"Identity is assets"... Mesa Li, Humanity Protocol depicts the future of decentralized digital trust

Mesari Research Institute’s recent report analyzes that the decentralized identity protocol Humanity Protocol, based on palm biometrics, is expected to establish a new standard for digital trust through its privacy-preserving authentication and resistance to witch attacks structures. The report points out that the project combines zero-knowledge proof technology to securely verify human uniqueness and identity, supporting trusted infrastructure applicable to various use cases.

Humanity Protocol was founded by Terence Kwok, with design guidance from industry leaders such as Yat Siu of Animoca Brands and Sandeep Nailwal of Polygon Labs. This blockchain-based identity verification system identifies unique human presence by scanning palm veins and patterns, and does not store data directly but generates a “Human ID” through encrypted hashes. The resulting ID can be used to create trust proofs, allowing verification of age, residence, income, and other information without exposing personal data. Mesari explains that this structure addresses privacy invasion issues inherent in traditional KYC methods and broadens integration points across industries.

The protocol particularly anticipates expanding deployment beyond mobile app registration by introducing hardware palm scanners and promoting a transition to decentralized physical infrastructure networks. These devices can seamlessly be used offline and online in scenarios such as ticketing, payments, and identity verification, and perform on-chain verification via their proprietary zkProofer nodes while maintaining privacy. Node operators participate based on H tokens as incentives; violations of specific standards result in fines, following the system’s design.

Humanity Protocol received over $300 million in seed funding in 2024, with a valuation exceeding $10 billion, raising funds from global investors such as Pantera Capital, Jump Crypto, and Hashed. Subsequently, it secured over $50 million through follow-up financing. Additionally, in June 2025, the protocol acquired the on-chain ticketing platform Moongate, expanding its application case to physical credential verification; in November of the same year, it established a partnership with Mastercard to enhance applications related to financial information privacy protection.

The core product of the protocol—trust proofs—enables biometric-based human verification, preventing abuse of authentication systems by bots or deepfakes. Specifically, it utilizes zk-TLS technology to perform encrypted identity attribute proofs based on TLS communication without relying on centralized servers, allowing users to access applications without revealing personal information. Mesari assesses that this technology will also be effective in addressing regional regulations and privacy login issues in the future.

To date, over 2 million “Human IDs” have been registered. The H tokens are distributed via fair airdrops based on the anti-witch attack structure to genuine users. Its reward structure is carefully balanced across node operators, users, verifiers, and the entire ecosystem, with plans to gradually introduce decentralized validator consensus mechanisms in governance.

Mesari believes that the structure of Humanity Protocol is poised to become the cornerstone of future global digital identity infrastructure, addressing both user privacy protection and digital trust. The report further notes that the protocol’s integration with identity finance products, educational certification, gaming asset distribution, and other practical use cases is increasing, solidifying its position as a core component of the decentralized economy system.