IPv7 Protocol Specification: Identity-Centric Network Layer for Enhanced Security and Proxy Mitigation

This document specifies a network-layer protocol, IPv7, that extends the Internet Protocol model with an identity-carrying address form and an origin-validation mechanism intended to mitigate abuse of residential proxy infrastructure.

IPv7 replaces purely numerical source addressing with a hierarchical identity string and a Variable-Length Identity Block (VLIB) that carries an Ephemeral Identity Token (EIT), provider and tenant identifiers, role/policy signalling, and an Origin Signature verifiable by the originating provider.

The protocol enables routers to apply policy and reputation signals at the network layer while limiting disclosure of a subscriber's long-term identity to intermediate systems.

This document addresses growing security challenges in Internet-connected devices (IoT), including smart TVs, appliances, and other residential endpoints that are vulnerable to residential proxy exploitation and botnet infection.