Humanity Protocol has launched a zero-knowledge Transport Layer Security (zkTLS) solution allowing people to prove they meet certain requirements—such as holding a valid airline loyalty account or having reviewed a job listing—without sharing the underlying information.
The release marks a direct challenge to biometric-based systems like Worldcoin’s iris-scanning model, with the company branding itself as a privacy-focused Worldcoin competitor. Sensitive data remains in the user’s browser, never reaching centralized servers.
“Our mainnet release turns decentralized identity into practical infrastructure,” — Terence Kwok, Founder and CEO, Humanity Protocol. “With zkTLS now live, anyone can confirm who they are and what they have achieved across multiple platforms, yet no central party ever sees their personal information.”
By sidestepping biometric collection, the Worldcoin competitor hopes to win over privacy-conscious users wary of centralized data storage and biometric leaks.
Building a portable, verifiable reputation layer
Initially, the zkTLS framework will allow travelers to connect frequent-flyer and loyalty program accounts to a unified “Human ID.” This portable identity layer can be used across Web2 and Web3 platforms, enabling a single verified status for airline bookings, event access, and online communities.
The system supports credentials from financial institutions, universities, and professional bodies, expanding its utility beyond travel. This flexibility, the company says, is a competitive advantage over other Worldcoin competitor projects that focus solely on proof-of-humanity for airdrops or network governance.
Kwok emphasized that this approach addresses the growing need for Sybil resistance—preventing single actors from creating multiple fake identities to exploit rewards or manipulate voting power.
Distancing from biometrics in the proof-of-human race
The Worldcoin competitor stakes its differentiation on cryptographic proofs rather than biometric scans. This design choice comes amid ongoing debate over the ethics and security of collecting physical identifiers like fingerprints or iris patterns.
“Substituting biometrics with zero-knowledge proofs is a fundamental step toward safer identity systems,” — Marta Belcher, Chair, Filecoin
Foundation, in a recent panel on decentralized identity standards. “It reduces the attack surface and eliminates the risk of irrevocable data breaches.”
This stance is likely to resonate with regulators and privacy advocates as scrutiny grows over biometric data handling. By avoiding the storage of personal details, the Worldcoin competitor also sidesteps some compliance complexities tied to data protection laws such as the EU’s GDPR.
Roadmap: expanding infrastructure and use cases
Looking ahead, Humanity Protocol plans to roll out its node infrastructure in additional regions, enabling faster verification speeds and greater network resilience. Future applications include on-chain ticketing, decentralized governance systems, and AI-driven humanity checks—all built to resist Sybil attacks without revealing user identities.
The team believes these features will strengthen its standing as a viable Worldcoin competitor capable of serving both consumer and enterprise markets.
Industry analysts note that the ability to integrate with existing loyalty and credential systems could accelerate adoption.
“If they can onboard established brands and institutions early, they’ll have a compelling network effect against other Worldcoin competitor initiatives,” — Daniel Khoo, Senior Research Analyst, Chainalysis.
For now, zkTLS represents a new front in the competition to build secure, scalable, and privacy-conscious identity systems—one where the Worldcoin competitor model is gaining momentum.