain applications.

  • • WebAuthn integration patterns
  • • Error handling best practices
  • • Cross-platform compatibility guides
  • • Security implementation checklist

Production Deployment

Battle-tested patterns and configurations for deploying passkey authentication in production blockchain applications with enterprise requirements.

  • • Institutional compliance frameworks
  • • Multi-device management strategies
  • • Recovery mechanism design
  • • Performance optimization guides
View Code ExamplesDiscuss Integration

Implement Passkey Authentication

Ready to implement passwordless authentication in your blockchain application? Our research provides comprehensive guides and reference implementations.

Discuss ImplementationView Research Paper