METHODS AND SYSTEMS OF EXECUTING A BUSINESS TRANSACTION FROM A MERCHANT USING A CENTRALIZED OR DISTRIBUTED LEDGER

1 . A method of executing a business transaction with a merchant, the method being implemented on a computer system having one or more physical processors configured by machine-readable instructions which, when executed perform the method, comprising:

receiving at a processor associated with the merchant a code representing information of a user, wherein the code is provided by an output device for a processor associated with the user, and wherein the information has been previously attested to in an attestation transaction stored within a centralized or distributed ledger at an attestation address, the centralized or distributed ledger providing a record of transactions;

converting the code to the information of the user;

deriving a public attest key by using the information of the user;

deriving an attestation address using the public attest key;

verifying the existence of the attestation transaction at the attestation address in the centralized or distributed ledger; and

upon verification of the existence of the attestation transaction, completing the business transaction.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising, prior to completing the business transaction:

sending a cryptographic challenge nonce to the processor associated with the user;

receiving at the processor associated with the merchant the cryptographic challenge nonce signed by the user's private key; and

verifying user identity with the cryptographic challenge nonce signed by the user's private key.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving at the processor associated with the merchant a code representing information of the user, comprises receiving a visual code displayed on a display unit for a processor associated with user.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein receiving at the processor associated with the merchant a visual code representing information of the user comprises optically recognizing the visual code displayed on the display unit for the processor associated with the user.

5 . The method of claim 3 , wherein receiving at the processor associated with the merchant a visual code representing information of the user comprises placing an optical recognition device associated with the processor of the merchant in visual proximity with the display unit for the processor associated with the user.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving at the processor associated with the merchant a code representing information of the user, comprises receiving a signal transmitted by a short range transmitter for a processor associated with user.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the signal transmitted by the short range transmitter comprises at least one of local Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Bluetooth LE, near field communications (NFC), infrared, RFID, ambient audio, and supersonic audio communication.

8 . A system for executing a business transaction from a merchant, the system comprising

a computer system having one or more physical processors configured by machine-readable instructions to:

receive at a processor associated with the merchant a visual code representing information of a user, wherein the code is provided by an output device for a processor associated with the user, and wherein the information has been previously attested to in an attestation transaction stored within a centralized or distributed ledger at an attestation address, the centralized or distributed ledger providing a record of transactions;

convert the code to the information of the user;

derive a public attest key by using the information of the user;

derive an attestation address using the public attest key;

verify the existence of the attestation transaction at the attestation address in the centralized or distributed ledger; and

upon verification of the existence of the attestation transaction, complete the business transaction.

9 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the computer system is further configured by machine-readable instructions to:

send a cryptographic challenge nonce to the processor associated with the user;

receive at the processor associated with the merchant the cryptographic challenge nonce signed by the user's private key; and

verify user identity with the cryptographic challenge nonce signed by the user's private key.

10 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the code is a visual code displayed on a display unit for a processor associated with user.

11 . The system of claim 10 , further comprising:

an optical recognition device associated with the processor of the merchant, configured to optically recognize the visual code displayed on the display unit for the processor associated with the user.

12 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the visual code comprises a barcode or a motion QR and optical recognition device comprises a camera or a scanner.

13 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the code is a signal transmitted by a short range transmitter for a processor associated with user.

14 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the signal transmitted by the short range transmitter comprises at least one of local Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Bluetooth LE, near field communications (NFC), infrared, RFID, ambient audio, and supersonic audio communication.

15 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the computer system is further configured by machine-readable instructions to:

maintain a database of attestation transactions, each attestation transaction relating to one or more items of information of the user, the attestation transaction comprising an attestation address based on a public attest key, wherein the public attest is derived by combining a hash of the information with a user's public key generated for the information.

16 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the computer system is further configured by machine-readable instructions to:

provide on the display unit a presentation for selection by the user of the one or more items of information;

receive a user selection of attested information;

display a visual code representing the selected attested information.

17 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the processor associated with the user comprises a mobile device.