There needs to be a way to verify keys and identity when using encryption as well as when using public key operations as a method of authentication in general.

Keybase, a centralized service, provided this ability [1]. Now that it was acquired by Zoom who has a history of poor privacy policies [2], people are looking for an alternative. One suggested alternative is Handshake [3], a decentralized system.

[1] https://book.keybase.io/guides/proof-integration-guide

[2] https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2020/apr/02/zoom-tech...

[3] https://handshake.org/

Keybase was acquired by Zoom, and the statement from Keybase reflects that they'll mostly be focusing on Zoom products rather than Keybase product line, hinting it may get abandoned.