Humanity Protocol launches Humanity Foundation ahead of ‘big moves’

Humanity Protocol, one of the emergent contenders in the market for proof of personhood (PoP), has announced the launch of a foundation to support its decentralized digital identity network.

A blog post says the Humanity Foundation, which uses palm biometrics, will serve as “the cornerstone for fostering innovation and long-term growth within the ecosystem by establishing ecosystem funds and community growth incentives.”

It will “drive innovation on Humanity Protocol by funding research and development and exploring new frontiers in decentralized identity verification and use cases,” in a bid to spur global adoption.

The Foundation will be led by Yat Siu, Chairman of Animoca Brands, Mario Nawfal, Founder of International Blockchain Consulting, and Yeewai Chong, a former investment professional from Morgan Stanley and Ortus Capital.

Humanity Protocol board member calls World ID ‘privacy nightmare’

In establishing its own not-for-profit entity, Humanity Protocol matches similar moves by competitor, World ID, which has its corresponding World Foundation to support its iris biometrics model.

The market for PoP is heating up, as tech firms race to define a digital way to confirm humanness in online transactions vulnerable to AI bots, and link it to a decentralized digital identity that enables access to wallets, online services, physical access and more.

A few firms have taken up the gauntlet, including Civic and Rarimo. With its foundation, Humanity Protocol has asserted itself into the fight – and sent a message to World that it is not intimidated by the latter’s 10 million “verified humans.”

A post on Mario Nawfal’s X account asks, in alarmed capitals, “SAM ALTMAN’S WORLDCOIN: THE DYSTOPIAN FUTURE OF DIGITAL IDENTITY?” Under an AI image of Altman as a forlorn looking stormtrooper against an apocalyptic digital wasteland, Nawfal calls World a “privacy nightmare.”

An accompanying quote tweet from Humanity Protocol’s account wryly notes that “there is a decentralized, privacy-focused, human-centric way of building digital identity” – and caps it off with a cheery wave emoji.

Its release is less coy about its intentions. “We’re gearing up to make big moves in 2025,” it says. “The launch of the Humanity Foundation is only the first of many major milestones to come.”

With that, the gloves are off. It’s Proof of Humanity versus Proof of Human versus Proof of Personhood versus ‘Digital Personality’ in the digital identity rumble. More contenders are likely to emerge. Let the biometric brannigan begin.

Article Topics

biometrics  |  digital identity  |  Humanity Foundation  |  Humanity Protocol  |  palm biometrics  |  proof of personhood