Humanity Protocol is a zero-knowledge (ZK) decentralized identification challenge that goals to bridge the hole between on-line and offline identities. In its newest funding spherical, the corporate raised $20m at a valuation of $1.1 bn.
The challenge is making a verification system that makes use of palm scans for on-line accounts. The corporate says it focuses on privateness and safety because it offers with delicate biometric knowledge. Worldcoin, its main rival, has raised considerations about security and regulatory compliance within the digital ID sector.
Cryptonews spoke with Humanity CEO Terence Kwok to discover the corporate’s expertise and strategy. On this interview, we ask how Humanity plans to deal with these urgent points whereas guaranteeing consumer belief.
With over 3.2 million digital IDs created on the platform during the last 4 months, we look at whether or not Humanity can really present a viable different.
Know-how: Humanity vs Worldcoin
Cryptonews: What separates Humanity Protocol’s strategy to digital identification from that of your main rival Worldcoin, when it comes to expertise, consumer expertise, enrollment, and knowledge storage?
Terence Kwok: Humanity Protocol and Worldcoin share similarities of their use of Zero-Information Proofs for privacy-preserving identification verification, however they differ considerably of their consumer expertise and enrollment strategies.
Humanity Protocol makes use of palm vein scans, that are extra accessible, non-invasive, and acquainted to customers, enabling seamless adoption and scalability throughout various demographics and environments. This concentrate on intuitive, user-friendly expertise reduces limitations to entry whereas guaranteeing privateness and safety, making a extra inclusive and scalable answer for decentralized digital identification.
CN: How does the palm scanning expertise utilized by Humanity Protocol examine to the iris scanning utilized by Worldcoin?
TK: The palm scanning expertise utilized by Humanity Protocol provides a safe and privacy-preserving different to the iris scanning employed by Worldcoin. Palm vein scans are much less invasive and really feel extra acquainted to customers, resembling on a regular basis authentication strategies like biometric funds or smartphone entry. This reduces discomfort or hesitancy usually related to scanning delicate options like irises.
Palm scanning is very safe, counting on distinctive vein patterns beneath the pores and skin, that are troublesome to duplicate. Humanity Protocol’s strategy strikes a steadiness between sturdy safety and consumer consolation, making it higher fitted to wide-scale adoption with out compromising privateness or accessibility.
CN: How does Humanity handle considerations about entry for underserved populations who could not have the expertise or infrastructure to make use of digital IDs?
TK: Humanity prioritizes inclusivity and minimizing limitations to entry. The protocol helps low-cost {hardware} options, like palm vein scanners, to make sure accessibility in areas with restricted infrastructure. Offline enrollment packages and partnerships with native organizations assist bridge the digital divide by enabling customers to register in particular person.
Is the Scanning Technique Secure?
CN: In Kenya, Worldcoin confronted main regulatory scrutiny, even a short lived shutdown, after stories that some folks developed eye issues after getting their irises scanned. What steps is Humanity taking to make sure that its biometric gadgets are secure for customers?
TK: Humanity employs non-invasive, completely examined biometric gadgets like palm vein scanners as an alternative of iris scanners. These gadgets use innocent near-infrared gentle to map vein patterns, a expertise confirmed secure via in depth medical and technical evaluations. Palm veins are additionally much more sturdy than irises as these patterns received’t change with use of the {hardware} gadgets.
CN: In gentle of the backlash towards Worldcoin’s strategies, how do you propose to construct public belief in your organization’s biometric verification processes?
TK: Humanity is constructing public belief via transparency, privateness, and safety. When it’s rolled out, our biometric verification course of will leverage superior zero-knowledge proofs, guaranteeing that no delicate info is saved or shared.
The zkProofer community verifies identification with out compromising consumer privateness, permitting people to take care of full management over their private knowledge. At this second, no biometrics have been collected but. Customers are solely allowed to register their human IDs.
CN: How does Humanity Protocol plan to compete with different rising applied sciences in digital identification verification past biometrics, comparable to blockchain-based identification options with out bodily verification?
TK: Humanity Protocol combines biometrics with blockchain to create a hybrid answer that addresses the weaknesses of purely digital identification techniques. Whereas blockchain-only options excel in decentralization, they battle with Sybil resistance and verifying real-world uniqueness.
Humanity bridges this hole with safe, non-invasive biometric verification, linking distinctive human attributes to decentralized identities. Its concentrate on inclusivity, offline onboarding, and privateness via zero-knowledge proofs makes it versatile and aggressive.
Tokenomics
CN: I perceive that Humanity is planning to launch a token later this 12 months. What’s the utility of the token, and the way will it drive worth for token holders?
TK: The upcoming token will function the spine of the ecosystem to drive participation and reward contributions. Its utility contains governance, enabling token holders to vote on key protocol selections, and powers rewards for validators, incentivizing community safety and engagement.
CN: Worldcoin has used its WLD token to reward customers who volunteer to have their irises scanned. What’s Humanity Protocol’s technique for consumer acquisition and incentivizing participation and adoption?
TK: Humanity Protocol’s technique focuses on creating worth for customers via significant participation fairly than rewarding them for taking part. Our strategy is centered round constructing a sustainable group and ecosystem.
CN: What’s the financial incentive construction for customers and validators, and the way does it guarantee sustainability with out exploiting customers?
TK: Sustainability is vital right here. Customers acquire real-world utility through Proof of Human Identification (PoH), unlocking entry to on-chain and off-chain providers. Referral rewards encourage ecosystem progress, making a optimistic suggestions loop.
Validators, working decentralized Verifier and Founding Nodes, earn constant rewards for verifying credentials and reaching consensus, fostering community safety. HP’s randomized node distribution prevents centralization, whereas tiered participation lowers entry limitations.
Moral AI verification ensures equity, and tokenomics are designed to take care of worth. Collectively, these parts create a strong, equitable, and sustainable identification ecosystem.
What’s Subsequent for Humanity’s Palm Scan?
CN: Are you able to elaborate on the timeline for the worldwide rollout of palm scan gadgets, and what are the important thing milestones you goal to realize in 2025?
TK: Humanity is presently showcasing palm vein gadgets in choose cities throughout Europe and Asia, gathering suggestions to refine the consumer expertise. We goal to scale globally with a phased rollout. Key milestones embrace increasing deployment to main areas.
CN: What are you able to say are a few of the challenges you’ve confronted in scaling your infrastructure? And the way does Humanity plan to deal with problems with interoperability and cross-platform compatibility with different digital identification options?
TK: Scaling the infrastructure has introduced challenges associated to making sure seamless consumer experiences and managing a rising community. Humanity is concentrated on addressing these by adopting modular, versatile structure that may evolve with technological developments.
As for interoperability, the protocol is designed to combine with different digital identification techniques via open requirements, APIs, and collaboration with different initiatives within the house.
Further word
Terence Kwok refused to reply some questions that we consider could be useful to our readers, citing “compliance causes.” We’ll replace this submit if and after we obtain solutions.
Listed below are the questions that the Humanity Protocol CEO didn’t reply to:
- There have been considerations over the gathering of biometric knowledge by non-public entities like Worldcoin and, clearly, your organization. What measures have you ever put in place to forestall knowledge breaches, misuse of delicate knowledge, and unauthorized entry to consumer info?
- Has Humanity obtained any certifications or commissioned unbiased research to validate the protection and accuracy of its biometric scanning expertise?
- In accordance with Humanity’s web site, the protocol has created 3.2 million digital IDs up to now. Are you able to make clear the demographics of the customers who took half? And the way did you deal with knowledge assortment and consumer consent in creating nations to make sure transparency?
- How will the token distribution be managed to forestall market manipulation and guarantee honest entry for all customers?
The submit Can Humanity Protocol Keep away from Worldcoin’s Pitfalls? | Interview with CEO Terence Kwok appeared first on Cryptonews.