PRE-KYC

Stop Paying for

KYC Failures

Filter out ineligible applicants

before they become billable.

Filter out ineligible applicants

before they become billable.

Use Zero-Knowledge Proofs to verify age, nationality, and sanctions status—locally, privately, and at a fraction of the cost.

Request early access

trusted by the best

The high cost of "no"

Every year, financial institutions spend millions on KYC checks for users who were never eligible to begin with. Whether it’s an expired document, a restricted nationality, or an underage applicant, the result is the same:

Wasted Spend

You pay your KYC provider for every check, even the immediate failures.

Friction

Users go through a high-friction document upload only to be rejected.

Data Bloat

You pay your KYC provider for every check, even the immediate failures.

KYC is a growth tax

Especially painful for global products or high-volume platforms.

Data Liability

Traditional KYC requires collecting and storing sensitive personal data.

Vulnerable to modern threats

Once a bad actor passes KYC, they often gain persistent access.

Note to Self

Learn more about where traditional KYC falls short

Read the story

Introducing

PRE-KYC

The privacy-preserving, cryptographic "pre-check" that sits at the top of your onboarding funnel.

Filter out ineligible applicants before they become billable. Use Zero-Knowledge Proofs to verify age, nationality, and sanctions status—locally, privately, and at a fraction of the cost. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur.

The privacy-preserving, cryptographic "pre-check" that sits at the top of your onboarding funnel.

Before an expensive manual or automated KYC review is triggered, Self verifies categorical eligibility gates using the user’s smartphone and biometric ID.

180

supported countries via electronic passport + NFC‑based verification.

$21M+

in fraud and chargeback exposure prevented across the Self customer base.

12M+

verified human proofs delivered for apps, protocols, and AI agents.

100% Local

Proofs are generated via users’ mobile Self app. No PII shared without user consent.

Categorical Gates

Instantly verify Age >18, Nationality, Allow/Deny lists (eg OFAC), and Document Validity.

Fractional Cost

Reduce your KYC bill by up to 30% by only paying for applicants who have already passed the "binary gates."

Get started

in minutes

Get started in minutes

Whether you're rolling out a global integration or a localized pilot, Pre-KYC does the heavy lifting so you can focus on user acquisition.

Developer docs

Explore quick start guides, code snippets, UX sandbox. and more.

Developer docs

Embed Pre-KYC

Add the Self Pre-KYC Frame to your onboarding flow using the Self SDK. The Pre-KYC frame displays a simple call to action that requests information about your user's identity.

Talk to an expert

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import { SelfAgentVerifier } from "@selfxyz/agent-sdk";
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import express from "express";
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const app = express();
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const verifier = new SelfAgentVerifier();
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app.use("/api", verifier.auth());
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app.post("/api/data", (req, res) => {
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  console.log("Verified agent:", req.agent.address);
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  res.json({ ok: true });
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});

Verify an ID

After users have verified a valid ID with Self they retain complete control over their data. No PII leaves their device without their permission.

Install the Self mobile app

The easiest way for users to generate and manage their credentials

Prove

Self generates a ZK-proof that the user meets your specific requirements.

Over 18

ID is not expired

Not on a sanctions list

Proceed

Once the proof is validated, Self hands the user off to your full KYC process. If it fails, the user is blocked — and you aren't billed for full KYC.

Eliminate failed verification spend

Stop paying for attempts, only pay for successful outcomes

Tidy up your acquisition funnel

Reduce dropoffs, support tickets, and your CAC.

Drive early adopter funnels

Prescreen waitlist campaigns before launches and rollouts

Trusted by the best

Global companies like Google and Opera rely on Self's privacy-preserving tools to reduce friction and lower costs.

Google x Self

Learn how Google leverages Self to bring trusted services to more people in more places.

Trusted by the best

Global companies like Google and Opera rely on Self's privacy-preserving tools to reduce friction and lower costs.

Google x Self

Learn how Google leverages Self to bring trusted services to more people in more places.

Get early access

Pre-KYC is rolling out this spring. Sign up to get early access.

Frequently Asked Questions

Everything you need to know

What exactly is Self?

Self.xyz is zk powered identity protocol that empowers you to share proof you’re human, over the age of 18/21, not on Sanctions or OFAC lists, all without revealing your identity.

Is Self a KYC provider?

No. Self is more like a zkKYC solution - it allows users to prove specific attributes without ever sharing their full identity or documents.

What differentiates Self from KYC?

Self.xyz combines government-issued ID with zero-knowledge privacy to offer real identity without exposing personal data. Users scan their biometric passport and generate private proofs like age, names, nationality, sex, etc. - no data stored, no manual review, no risk.

Unlike other competitors we don’t require document uploads, we verify useful attributes, and covers a wide range of high-impact use cases, and not e.g. focused on elections. Self integrates easily via SDK compared to competitors and it does not rely on social reputation.

How do users sign up for Self?

Users download the Self app (iOS/Android) from self.xyz , scan the NFC chip of their biometric passport through the app, and get instantly verified.

How do Self Points work?

Points are rewarded to frequent users of the Self application. There may be some use of points in the near future.

How is the data stored (external database)?

All data is stored locally on the user’s device — never on any servers. When a user verifies their identity, a verifiable credential is created and saved securely in the app. There’s no cloud storage, no centralized database, and no way for anyone - including Self - to access the data without the user's consent.

Who can access the information?

Only the user controls access to their information. With Self, all personal data and credentials are stored locally on the user’s device - not on a central server. No one (incl. Self) can access the information unless the user chooses to disclose it. When a user shares a proof (e.g., age or country), they share only that specific fact - not their full identity or any documents. ⇒ Privacy is built in. Disclosure consent is required.

Are there options for interoperability with other systems?

Yes, Self is built with interoperability in mind. Credentials are designed to follow emerging standards, enabling cross-platform verification and potential integration with other identity frameworks, as long as those systems support open, privacy-preserving standards.

Can Self help meet compliance for airdrops, token gating, or community access?

Yes, Self enables platforms to stay compliant while preserving user privacy. With zero-knowledge proofs, users can prove facts like:
- Age eligibility (e.g., 18+ or 21+)
- Not on OFAC or sanctions lists - Uniqueness / Sybil resistance - Country of residence or exclusion

Does Self.xyz undergo third-party security audits?

Answer: Self Protocol has successfully completed a security audit conducted by zksecurityXYZ.

You can check out the full audit right here.

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