What is an Alien Provider?

An Alien Provider is the on-chain representation of your application, mini app or web app on the Alien Network. It serves as your application’s verified identity within the system.

Core Concept

Before users can verify and authenticate with your application using Alien SSO, you must create a Provider: a blockchain-based entity that represents your application. A Provider has multiple roles:

• Your app’s identity on the Alien Network.
• A trust anchor for users to verify they’re connecting with your legitimate app.
• An access control mechanism that defines where and how authentication can occur.

Stored on Alien Network

All providers are stored on Alien Network as permanent, verifiable entities. This ensures:

• Immutability: provider data cannot be tampered with or altered without authorization.
• Transparency: anyone can verify a provider’s authenticity and configuration.
• Decentralization: no central registry controls provider information.
• Privacy: user data remains under user control and is never exposed on-chain.
• Trust: users can cryptographically verify they’re connecting with legitimate applications.

Managed with Alien ID

Providers are created and managed by developers through their Alien ID:

• Provider creation requires authorization via Alien ID in the dev portal.
• Only the provider’s creator — identified by their Alien ID — can modify provider settings.
• All provider updates are signed with the creator’s private key.
• Provider ownership is tied to the creator’s Alien ID on-chain.

This ensures that only you, as the verified owner, can manage your application’s provider configuration.

Creating Your Provider

Dev portal

All providers are created through the Alien dev portal:

1. Access the dev portal

   • Access the Alien dev portal.
   • Sign in with your Alien ID.

2. Create New Provider

   • Click “Create Provider”.
   • Scan QR code with the Alien App.
   • Approve provider creation in the Alien App.

3. Configure Provider Settings

   • Name: display name shown to users during authentication.
   • Provider URL: the main URL of your application.
   • Allowed Origins: a list of domains where authentication is permitted.

4. Save and Deploy

   • The provider is registered on-chain.
   • You will receive your Provider Address.
   • You then use this address in your SDK configuration.

Provider Lifecycle

1. Creation

   • You set the provider’s name, URL and allowed origins.
   • Upload a logo and description.
   • Optionally configure claim requirements.

2. Integration

   • Use your provider address in SDK initialization.
   • Implement an authentication flow.
   • Test the integration with development origins.

3. Production

   • Authentication requests are verified against the provider’s metadata.
   • Users authenticate through your verified provider.
   • Sessions are created under your provider’s namespace.

4. Updates

   • Update allowed origins as needed.
   • Modify your provider metadata as needed.
   • All changes are recorded on-chain.

Provider vs Session

It’s important to understand this distinction:

A useful analogy: A provider is your app’s passport, while sessions are entry visas for each user.

Next Steps

• What is Alien Session? - Learn about user sessions.
• SSO Guide - Integrate standard SSO sessions.
• Solana SSO Guide - Integrate on-chain sessions.
• Dev portal - Create your provider.