Billions.Network Launches Privacy-Focused Digital ID Platform to Rival Worldcoin

Billions.Network Launches Privacy-Focused Digital ID to Rival Sam Altman's Worldcoin - Decrypt

Billions.Network has launched a digital identity verification platform designed to offer a non-biometric and privacy-focused alternative to existing verification systems, including Sam Altman's crypto project, World. The platform, which utilizes zero-knowledge proof tech, seeks to provide a scalable and secure method for verifying both human and AI identities. The company said more than 9,000 projects, including TikTok, Top Doctors, and World -- previously Worldcoin -- have implemented its underlying verification framework, Circom. Financial institutions such as Deutsche Bank and HSBC have also tested the system in proof-of-concept trials, the company told Decrypt. The launch comes amid growing regulatory scrutiny of digital identity systems and increasing concerns over AI-driven fraud, including deepfakes, Sybil attacks, and bot activity. Billions.Network's verification model allows users to confirm their identity without storing biometric data, addressing privacy concerns associated with alternative systems. "Billions is creating a world where each human can be uniquely identified and unlock personalized benefits in the age of AI with verification solutions that are universally accessible and scalable," Evin McMullen, CEO and co-founder of Billions.Network said. Unlike some biometric-based verification models, the platform does not require proprietary hardware and offers token-based incentives for users. The company said it is working with the Indian government to integrate its system with Aadhaar, the country's national identity framework. Billions.Network was developed by the team behind Privado ID, a firm specializing in institutional verification solutions. The project originated as PolygonID, a digital identity system built on the Polygon blockchain, before expanding into a broader verification network.

World competitor Billions Network launches non-biometric digital ID

Billions Network has launched a digital identification platform that doesn't require users to hand over their biometric data, a move the company says preserves privacy and goes against the grain of competing projects like Sam Altman's World. According to a Feb. 28 announcement, Billions Network has created a universally accessible verification platform for humans and AI agents that's based on Circom, its zero-knowledge verification technology. The company claims that its verification system has already been tested by financial institutions Deutsche Bank and HSBC. More than 9,000 projects, including TikTok and World, have used Circom technology, Billions Network said. The platform was launched in response to the growing challenge users face in verifying their digital footprints in an age where AI deepfakes, Sybil attacks and scams are on the rise. Billions Network also launched its platform in response to the growing concern around projects like World, formerly known as Worldcoin. The company's controversial iris scans have sparked major privacy concerns and raised questions about widescale biometric data collection. In response to these concerns, Brazil's data protection watchdog recently put limitations on how World collects its biometric data. Related: Microsoft is boosting capacity to support OpenAI's GPT-4-5, GPT-5 models Projects like Billions Network and World are gaining traction at a time when bots and AIs are flooding the internet with low-quality content and misinformation -- both of which threaten to reduce authentic user engagement. As Cointelegraph reported, it's estimated that between 5% and 15% of accounts on social media platform X are bots. At the same time, Facebook purges its platform of millions of fake user accounts every quarter. Despite all the benefits of AI, the emerging technology is making crypto scams more scalable and profitable. A February report by blockchain analytics firm Chainalysis said 2025 could be the worst year for crypto scams due to the growth of generative AI. "GenAI is amplifying scams, the leading threat to financial institutions, by enabling high-fidelity, low-cost, and highly scalable fraud that exploits human vulnerabilities," said Chainalysis' Elad Fouks.

Billions.Network launches universally accessible verification platform for humans and AI

Billions.Network, intended to be a universal human and AI network, is launching to transform digital identity verification. More than 9,000 projects across Web2 and Web3 are already using Billions' zero-knowledge verification technology, known as Circom. Zero-knowledge proofs are a way to verify the veracity of someone's identification or trustworthiness without having to see their private information at every single encounter. It's a bit like how you can be trusted via TSA precheck in the airport safe areas such as airport gates or security checkpoints. If you're in there, you can be trusted and don't have to show your fingerprints. The Billions.Network projects include work for global platforms like TikTok, Top Doctors, and WorldCoin, a crypto verification project cofounded by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. Billions.Network says it can deliver a verification system that is scalable, private, and secure. Billions is launching as a direct response to consumer demand and growing regulatory pressure for more accessible, secure, and mobile-first verification systems. Deutsche Bank and HSBC have already tested Billions' institutional-grade verification system in several tests, demonstrating its capability and viability at scale. "The fundamental mission of Billions.Network is to enable users to prove their humanity, access a plethora of benefits, and provide legal, safe proof-of-uniqueness anytime, anywhere, and for everyone," said Evin McMullen, CEO of Billions, in a statement. "Billions is creating a world where each human can be uniquely identified and unlock personalized benefits in the age of AI with verification solutions that are universally accessible and scalable." In a world where AI advancements occur almost daily, with the recent reveal and meteoric rise of DeepSeek as a prime example, it is becoming increasingly more challenging to verify the authenticity of people's digital identities. Mounting global issues such as AI deepfakes, pig butchering scams, botting, Sybil attacks, unfair airdrop distributions, and others repeatedly highlight the pressing need for a secure and frictionless digital identity and proof-of-uniqueness solution that preserves users' privacy and personal information. Billions addresses this by providing attestations that verify human identities, while also validating AI agents through cryptographically proving their training models and data sources -- critical information for establishing trust in AI interactions. Many of the existing and forthcoming decentralized identity solutions still face significant challenges, including concerns over intrusiveness due to the collection of detailed biometric data, as well as limitations in terms of geography and technology. Additionally, issues such as a lack of accessibility, privacy, and scalability remain present in the space, along with broader concerns around the dystopian nature of extensive data aggregation. The Billions ecosystem was designed to tackle each of these challenges from the ground up, resulting in a global and universally accessible network that doesn't require proprietary hardware of any kind. Billions aims to provide a highly interoperable digital verification service that respects people's right to privacy, allows users complete control over their data, and rewards them for engagement via token airdrops and varied loyalty programs. From the team behind Privado ID, Billions builds on the firm's proven track record in institutional verification, including several joint proof-of-concepts with major financial institutions like Deutsche Bank, HSBC, focusing on advanced KYC solutions that offer significant cost savings with efficient user onboarding. Privado ID works alongside Billions to onboard organizations and governmental partners, and runs on any EVM-compatible chain. The project grew based on market demand for identity verification solutions, including age confirmations, content authenticity, protection against Sybil and bot attacks, and the ability to counteract the rapidly growing volume of AI-generated content. Following its initial development as PolygonID as a core Polygon core solution, and subsequently branching out as Privado ID to serve the broader ecosystem, the team quickly identified the need for a community-first, universally accessible verification network. The project leverages the team's deep expertise in zero-knowledge proofs and identity solutions, building on Billions' development of Circom as a technology and part of the Iden3 protocol -- technology that has become the de facto standard for zero-knowledge programming. Leveraging Privado ID's years of experience, research, and development in the digital identity sphere, Billions will not only offer frictionless credential interoperability and reusability across the world but will also take into account local laws, regulations, and standards. The platform is working with the Government of India to make Aadhar -- India's official government identification system -- secure, universally accessible, and optimized for AI-based systems.