Identification in a distributed p2p network

SCENARIO: a P2P distributed network in which users connect by a DHT. They identify themselves by a hexadecimal 76-character string.

PROBLEM: users need to choose their own ID, not have a really long and random one assigned to them. And with security in mind, the network needs to remain 100% distributed, so servers with pubkey:username aren't possible.

POSSIBLE SOLUTION: distributed databases. However, how can we guarantee the uniqueness of the username? A blockchain à la bitcoin isn't a possibility because downloading gigabytes of data also isn't user friendly and also not useful for dynamic content.

POSSIBLE SOLUTION: Distributed file systems such as Tahoe-LAFS. Extremely complicated and overkill, not easily or cleanly implemented.

So, the issue is having user-friendliness and security/distribution at the same time.

Any ideas?

how about hax my anus

Distributed, secure, human readable. Pick two.

Seriously, there exists a proof (maybe) that you can only have two of those. Hashes aren't used as identifiers by Tor and Bitcoin just for fun, and a distributed database for persistent storage would not help unless it costs to add entries, hence Bitcoin's proof of work (Tor's ids are not persistent for most users, the hash addresses on hidden nodes are derived by private keys and not stored by the network).

How about a name+trip system, where each user sets their own name, but it is displayed with a partial hash to make it easy for nonstupid humans to identify different ones. Don't overengineer things.

>>3
I select distributed and secure

CAP, pick any two. But you need availability, since there is no such thing as "all the nodes" in a distributed p2p network where anyone can join and leave.

And a unique and permanent record requires both P and C, oops!

The closest you'll get is namecoin I think, but bitcoin is a dumb thing for dumbs.

Just use the fucking keys, users can generate a vanity address if they care (or just let them enter a non-unique nick, same diff)