ZK Identity for the Unbanked: Building Sybil-Resistant Systems Without KYC

Transcript

1. ZK Identity for the Unbanked: Building Sybil-Resistant Systems Without KYC ETH Enugu - Aug 2025
2. Idris Olubisi Developer Relations Engineer @olanetsoft
3. • Developer Relations Engineer • Cracked Dev • Founder, Web3 Afrika & Developer DAO member • Technical writer @ Freecodecamp, Section Engineering, MediaJam (Cloudinary), AppSmith, ImageKit, Aviyel, Hackmamba • Web3 technical writer @ Hashnode, LogRocket, Moralis, Alchemy, Infura
4. What will you learn in this session? • Zero Knowledge Proofs • Building a Sybil Resistance system • ZK Identity Use cases • Ecosystem Impact
5. What would a farmer need for a loan to buy seeds aside money?
6. What if the farmer doesn’t have money?
7. A Farmer Story - Okenye
8. The Problem • 1 billion people globally lack formal identity documents
9. The Problem • 1 billion people globally lack formal identity documents • 1.7 billion adults remain unbanked
10. The Problem • 1 billion people globally lack formal identity documents • 1.7 billion adults remain unbanked • Traditional KYC requirements exclude the most vulnerable
11. The Current Solution Biometric databases: Privacy nightmare, centralized control
12. The Current Solution Paper documents: Easily lost, forged, or inaccessible
13. The Current Solution Traditional KYC: Expensive, exclusive, invasive
14. Is this enough ?
15. Is this enough ? Does it work everytime ?
16. Zero-Knowledge Proofs ZK Proofs = Mathematical Magic
17. Zero-Knowledge Proofs • Prove something is TRUE • Without revealing the information itself • Like showing you have a key without displaying the key
18. ZK and Identity ?
19. Digital Identity = Unique Mathematical Fingerprint • Not your name or face
20. Digital Identity = Unique Mathematical Fingerprint • Not your name or face • Just proof you're a unique human
21. Digital Identity = Unique Mathematical Fingerprint • Not your name or face • Just proof you're a unique human • One person = One identity, guaranteed
22. Self Protocol Open-source identity protocol using ZK proofs
23. Self Protocol: Open-source identity protocol using ZK proofs How it works: • 📱 Scan your passport with phone's NFC
24. Self Protocol: Open-source identity protocol using ZK proofs How it works: • 📱 Scan your passport with phone's NFC • 🔐 Generate ZK proof locally (no data leaves device)
25. Self Protocol: Open-source identity protocol using ZK proofs How it works: • 📱 Scan your passport with phone's NFC • 🔐 Generate ZK proof locally (no data leaves device) • ✅ Share proof without revealing personal data
26. Use Cases in Action Rural Farmers • Seasonal loans without collateral • Crop insurance participation • Direct subsidy distribution
27. Use Cases in Action Cross-Border Workers • 1% remittance fees (vs 7% traditional) • No bank account needed • Instant settlement
28. Use Cases in Action Refugee Communities • Financial identity without documents • Access to aid distribution • Rebuild economic life
29. Ecosystem Benefits • For Users: Financial inclusion, privacy, dignity • For Protocols: Sybil resistance, fair distribution
30. Ecosystem Benefits • For Communities: Local economic growth • For Governments: Efficient subsidy distribution
31. Live Demo • Identity Creation • Verification • Sybil Resistance • Community Integration • Frontend: React + Self QR SDK • Backend: Node.js + Self Verifier • Smart Contracts: Solidity + Self Protocol • Privacy: Groth16 zk-SNARKs
32. Recap • ✅ Identity without documents • ✅ Privacy without compromise • ✅ Finance without banks • ✅ Inclusion without barriers
33. Together, we can bring 1 billion people into the digital economy - not by asking them to change, but by changing how identity works.
34. Thank You! @olanetsoft