DPKI is the core of Decentralized Identity. Blockchain enables DPKI by creating a tamper-proof and trusted medium to distribute the asymmetric verification and encryption keys of the identity holders.
Decentralized PKI (DPKI) enables everyone to create or anchor cryptographic keys on the Blockchain in a tamper-proof and chronologically ordered way. These keys are used to allow others to verify digital signatures, or encrypt data to the respective identity holder. Before DPKI, everyone had to buy or obtain digital certificates from traditional certificate authorities (CA).
Thanks to Blockchain technology, there is no need for a centralized CA anymore. In turn, DPKI is an enabler for many use cases, namely verifiable credentials (VC). Many people today use the term verifiable credentials (VCs) to refer to digital credentials that come with such cryptographic proofs.