Web3 developers seek scale for secure digital identities

Web3 organizations and developers are attempting to build bridges between innovations in decentralized technology and digital identity and established communities and use cases. The GM of blockchain and identity at the Linux Foundation has detailed the goals of the new LF Decentralized Trust.
This effort complements recent advancements in web3 security, such as Linea’s introduction of a biometric Proof of Uniqueness tool to verify users while protecting privacy, and the integration of Worldcoin’s World ID system by Japanese app Sarah and zkEVM Layer 2 network Reddio. A new player is emerging, meanwhile, with Holonym announcing a successful seed funding round. These developments collectively underscore the growing adoption of decentralized identity offerings across diverse platforms and industries.
LF Decentralized Trust to expand blockchain and digital ID innovation
In a recent interview with TFIR, Daniela Barbosa, general manager of blockchain and identity at the Linux Foundation, discusses the launch of the Linux Foundation’s new project, LF Decentralized Trust, and the potential for existing communities, particularly those within the Hyperledger ecosystem, to extend their reach into new and emerging technologies.
The initiative aims to build on the foundation’s existing work in blockchain and digital identity projects, further advancing decentralized technologies across various industries.
LF Decentralized Trust will build on the development of the Hyperledger Foundation, which has been instrumental in creating blockchain and digital identity projects over the past eight years. The new initiative will also focus on standards and specifications in the decentralized technology space, such as token standards and cryptography projects, including zero-knowledge proofs and multi-party computation.
The project also aims to address the needs of governments and large organizations that seek vendor neutrality and interoperability in their digital infrastructure. Barbosa mentioned that central banks around the world are increasingly turning to open-source, openly governed technologies for projects like Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs).
She stresses that LF Decentralized Trust is not just an expansion but also a continuation of the Linux Foundation’s efforts to solve software-related challenges. By bringing together the web2 and web3 developer communities, the foundation hopes to bridge the gap between traditional open-source developers and those working in decentralized technologies.
Privado partners on ‘Proof of Uniqueness’
In a step towards enhancing security within the web3 space, the Linea ecosystem has unveiled its first biometric Proof of Uniqueness (PoU) tool. Developed in collaboration with Synaps, Verax, and Privado ID, the system employs zero-knowledge technology and computer vision algorithms to confirm that users are genuine humans without compromising their biometric data.
Linea, a platform boasting over 5 million monthly active wallets, has integrated multiple Proof of Humanity providers with the aim of ensuring the fair distribution of its LXP tokens. These tokens reward genuine contributors with community roles, exclusive Linea merchandise, and other incentives. To safeguard these rewards from being exploited by bots, Linea has rolled out its first biometric PoU software.
In a recent blog post by Privado ID, the company notes that Proof of Uniqueness is crucial for verifying that each participant in a network is a unique individual, with the aim of combatting bots and Sybil attacks.
Elsewhere, Privado ID recently launched a digital wallet designed to simplify identity verification. The “Web Wallet,” as it’s called, aims to cut down the time and user interactions required for verification by 50 percent.
The blog mentions that the PoU tool has no biometric data stored during this process. Instead, a non-reversible hash of the user’s face is generated and compared with others to confirm uniqueness, safeguarding user privacy.
Holonym raises $5.5M
Web3 digital identity startup Holonym has raised $5.5 million in seed funding to enhance digital identity and increase digital inclusion, Blockster reports.
Holonym provides Human Keys, which are cryptographic credentials based on the individual’s biometrics. The company also offers “Proof of Clean Hands,” an open-source programmable privacy protocol, and self-custodial, cloud-based digital wallet Silk. Cryptographic keys are generated from biometrics with the company’s Mishti Network, which it says can be used for authentication, account recovery, KYC and AML checks. Holonym’s zero-knowledge protocol Zeronym has more than 125,000 pseudonymous users around the world, according to the report.
World ID integrated with foodie app, blockchain transaction infrastructure
Japanese “gourmet app” Sarah is partnering with Worldcoin‘s World ID authentication system, which will allow users to link their accounts to World ID when creating new profiles
The aim is to offer a more secure and streamlined authentication process for restaurant recommendations, according to a report from CoinDesk Japan.
Sarah plans to leverage World ID’s global network, which has already been adopted by more than 10 million people across 160 countries, in a bid to expand its reach and increase platform awareness.
“By utilizing World ID, we aim to make the gourmet app easier to find delicious food by addressing the issues of identity theft and review manipulation by multiple accounts that have been problems with gourmet apps,” says Sarah in a post on X.
By integrating World ID, Sarah aims to enforce stricter user verification protocols.
Similar to Sarah, Reddio, a parallel zkEVM Layer 2 network, is integrating World ID into its points system to bolster user authentication, and ensure that only genuine human users can participate in Reddio’s blockchain transaction ecosystem.
World ID’s technology helps verify the legitimacy of user accounts, to ideally enable fair participation and improve the efficiency of point transactions within the Reddio community. Reddio’s adoption of World ID leverages a permissionless proof-of-personhood (PoP) protocol.
“Worldcoin’s Proof-of-Personhood protocol aligns perfectly with our mission to make Web3 more accessible and yet more secured promoting fairness within the community” says Neil Han, CEO of Reddio in a blog post.
World ID utilizes Zero-Knowledge Proofs (ZKP) to protect user credentials and allow individuals to retain full control over their digital ID.
Article Topics
biometrics | blockchain | decentralized ID | digital identity | Holonym | identity verification | Linux Foundation | Privado ID | web3 | World
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