Humanity Protocol Launches Foundation, Challenging World’s Approach to Privacy in Digital ID

Humanity Protocol Steps Closer to Token Launch with New Foundation

Humanity Protocol is gaining momentum ahead of its token generation event (TGE), recently marking a key milestone with the launch of the Humanity Foundation on 14 January 2025.

The foundation, helmed by industry leaders such as Yat Siu, Chairman of Animoca Brands, serves as a strategic move to bolster the protocol’s decentralised identity ecosystem and expand its reach.

What is Humanity Protocol?

Humanity Protocol focuses on providing decentralised identity (DID) solutions paired with zero-knowledge proofs (ZK-proofs).

These technologies enable users to authenticate their identities securely, without revealing sensitive personal data, ensuring privacy throughout the process.

Biometrics are incorporated into the system, allowing users to supplement their identity with additional credentials such as employment history, education, and social reputation, further personalising the digital identity without compromising security.

How Does Humanity Protect Your Privacy?

A standout feature of Humanity Protocol is its robust approach to data security.

Founder Terence Kwok made it clear that unlike traditional systems, biometric data will not be stored on any central server.

Terence Kwok is the founder of Humanity Protocol and a tech entrepreneur from Hong Kong.

Instead, biometric information will be encrypted and stored on Humanity’s zkProofers or distributed nodes, ensuring a level of decentralisation that protects users from data breaches and misuse.

Kwok explained,

“Humanity ensures that identity attestations, such as biometrics, aren’t stored on any centralised server,”

This decentralised framework prioritises the control and ownership of personal data by users, setting Humanity apart from other digital identity systems.

Palm Scans vs. Iris Scans: How Does Humanity Differ from World

While both Humanity Protocol and its competitor World (formerly Worldcoin) aim to provide solutions for proof of personhood (PoP), their approaches to biometric verification are significantly different.

Humanity has chosen palm recognition technology, which is less invasive and considered more privacy-friendly compared to iris scanning used by World.

As Terence Kwok points out,

“Palm scans are more user-friendly while maintaining a high level of security. Users are far more familiar with biometric authentication involving their palm and fingerprints than their iris code.”

In contrast, World, co-founded by OpenAI's Sam Altman, has opted for iris scanning technology that uses mathematical pattern recognition techniques on video images of an individual's iris.

While World has already verified 10 million individuals, Humanity argues that palm recognition offers stronger privacy protections and is easier for users to engage with.

Privacy Concerns: Humanity vs. World

Humanity’s focus on user privacy has led to some outspoken criticisms of World’s methods.

Mario Nawfal, founder of International Blockchain Consulting and a board member of the Humanity Foundation, posted on social media calling World’s approach a “privacy nightmare.”

A picture of Altman, portrayed as a stormtrooper in a dystopian digital wasteland, accompanied the post, reflecting his concerns about the world’s privacy practices.

Humanity Protocol’s official account responded in a follow-up post, positioning itself as the antithesis to World’s more invasive methods, stating,

“There is a decentralized, privacy-focused, human-centric way of building digital identity.”

The Future of Digital Identity

With its foundation now launched, Humanity Protocol is gearing up for future expansion, aiming to drive innovation in decentralised identity verification.

Humanity Protocol’s roadmap

According to a blog post, the foundation will fund research and development, exploring new use cases and accelerating the global adoption of decentralised identities.

Yeewai Chong, interim CEO of the Humanity Foundation, added,

“Biometrics provide the ideal starting point for building a secure, decentralized identity system.”

The inclusion of biometric data in its identity framework further sets Humanity apart, as it integrates multiple human attributes into a single, privacy-first solution.

As the digital identity sector heats up, Humanity Protocol is positioning itself to compete with World and other market players.

As Humanity put it in their blog post,

“We’re gearing up to make big moves in 2025.”

They made it clear that the battle for privacy-first digital identities is just getting started.