Passwords have long been the weakest link in web application security. With .NET 10, ASP.NET Core Identity finally offers a better path forward — built-in passkey support that makes WebAuthn and FIDO2 part of the framework itself, not a third-party add-on.
Users can now authenticate with biometrics, hardware keys, or device PINs instead of relying on passwords they inevitably reuse across dozens of other sites.
What the Implementation Looks Like
The Blazor Web App template ships with passkey registration and login out of the box. Users can create accounts without ever setting a password. The framework handles credential storage, challenge generation, and assertion verification through ASP.NET Core Identity’s existing infrastructure.
Why This Design Choice Matters
Passkeys are treated as a primary authentication factor — not just a second factor tacked onto password login. This is a meaningful design decision from Microsoft, signaling that passwordless authentication is the default path forward, not an optional add-on.
What to Know Before You Adopt
- Only the Blazor Web App template includes passkey UI components today. Other project types require manual integration.
- Attestation statements are not validated by default. If your compliance requirements demand device attestation, you will need fido2-net-lib alongside the built-in support.
- The implementation is scoped to Identity scenarios — it is not a general-purpose WebAuthn library.
Takeaway
For teams building customer-facing applications, this removes one of the biggest friction points in authentication. Phishing-resistant login with zero password resets is now available as a first-class feature in the framework. If your project is on .NET 10, passkey support is worth evaluating as part of your authentication strategy.
