Proof ties digital identity to payments with Visa partnership, crypto tool launch

Proof is bringing its cryptographic digital identity verification capabilities to payments made with cards through a strategic collaboration with Visa and to crypto transactions with a suite of compliance

The partnership with Visa is intended to bring the same level of trust and fraud protection to online commerce that EMV chip technology brought to in-person payments a decade ago, according to a joint announcement.

By integrating Proof’s identity authorization network with Visa’s global payment infrastructure, the two companies plan to enable verified identities for transactions spanning banking, digital commerce, and financial agreements. The initiative is designed to reduce fraud, streamline user experiences, and improve acceptance rates for legitimate consumers.

“Trusted digital identity is the next frontier for enabling secure commerce,” says Daniel Sanford, senior VP, Global Products and Initiatives, Visa. “We’re connecting Visa’s global network and payments innovations with Proof’s platform to fundamentally transform how identity is used in all types of transactions.”

Proof’s platform uses biometric verification, cryptographic signatures, and AI-driven fraud detection to authenticate users and prevent impersonation. Its Certify product is being positioned as the “EMV chip for digital identity,” enabling secure, reusable identity credentials for consumers and institutions.

Proof CEO and Founder Pat Kinsel told Biometric Update earlier this month that Certify can solve problems around deepfake and manipulated content, digital impersonation and account takeovers. It can even provide account recovery, where Proof has just won contracts. The cryptographic signatures provided by Certify cannot be counterfeited by generative AI, according to Proof.

The new partnership also includes integration with Visa Direct, allowing users to complete transactions including insurance payouts, tax refunds, and real estate transfers, moving funds quickly through Visa’s network. Proof’s fraud model, OmniTrust, will be enhanced by Visa’s Protect Risk Insights, combining datasets to detect deepfakes and prevent fraud in business-to-consumer and peer-to-peer flows.

“Our goal at Proof has always been to bring trust to every digital transaction, and our work with Visa supercharges that mission,” says Kinsel. “We intend to create an identity network for the internet that is as robust and ubiquitous as the Visa network itself.”

In 2023, U.S. consumer losses from fraud reached an estimated $158.3 billion. Visa, which blocked over $40 billion in fraud last year, has invested $12 billion in fraud prevention over the past five years. “We will not only enhance fraud prevention for our clients in countless new flows, but also unlock a new era of identity-verified payments that will help drive higher acceptance rates in digital commerce and better consumer experiences,” adds Sanford.

Proof’s suite of products — Identify, Notarize, Certify, and Verify — are now integrated with Visa’s network. Visa has also been rolling out its Visa Payment Passkey, introducing FIDO-based authentication to ecommerce transactions.

Digital credentials to streamline crypto transaction compliance

The same concerns around trust, fraud protection and regulatory compliance apply at least as much to cryptocurrency transactions as they do to ecommerce. Accordingly, Proof has also unveiled digital credential solutions designed to bring real-time compliance and secure identity verification to blockchain-based financial services.

Proof’s new credentials allow digital asset wallets, service providers, and users to verify identity and Know Your Customer (KYC) characteristics instantly and securely, it claims. The platform supports privacy-preserving, repeatable verification processes, helping regulated entities meet compliance obligations without compromising user experience.

“Financial institutions won’t fully embrace blockchain-based services until they can verify parties in a transaction and meet the same compliance standards they follow for traditional transactions,” says Proof CEO Kinsel. “Proof’s identity platform bridges that gap and enables mainstream consumers and financial institutions to embrace digital assets confidently.”

Among the new offerings is entity-level certification for U.S. sanctions screening, which Proof says is the industry’s first. This credential enables banks, exchanges, and hosted wallet services to instantly verify the sanctions status of counterparties, facilitating smoother integration with the traditional payments ecosystem. Proof issues cryptographically secure credentials for compliance and customer due diligence checks as a centralized certification authority.

Lightspark, a global open payment network built on Bitcoin, is among the first adopters of Proof’s Certify product. “To bring Bitcoin into the regulated payments era, we need modern identity and trust layers,” says Lightspark CEO and Co-founder David Marcus. “Proof’s digital credentials make it possible for senders and receivers to verify each other in real time — unlocking fast, compliant, and trusted payments on Bitcoin at scale.”

Proof’s platform builds on its experience securing over $500 billion in traditional financial transactions across banking, real estate, and insurance. Its reusable identity product, Certify, enables consumers to verify their identity once and transact securely across crypto platforms, applying the same cryptographic standards used in conventional finance.

The solution also supports compliance with Travel Rule mandates, allowing providers to share identity information and perform sanctions screening efficiently. By bridging the gap between digital asset providers and traditional banks, Proof aims to accelerate stablecoin adoption and a more integrated financial ecosystem.

Article Topics

biometric verification  |  cryptocurrency  |  digital identity  |  digital payments  |  identity verification  |  Proof  |  Proof Certify  |  Visa