Blog:
Who is HUMAN for? Grants use case: Proof of HUMANity
A decentralized world must invent new ways to ensure security. Blockchains themselves do just that; and while they are very good at determining the validity of transactions within the network, in and of themselves they have no way of knowing who is behind them.
One resulting problem is the influence of malicious bots. In order to create a truly secure, functionable, and effective Web 3.0, we need to prevent bots from influencing networks. Proof of HUMANity is the first and only on-chain bot-blocker, leveraging the CAPTCHA style challenges which have been so effective in Web 2.0, and bringing them on-chain.
Decentralized networks only work where trust is removed; Proof of HUMANity contributes to this trustless ecosystem. It is our contribution to making the blockchain world more HUMAN.
This article is part four in a series, Who is HUMAN for?, which begins with ML startups looking to create datasets, then new and existing projects looking to tokenize work, followed by using HUMAN as a system for global Q&As.
The first application of Proof of HUMANity was to the Metamask wallet. You can read about the integration, and our how to piece on getting looped in.
Metamask is the first of many potential integrations. Each hot wallet could benefit from using Proof of HUMANity to provide a checkpoint for the ecosystem, stopping bots at source. Whether these are Layer 1 blockchains looking to secure their native wallets, or those such as Metamask, is unimportant: Proof of HUMANity offers protection for all.
“Some form of (secure, decentralized, robust) proof-of-unique-human is going to be a very valuable primitive for applications in the years to come.” Vitalik Buterin
Proof of HUMANity is built for the future. It is essential that DApp developers know that a human is interacting with their applications; it is essential for the entire validity of the blockchain ecosystem that humanness is established. It is, as Vitalik says, a ‘primitive’, something that is going to be a base-level requirement. Without it, both trust in the system, and the effectiveness of the system (which are one-in-the-same), will crumble. Read Vitalik’s paper for an in-depth analysis of why such a proof of human solution will be required.
Votes by HUMANs. Decentralization must secure itself by ensuring that bots do not manipulate voting procedures. Ensuring all voters are human should be a fundamental requirement for all decentralized governance protocols.
Looking ahead, Proof of HUMANity could help form governance mechanisms of the future.
The current model of governance by tokens signals an improvement on existing web 2 models; in fact, such a system of skin-in-the-game aligns interests, and is what makes web 3 so appealing to so many. Giving governance to those who own, and create value for, a network is the foundation of crypto.
That said, there is a risk of ending up in an all too familiar situation; one in which those with the greatest financial strength end up holding all the (private) keys. For more on this, read Vitalik’s blog post on governance, in which he claims:
“We need to move beyond coin voting as it exists in its present form.”
Proof of HUMANity could complement a further uniqueness test to facilitate new forms of governance, such as a one vote per HUMAN system.
Markets are built on faith. Bots disintegrate it by, for example, front-running, or pumping prices of a token. Such problems do nothing to help the future of a sustainable, decentralized ecosystem.
The rise of digital ownership raises two important use cases for Proof of HUMANity. First of all, creation: Proof of HUMANity could ensure, if needed, that the creator of a piece of art is human, rather than AI (although this, too, could be appealing in the right context). More importantly, however, it could secure the bidding process.
As with DEXs, the market needs to have faith in the pricing of a given asset. What is pricing, except the consequence of bidding? On-chain auctions are becoming more popular with NFTs; how does a buyer know that they are not competing with a bot that can simply drive them to bid higher and higher on a product? Such a scenario distorts the entire concept of bidding, pricing, and transparency upon which blockchain wishes to be founded.
In that, Proof of HUMANity is the ultimate compliment to blockchain; a way to add a much needed layer of protection to allow blockchains to deliver on their promise of transparency, and fairness.
HUMAN Protocol has brought bot-blocking on-chain to provide a decentralized solution to decentralized networks. With application across a range of use cases, Proof of HUMANity can be integrated by anyone looking to build blockchain native solutions of the future; a future, which we will only get to if true trust, and faith, in the networks is assured.
For the latest updates on HUMAN Protocol, follow us on Twitter or join our Discord. Alternatively, to enquire about integrations, usage, or to learn more about how HUMAN Protocol supports machine-learning technologies, get in contact with the HUMAN team.
Legal Disclaimer
The HUMAN Protocol Foundation makes no representation, warranty, or undertaking, express or implied, as to the accuracy, reliability, completeness, or reasonableness of the information contained here. Any assumptions, opinions, and estimations expressed constitute the HUMAN Protocol Foundation’s judgment as of the time of publishing and are subject to change without notice. Any projection contained within the information presented here is based on a number of assumptions, and there can be no guarantee that any projected outcomes will be achieved.
