Here’s a plain‑English breakdown of Humanity Protocol’s Web3 identity layer and verifiable credentials roadmap—from palm‑print pre‑enrollment to zkTLS‑powered mainnet—plus concrete integration patterns, API examples, and what decision‑makers should do in the next 90 days.

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Humanity Protocol Web3 Identity Layer and Verifiable Credentials Technology Roadmap Phases Explained

Decision‑makers aren’t shopping for identity “concepts”—you need a production‑grade, standards‑aligned trust layer you can integrate this quarter. Humanity Protocol has moved fast from a gasless testnet to a live mainnet with an identity stack that blends biometrics, zero‑knowledge proofs, and W3C Verifiable Credentials. Below we decode each roadmap phase, the tech behind it, and how to deploy it for real business outcomes.

Where Humanity Protocol stands today (January 2026)

• Mainnet is live with chain ID 6985385; the native $H token is used on mainnet and network references are available (RPC and block explorer). (docs.humanity.org)
• The network is a zkEVM rollup anchored to Ethereum for settlement, designed as a “trust‑centric” blockchain that bakes decentralized identifiers (DIDs) and verifiable credentials (VCs) into protocol‑level flows. (docs.humanity.org)
• The $H token has a fixed supply of 10 billion and powers verification rewards for zkProofer nodes, staking for identity validators, and DAO governance. (docs.humanity.org)
• In 2025, Humanity Protocol launched mainnet capabilities that connect Web2 credentials to Web3 using zero‑knowledge TLS (zkTLS)—letting users prove facts (e.g., loyalty tier) without exposing underlying data. (coindesk.com)
• Earlier momentum included a $20M round at a $1.1B FDV and large‑scale testnet usage: 6M+ Human IDs, 9.7M wallets, and 443M transactions in ~200 days. (reuters.com)
• The Humanity Foundation, chaired by leaders including Yat Siu of Animoca Brands, was established to fund R&D and ecosystem growth. (biometricupdate.com)

Why this matters: Humanity gives you a standards‑aligned identity substrate—backed by W3C DID/VCs and privacy tech—that can gate access, prevent Sybil abuse, and port real‑world trust into on‑chain systems without central data custody. (w3.org)

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The four stages: from signup to privacy‑preserving, cross‑domain identity

Below we align what shipped (and what’s next) with practical decisions for your roadmap.

Phase 1 — Human ID reservation (testnet)

What shipped

• Gasless testnet for easy onboarding and growth experiments; users reserved a unique, permanent Human ID and started earning testnet rewards. (docs.humanity.org)
• Objective: seed the network with portable identifiers and social graphs while gathering performance and anti‑abuse signals.

Why it matters for you

• Low‑friction acquisition: Pilot “identity‑aware” experiences without KYC—e.g., reducing airdrop Sybil farming or rate‑limiting bot signups.
• KPI to watch: unique Human IDs mapped to active wallets; refer‑driven growth is measurable from day one. (docs.humanity.org)

Phase 2 — Enrollment via mobile app (palm print VC + developer API)

What shipped

• Users scan a palm print in the iOS/Android app to receive a “unique human” verifiable credential; rollout prioritized high‑referral accounts. (docs.humanity.org)
• Developer API to check if an EVM address is a unique, palm‑verified human: GET /v1/human/verify with X‑HP‑API‑Key. (docs.humanity.org)
• Partnerships: OKX Wallet signup flow issues a verifiable credential, signaling an ecosystem of third‑party Identity Validators and wallet‑native issuance. (biometricupdate.com)

Practical integration

• Use the verify endpoint before account creation, governance votes, or reward claims to cut bot load and Sybil costs.

Example (server‑side):

GET https://api.humanity.org/v1/human/verify?wallet_address=0xAb5801a7D398351b8bE11C439e05C5B3259aeC9B
X-HP-API-Key: YOUR_API_KEY

Example response:

{
  "wallet_address": "0xAb5801a7D398351b8bE11C439e05C5B3259aeC9B",
  "is_human": true,
  "user_id": "123e4567-e89b-12d3-a456-426614174000"
}

Gate rewards, trial access, or voting power on is_human=true and persist user_id for deduplication. (docs.humanity.org)

What to design now

• “Step‑up” flows: start with unique‑human proof (palm print VC), then request higher‑assurance credentials (age, residency, employment) only when needed. This reduces drop‑off and data exposure while meeting policy requirements. (docs.humanity.org)

Phase 3 — Full activation via palm vein (in‑person Humanity Scanners; DePIN)

What’s being deployed

• Specialized IR scanners confirm palm vein patterns—far harder to spoof than surface prints—rolled out initially at in‑person events, then widely post‑mainnet. (docs.humanity.org)
• The DePIN model pairs low‑friction phone onboarding (visible light) with high‑assurance vein verification (infrared), while keeping raw biometrics off‑chain and on‑device with irreversible templates. (docs.humanity.org)

Why it matters

• For regulated and high‑risk use cases (RWA, large DeFi limits, real‑world access control), vein verification provides “one person, one identity” with strong liveness guarantees—without central biometric databases. (docs.humanity.org)

Phase 4 — Mainnet and beyond: zkTLS + cross‑domain VCs

What’s live

• zkTLS proves facts derived from Web2 sources (e.g., loyalty tier, degree status) to Web3 verifiers—user data never leaves the browser, and verifiers only see the minimum necessary truth. Early verticals include travel, finance, and education. (coindesk.com)
• Mainnet configuration and on‑chain tooling available for production builds (RPC, bridge, explorer). (docs.humanity.org)

What changes technically from testnet

• Additional decentralization: third‑party Identity Validators, DAO participation, and validator elections; VC issuance expands beyond “boolean human” to rich identity credentials with ZK‑verifiable presentations. (docs.humanity.org)
• Storage shifts from centralized testnet patterns to sharded, encrypted VC metadata, with non‑PII decentralized; ZKPs minimize data sharing. (docs.humanity.org)

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The identity stack: what’s under the hood

• Self‑Sovereign Identity (SSI) with DIDs and VCs, aligning to W3C standards (DID v1.0, VCDM 2.0), enabling portability and selective disclosure across ecosystems. (w3.org)
• zkEVM rollup anchored to Ethereum; proofs settle to L1 for security and interoperability. (docs.humanity.org)
• zkProofer nodes verify VCs/VPs without accessing PII; nodes earn from a rewards pool and a minimum 25% share of third‑party verification fees. (docs.humanity.org)
• Identity Validators issue domain‑specific VCs (education, employment, residency). Governance is via DAO; Validators stake $H and are subject to slashing/governance (per docs/whitepaper). (docs.humanity.org)
• Privacy design: raw palm images aren’t stored; devices compute irreversible biometric templates locally; ZK proofs and MPC/TEE patterns protect verification while enabling revocation and auditability when needed. (docs.humanity.org)

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Verifiable Credentials: patterns you can deploy now

Humanity’s VC layer rides on W3C VCDM 2.0, which formalized Data Integrity cryptosuites, JOSE/COSE security, and Bitstring Status Lists for revocation and suspension—this is crucial for long‑lived credentials like KYC, education, and workforce attestations. (w3.org)

Recommended VC types and flows

• Unique‑Human VC (Phase 2): Boolean proof for Sybil resistance (airdrop eligibility, one‑vote‑per‑person DAOs), checked via API or VC presentation. (docs.humanity.org)
• Age‑Over/Residency VC: Use selective disclosure to prove “over 18” and “in EU/US state” without sharing DOB/address; back it with an accredited Validator and Bitstring Status List for revocation. (w3.org)
• Employment/Education VC: Link HR/registrar attestations to grant pro‑tier access or fee waivers; auditors can check status without seeing underlying records. (docs.humanity.org)
• Web2‑to‑Web3 proofs via zkTLS: Validate loyalty tiers or account tenure to unlock on‑chain perks (e.g., fee discounts, allowlists) without scraping or OAuth data handoffs. (coindesk.com)

Schema and status best practices

• Adopt VCDM 2.0 terms and define credentialStatus using Bitstring Status List v1.0 for privacy‑preserving revocation checks at scale. (w3.org)
• Prefer cryptosuites with selective disclosure (Data Integrity EdDSA/ECDSA where supported; evaluate SD‑JWT for JWT ecosystems) to minimize over‑sharing. (w3.org)

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Security and privacy guardrails (and what to audit)

• Data minimization: rely on “is_human” or ZK proofs of attributes; avoid storing PII in your app. Humanity’s design keeps PII sharded and encrypted, with non‑PII decentralized. (docs.humanity.org)
• Liveness and spoof resistance: layer palm print with periodic palm vein challenges for high‑risk actions (large withdrawals, KYC upgrades). (docs.humanity.org)
• Revocation hygiene: implement near‑real‑time Bitstring status checks and short TTLs on verifiable presentations; never cache beyond policy windows. (w3.org)
• Vendor neutrality: because Humanity aligns to W3C DID/VC specs, you can maintain portability and avoid lock‑in; ensure your wallet layer supports DID Docs and VC presentation proof types you choose. (w3.org)

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A 30‑60‑90 day rollout plan for startups and enterprises

Day 0–30: Sybil resistance and friction removal

• Integrate GET /v1/human/verify before signups, rewards, and any voting mechanism. Start blocking or throttling non‑human wallets from expensive endpoints. Track bot‑mitigation impact. (docs.humanity.org)
• Run an A/B: offer fee discounts or priority support to verified humans to boost conversion without requesting PII.

Day 31–60: Step‑up credentials in critical flows

• Introduce optional Age‑Over or Residency VCs for age‑gated features or jurisdiction‑based access. Use selective disclosure VPs rather than collecting DOB/address. (w3.org)
• For loyalty and Web2 signals, pilot zkTLS proofs to port reputation without data custody (e.g., give “Gold tier” users premium DeFi rates). (coindesk.com)

Day 61–90: High‑assurance and governance

• For higher limits or RWA, require palm vein activation at partner events or kiosks to unlock “Tier 2” or “Tier 3” privileges. (docs.humanity.org)
• Implement VC revocation checks and short‑lived VPs for sensitive actions; add DAO proposals that weight votes by “unique human” while preventing sybil influence. (docs.humanity.org)

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Architecture notes for your CTO

• Network model: Humanity is a zkEVM L2 where identity is a first‑class primitive; Ethereum finality underwrites verification integrity and composability. (docs.humanity.org)
• Node roles: zkProofer nodes validate claims privately and are paid from $H rewards + a share of verification fees; plan economics assuming verification fees accrue to node operators. (docs.humanity.org)
• Storage: Encrypted VC metadata and key‑share network prevent any single operator from reconstructing user identities; design your app as “verifier” only. (docs.humanity.org)
• Governance: Prepare for Identity Validator onboarding and staking; align your compliance team with validator attestations for KYC/AML where required. (docs.humanity.org)

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Concrete examples by use case

1. Token distribution and growth

• Problem: 40–70% airdrop claims are Sybil. Solution: Require is_human=true before claim; rate‑limit non‑verified addresses; reward verified referrals. (docs.humanity.org)
• Outcome: Cut fake claims, widen distribution to real users, and improve DAO governance quality from day one.

1. Fintech/DeFi tiered access

• Problem: Need jurisdictional gating and age checks without adding KYC friction. Solution: request “AgeOver18” and “Residency:US/CA/EU” VCs with selective disclosure; surface only a pass/fail. (w3.org)
• Outcome: Satisfy policy constraints, minimize PII handling, reduce drop‑off.

1. Travel and loyalty

• Problem: You want to reward real loyalty but can’t ingest or store airline/hotel data. Solution: zkTLS proof of loyalty tier; mint on‑chain perks gated by the proof. (coindesk.com)
• Outcome: No PII custody, high‑signal perks, and measurable conversion.

1. Workforce and education

• Problem: Verify alumni, certification, or employment for discounts or role permissions. Solution: accept VCs from accredited validators; implement revocation checks via Bitstring lists. (w3.org)
• Outcome: Real‑time eligibility without document uploads.

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Emerging best practices we recommend in 2026

• Default to “minimum necessary proof.” Start with “unique human,” escalate only when policy demands it.
• Separate wallet identity from VC presentation contexts to resist correlation attacks; Humanity’s DID‑centric design helps keep wallet activity decoupled from identity claims. (docs.humanity.org)
• Treat revocation as a product feature: show users when/why a credential is suspended and guide re‑verification.
• Log VC verification events without storing payloads; record hashes, issuers, and status URIs for audits.
• Use allow‑listed Identity Validators and rotate them via DAO policy to avoid central chokepoints. (docs.humanity.org)

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Key operational details at a glance

• Testnet highlights: gasless interactions; palm verification via app; rolling enrollments favoring top referrers. Useful for UX and anti‑bot tuning. (docs.humanity.org)
• Mainnet references: chain ID 6985385; RPC and explorer endpoints available; $H symbol in wallets. (docs.humanity.org)
• Standards: W3C DID (v1.0) and VCDM 2.0 are official Recommendations—prioritize these for wallet and verifier interoperability. (w3.org)
• Growth/traction: >6M Human IDs, 9.7M wallets, 443M tx during early testnet; funding at $1.1B FDV. (biometricupdate.com)

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What to watch next

• Validator onboarding pace, DAO governance cadence, and distribution of scanner hardware (vein activation) into tier‑1 markets and events. (docs.humanity.org)
• Expansion of zkTLS partnerships (airlines, hotels, universities, fintechs) and increase in third‑party verifiers integrating Humanity’s API. (coindesk.com)
• Continued maturation of the W3C VC stack (2.0+)—e.g., Data Integrity updates and vocabulary refinements—informing your cryptosuite choices. (w3.org)

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How 7Block Labs can help

• Roadmap design: we’ll map your product’s gated actions to the minimum viable proofs, plan validator selection, and design revocation UX.
• Integration: we’ll wire the verify API, implement VP verification, and add zkTLS proof checks where you need Web2 signals without custody.
• Compliance by construction: align data flows to W3C standards and your jurisdiction’s privacy controls so you can scale without re‑architecture.

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If you take only one action this week: gate your highest‑cost flow behind Humanity’s verify endpoint, measure the Sybil reduction, and reinvest those savings in a step‑up VC flow. The teams doing this now are already seeing cheaper growth, safer governance, and a cleaner path to regulated features—with no centralized identity honeypots.