Vouchsafe: A Zero-Infrastructure Capability Graph Model for Offline Identity and Trust

This record contains the preprint of a paper describing the Zero-Infrastructure Capability Graph (ZI-CG) model for identity and authorization. The model represents identity, delegation, and revocation as self-contained, signed capability statements whose validity is determined through local, deterministic evaluation without reliance on online authorities, directories, or revocation services.

The paper formalizes the ZI-CG model and presents Vouchsafe as a concrete instantiation using widely deployed cryptographic primitives, including Ed25519, SHA-256, and structured JSON Web Tokens. It analyzes security properties, discusses limitations, and situates the approach relative to existing identity and authorization systems. This record includes the compiled PDF and corresponding LaTeX source for the referenced version.