SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 25, 2025 — Today, Self Protocol, an identity primitive that leverages zero-knowledge proofs to enable Sybil-resistant token distributions launches following the acquisition of OpenPassport by Self Labs. Self Labs was started by Celo core team members early 2024 to provide essential infrastructure for verifying human identity while preserving individual privacy, with the capacity to scale for hundreds of millions of users—an objective that has become even more important with the proliferation of agentic activity onchain and thousands of new tokens launching each day.

"Every project launching onchain today faces the same challenge: how to ensure their applications reach unique users without compromising privacy," said Eric Nakagawa, CEO of Self Labs. "Our protocol gives projects the infrastructure they need to guarantee verifiable identity credentials while protecting user data without revealing any underlying information or requiring an invasive procedure—a foundation that the onchain economy, and the internet at large, has been missing."

“We’re excited to join Self Labs, combining our expertise across ZK technology and identity solutions to scale Self Protocol onchain and beyond,” said Florent Tavernier, co-founder of OpenPassport, and now, co-founder of Self Labs. “OpenPassport was created to build tools that ensure the internet of the future is run by humans, not bots, a mission we share with Self’s founding team. Sybil-resistant solutions that protect users’ most sensitive information are the key to restoring trust infrastructure and unlocking the full potential of a decentralized, digital economy.” 

Practical Applications of Zero-Knowledge Technology

Self introduces two core components built on proven cryptographic foundations:

• Pass: A verification system that allows Sybil-resistant token distributions and enables applications to verify user attributes like age or location using a passport without revealing personal data to thirdparty developers. This privacy-preserving approach ensures efficient and fair airdrops while opening new possibilities for compliance and user verification.

• Connect: Self Connect makes sending and receiving digital assets as easy as sending a text, by transforming familiar phone numbers into wallet addresses, removing traditional barriers to blockchain adoption.

The protocol has been beta-tested with select projects, demonstrating effective prevention of duplicate claims while maintaining user privacy and scalability. Currently, Self Pass & Connect have over seven million activated users around the world, with Connect users leveraging verified phone numbers as wallet addresses to transact with stablecoins and more. 

Current Applications

The protocol supports essential functions for all onchain projects:

• Privacy-preserving identity verification for Sybil-resistant token distributions - For airdrops, one passport = one claim.

• Age and country of origin verification - Identity verification of passports if the person is of a certain age and/or a citizen of a country (with support for over 174 countries) for various payment solutions where restrictions are required.

• Combatting AI Agents - Ensures only real, verified people interact with apps.

• DeFi integrations - Protocols and apps can unlock functionality based on a user’s country of origin.

Availability

As a decentralized protocol, Self is ready for immediate integration by developers and projects conducting airdrops. Learn to integrate Self into your app by visiting https://docs.self.xyz. Learn more about Self by visiting https://self.xyz. 

Download the Self app below:

• iOS: Apple App Store

• Android: Google Play Store

For partnership inquiries, contact: team@self.xyz.

About Self Labs

self.xyz