Digital ID Without the Data: ZK Protocol Raises $9M for Privacy-First Future

Self Labs, a leading zero-knowledge (ZK) identity protocol, has secured $9 million in seed funding to accelerate development of its privacy-preserving identity infrastructure. The round, led by Greenfield Capital and SoftBank's Startup Capital Ventures x SBI Fund, attracted participation from prominent Web3 figures and institutional investors, including Sreeram Kannan (EigenLayer), Sandeep Nailwal (Polygon), and Casey Neistat according to the announcement. The funding follows growing demand for ZK-powered solutions to combat sybil attacks, ensure OFAC compliance, and verify human identity without exposing sensitive data as research shows.

Self's platform leverages zero-knowledge proofs and verifiable credentials to enable users to confirm attributes like age, residency, or national ID status without revealing personal information according to company sources. The protocol supports biometric passports from 129 countries, national ID cards from 35 countries, and India's Aadhaar system, which covers over 1.4 billion users according to the report. Light-weight alternatives like Self Connect, which uses mobile phone numbers for onboarding, further expand accessibility as per company data. The company has already integrated with major platforms including Google, Aave, and Velodrome, powering use cases ranging from token distribution to age verification.

A key component of the seed raise is the launch of a points-based rewards program to incentivize on-chain identity verification. Users earn points for verified activities across partner platforms, with future integrations expected to broaden earning opportunities according to market analysis. Eric Nakagawa, CEO and co-founder of Self, emphasized the protocol's role in addressing industry needs for secure, privacy-first verification, stating, "The growing adoption of our infrastructure validates that ZK-powered solutions are the answer".

The funding will also support the ZK Identity Residency program, which brought 15 developers from seven countries to San Francisco to collaborate on product and engineering initiatives according to company reports. With regulatory readiness and scalability at the core of its design, Self aims to establish itself as a foundational layer for the "future of the internet" according to the company's vision.