The internet is losing its human voice. Over 50% of activity on the internet is driven by bots, and the rise in generative AI is making it easier for agents to impersonate humans at a significant scale. While platforms are enacting new verification methods, many methods put users’ identity and privacy at risk. Social media users seek genuine connections, conversations, and discourse with real humans - not bot replies and misinformation. 

This is why Stratos Arampatzis and Masanori Uno are building a social network with proof-of-human verification from day one. Stratos and Masanori joined the Self ZK Residency in San Francisco, working with mentors and members of the cohort to shape the future of the project. During the residency, they integrated Self Protocol and enabled users to verify their nationality and age, the foundational building blocks for country-specific citizen communities.The residency also shaped the broader product vision. Over the course of the program, the Openbands team restructured their approach, evolving from a narrower concept into a general-purpose human-verified network, a space where humans connect with peers based on real-world credentials they own.

The work done during the ZK Residency helped kickstart the project, leading to real traction. The Self integration and the strength of the project helped Openbands become a finalist for Base Batches 002 and a winner of the Zypherpunk hackathon, judged by Balaji Srinivasan and the Network School team.

During their time at the Network School, Stratosand and Masanori launched the Network School community, where members can prove their membership and engage with peers without disclosing their real name or private information. 

Openbands is currently live in beta, with two community bands for members of the Network School and European residents to speak freely with verified users. 

To join the community today, visit openbands.xyz 

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