Human Protocol, Privacy-First Blockchain Identity Network and a high-profile competitor with Sam Altman’s WorldCoin, launched its mainnet, using for the first time a system that connects familiar Web2 credentials to a decentralized Web3 service using a zero-knowledge transport layer (ZKTLS).
Just a few months later, the Hong Kong-based startup raised $20 million in funding, led by Jump Crypto and Pantera Capital. Valuation to $1.1 billion.
The ZKTLS technology of Human Protocol allows users to prove that they have viewed verifiable information, such as work lists or airline loyalty status, without revealing basic documents or pages.
Sensitive data never leaves the user’s browser, avoiding privacy issues with biometric methods, including WorldCoin’s iris scanning model.
Initially, travelers were able to directly link frequent fax and loyalty accounts to their “person ID”, thus creating a portable reputation layer in both Web2 and Web3 applications.
The network also supports financial, educational and professional certificates. In the future, it plans to launch node infrastructure in new regions and venture into chain ticketing and decentralized governance.
“Our mainnet releases turn decentralized identities into practical infrastructure,” said Terence Kwok, founder and CEO. “Now with the life of ZKTL, anyone can confirm who they are and what they have achieved on multiple platforms, but no central gathering sees their personal information.”
By relying on cryptographic proof rather than physical biometric technology, human protocols position themselves as a privacy-conscious alternative to WorldCoin and other “human proof” projects.
The architecture of the network enables developers to build a social platform with Sybil, reputation-based marketplace and AI “human checks” without collecting or storing sensitive user data. Sybil attacks occur when a person or entity creates multiple false identities in the network, usually to obtain rewards such as Airdrop or disproportionate control over network operations.
