Self, a zero-knowledge identity and proof-of-humanity protocol used by Google (GOOG) and Aave, said it has raised $9 million in seed funding and introduced a points-based rewards program to promote on-chain identity verification.
Investors include Greenfield Capital, Startup Capital Ventures x SBI Fund (SoftBank), Spearhead VC, Verda Ventures, Fireweed Ventures and angel investors such as Casey Neistat, Sreeram Kannan (EigenLayer), Sandeep Nailwal (Polygon), Julien Bouteloup (Curve), Jill Carlson (Espresso) and Hart Lambur (Across Protocol), the company said in a press release on Thursday.
Self provides a privacy-preserving identity infrastructure using zero-knowledge proofs and verifiable credentials to confirm attributes such as age or uniqueness without exposing personal data.
The protocol supports verification via biometric passports, national ID cards and Indian Aadhaar, as well as lightweight mobile integration via Self Connect.
Zero-knowledge proofs allow crypto users to confirm that something is true, such as the validity of a transaction, without exposing any underlying details. They prove the validity of statements on blockchains without offering information that could compromise privacy.
Already integrated with Google, Aave, and Velodrome, Self powers use cases from Sybil-resistant airdrops to Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC)-compliant token distributions.
The points program rewards users for verifying their identity and interacting on partner platforms, with future integrations expanding earning opportunities.
Learn more: Boundless launches Mainnet on the basis, paving the way for universal zero-knowledge computing
