DIDs are bottom-up… they are stored as a hash within a single bitcoin transaction.
DIDs could replace .com domains with decentralized domains not controlled by corporations.
These decentralized domains (DIDs) will be controlled by your bitcoin private keys!
ION Verifiable Credentials (VCs) are an optional KYC component of DIDs that are more top-down, like you said.
Good news is you don’t need to make a VC to make a DID domain: VCs are entirely optional.
VCs are why DIDs get a bad wrap… DIDs alone, without VCs, are securely decentralized.⚡️