Zero-Knowledge Identity Startup Self Raises $9M, Introduces Points Program

Self, a zero-knowledge identity and proof-of-humanity protocol used by Google (GOOG) and Aave, said it raised $9 million in seed funding and introduced a points-based rewards program to promote on-chain identity verification.

Investors include Greenfield Capital, Startup Capital Ventures x SBI Fund (SoftBank), Spearhead VC, Verda Ventures, Fireweed Ventures and angel backers such as Casey Neistat, Sreeram Kannan (EigenLayer), Sandeep Nailwal (Polygon), Julien Bouteloup (Curve), Jill Carlson (Espresso) and Hart Lambur (Across Protocol), the company said in a press release Thursday.

Self provides privacy-preserving identity infrastructure using zero-knowledge proofs and verifiable credentials to confirm attributes like age or uniqueness without exposing personal data.

The protocol supports verification via biometric passports, national IDs and Indias Aadhaar, as well as lightweight mobile onboarding through Self Connect.

Zero-knowledge proofs let crypto users confirm something is true, like a transactions validity, without exposing any underlying details. They prove the validity of statements on blockchains without offering information that may compromise privacy.

Already integrated with Google, Aave and Velodrome, Self powers use cases from Sybil-resistant airdrops to Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC)-compliant token distributions.

The points program rewards users for verifying identity and interacting across partner platforms, with future integrations expanding earning opportunities.