ARPA Network nets $6M to support cryptographic AI based on biometrics, ZKML

ARPA Network, a blockchain-agnostic Layer-2 computation network that develops cryptographic systems to enable more blockchain use cases, has secured $6 million in strategic investment led by Nomura subsidiary Laser Digital and web3 VC firm DeFiance Capital. A release from the company says the funds will support product expansion in fully on-chain gaming, Autonomous Worlds (AW), and cryptographic AI.

“This infusion of capital from industry leaders marks a milestone for ARPA,” says Felix Xu, co-founder of ARPA Network. “Together with leading AI institutions, we will publish research and conduct PoC on cryptographic AI for facial recognition using zero-knowledge machine learning (ZKML).”

ZKML is a system that can perform computations off-chain and provide proof that said computations were correctly executed, while limiting shared private data. Verifying the proof on-chain exacts a much smaller computational cost than doing the initial computation. Therefore, the system makes scaling possible. (On Medium, Bastian Wetzel offers a good primer on ZKML.)

Aiming for on-chain, privacy-preserving biometric tech that gives users easy and secure access to the blockchain, ARPA’s proof of concept on cryptographic AI for facial recognition using ZKML exploits the crossover of cryptography and AI to expand blockchain capabilities and – in theory – lower the barrier to mass adoption.

Laser Digital CEO Jez Mohideen says “ARPA’s initiatives in on-chain gaming and cryptographic AI are poised to transform the blockchain landscape, making these technologies more accessible and impactful across various industries.” He says the investment underlines his firm’s dedication to “enhancing the digital landscape and supporting technologies that offer significant market potential and align with our values of responsible innovation.”

According to Arthur Cheong, CIO of DeFiance Capital, ARPA’s decentralized tech “is vital not only for fully on-chain games but also for enhancing the reliability and privacy of applications across the entire blockchain space.” Much enthusiasm, however, is directed at ARPA’s first foray into fully on-chain game, DEAR – a “smart-contract-based creature living on-chain” that “challenges players to nurture, influence, and ultimately shape the digital lifeform through interactions.”

The description may trigger fond memories for those who grew up during the Tamagotchi craze of the late 1990s. But the stated goal is loftier than providing a digital pocket pet, aiming to establish fully on-chain gaming as a platform offering high levels of engagement and fairness.

Additional support for the funding round comes from Animoca Ventures, Metrics Ventures, ArkStream Capital and Trinito.

World ID project among those pushing zero-knowledge proofs

ARPA Network is not the only organization to stump for cryptographic digital ID as an alternative to other forms of remote identity verification. Steven Smith, head of protocol for Worldcoin parent company Tools for Humanity, has gone on record saying deepfake technology has made selfie biometrics unreliable for identity verification. Indeed, Worldcoin’s website hosts a detailed breakdown of ZKML.

Yet while Smith notes the value of blockchain and zero-knowledge proofs for securely proving claims, he also concedes that these two tools alone are insufficient to provide reliable proof of humanity – Worldcoin’s identity holy grail. Hence the firm’s use of iris biometrics to complete the picture.

Sismo, Clique, Keyless, Infinity Optics and Axiom are other names playing in the ZKML-for-identity space.

Article Topics

ARPA Network  |  biometrics  |  cryptography  |  digital ID  |  funding  |  selfie biometrics  |  zero knowledge  |  ZKML