Concordium’s CEO on The Future of Digital Identity Is Privacy and Programmable Money
What in the event you may show your age on-line with out ever revealing your title, birthday, or ID? In an unique interview, Boris Bohrer‑Bilowitzki—CEO of Concordium—explains how the corporate’s blockchain platform leverages zero‑data proofs to embed digital identification immediately on the protocol degree. This innovation permits privateness‑preserving verification and programmable cash, opening the door to a basically new digital paradigm. Bohrer‑Bilowitzki delves into how this expertise may redefine belief, streamline actual‑world interactions, and ship a safer, extra seamless digital expertise for on a regular basis customers.
Boris, are you able to please introduce your self and Concordium?
I’m Boris Bohrer‑Bilowitzki, CEO of Concordium. We function a layer‑1 blockchain distinguished by two core distinctive promoting propositions. First, identification is embedded immediately into the bottom layer. This permits customers to work together throughout the ecosystem in a totally privateness‑preserving method by way of zero‑data proofs.
On the opposite aspect, we’ve what we name PLTs, protocol-level tokens, which permit issuance particularly geared towards stablecoins, enabling full programmability options. This delivers on the core promise of programmable cash, which then integrates with the ID in what we name “confirm and pay,” or the ID by itself in “confirm and entry.”
The purpose isn’t to problem Ethereum or Solana—or any of the established gamers—in a head‑on battle. That could be futile, particularly within the DeFi house, the place the highest 70 tasks largely replicate each other. Instead, we’re centered on onboarding new customers by abstracting away the complexities of crypto. Our first step is privateness‑preserving age verification, which is already stay throughout a number of industries, as our current bulletins exhibit.
Building on prime of that, with regard to the programmability options of protocol-level issuance, we summary away all of the dangers that good contracts inherently have once they fulfill a custodial operate. That’s how the Ethereum and Solana ecosystems are usually constructed.
And I do know a factor or two about custody, since I used to be the founding accomplice, and nonetheless am the founding accomplice, and former Chief Commercial Officer of Copper, one of the most important custodians on this planet. The concept right here is that issuing on a protocol degree, slightly than by way of good contracts, means that you can program good cash for transactions you do, whether or not in the actual world or industries like playing, gaming, grownup content material, or any transaction to pay for content material.
On the opposite hand, for extra advanced transactions comparable to commerce and finance, the place the time worth of cash is necessary, it provides stablecoins, at present missing use instances within the type of tokenized cash market funds or any yield-bearing stablecoin, an precise goal. And that’s the venture.
How does Concordium embed digital ID on the protocol degree with out compromising person privateness?
That’s the core of all of it. Privacy is essential to us as a result of, on the finish of the day, you gained’t get customers within the crypto world in the event you don’t implement it in any respect. And in the event you ignore compliance-related requirements with regard to ID, you gained’t get regulators onboard.
Concordium’s method is that you just undergo a verification course of as soon as when getting into the ecosystem, finished by traditional identification suppliers, like Notabene. Notabene certifies that the doc you current to onboard is legitimate. But right here’s the magical half: Concordium at no level has entry to the info; the chain doesn’t see it. What occurs is that the road objects of that identification are cryptographically hashed into an identification object tied to your pockets.
So, for instance, usually you’ll see Boris Bohrer-Bilowitzki, driver’s license, birthday, and so on., however when interacting in an ecosystem, you don’t need to reveal your title or actual doc. If we take age verification as a easy instance, the service provider solely must know in the event you’re over 18. Using zero-knowledge proofs, from a pockets that solely you management, you may show this with out ever exhibiting your private information. That’s how privateness is carried out.
If age verification could possibly be utterly invisible, how would that change the Internet for customers?
The manner individuals at present work together on-line, they must undergo some onboarding course of in all places, which is ridiculous. The concept needs to be that you just don’t have to show your title or exercise simply to entry a service. Yes, you want compliance when proving age, and rightly so, particularly for youngsters and social media. But invisible age verification makes your life simpler, retains you personal, and stays compliant.
It’s tough to implement this, significantly with zero-knowledge proofs and ecosystem interplay, however we’ve solved that.
Could Concordium’s method to identification verification change into a worldwide normal for privacy-first authentication?
Absolutely. It relies upon on how far you need to take it. Age verification is a low-hanging fruit since your birthdate is on any government-issued doc. The secret’s doing it as soon as, not a number of instances. Interaction afterward stays personal.
We’re already experimenting with extra advanced KYC use instances. For instance, onboarding to banks requires greater than a driver’s license photograph. You may hash your identification to a pockets in a manner that means that you can open a checking account with one click on, scanning a QR code, with out repeatedly submitting paperwork. Layers exist behind this for KYC reliance, however the basis is there. So sure, this method may change into a regular for privacy-first authentication globally.
How do you persuade regulators that privateness doesn’t imply loneliness?
Privacy is just not the identical as anonymity. Crypto usually emphasizes full anonymity, which regulators don’t settle for, forcing providers to repeat KYC checks. We deliver our options to regulators, for instance, on age verification, together with retailers and cost service suppliers. They’ve given us the inexperienced mild, recognizing this as the very best resolution they’ve seen.
It’s a step-by-step course of. Convincing regulators entails proving that rules are upheld. After years of lagging behind, regulators are embracing expertise that secures compliance whereas respecting privateness. For instance, the UK Online Safety Act is strict, and Ofcom ensures it’s enforced. Concordium’s resolution helps resolve these issues effectively, decreasing person friction whereas satisfying regulatory necessities.
Could zero-knowledge proofs finally change conventional ID checks in all places, from banks to bars?
My quick reply is sure. Implementation is essential. For instance, bars and film theaters at present examine IDs manually. Banks do the identical with paper data. Over-regulation usually exists as a result of there’s no expertise to simplify it. Zero-knowledge proofs present privateness whereas satisfying regulators, enabling belief with out exposing private data. Sovereign identification plus privacy-preserving expertise is the way in which ahead, and regulators agree that they simply want assurance that rules are being upheld.
How do you reply to critics who say blockchain-based identification is just too advanced for on a regular basis customers?
I’m not stunned. Current implementations in Ethereum or comparable networks are dangerous. Complexity is usually misunderstood; the blockchain itself shouldn’t be seen, it ought to simply work. Industry members should make tooling simpler.
Explaining seed phrases or personal keys to on a regular basis customers, like your aunt, is futile. That’s why individuals lose entry to funds. Complexity may be solved. At Concordium, blockchain is invisible; customers arrange an ID in our app and work together with providers like age verification. Other performance follows.
The crypto ecosystem exhibits indicators of stagnation. With month-to-month dApp customers caught at 6–7 million, it’s clear that blockchain’s complexity has saved most customers at arm’s size. But individuals already use advanced techniques like finance with out absolutely understanding them. Blockchain can resolve these real-world issues. The secret’s tooling and usability. Identity options don’t should be advanced if the appliance is intuitive.
Are there any inventive use instances for privacy-preserving IDs past age verification, like voting or social media?
Governance is one compelling instance. Imagine identification‑primarily based voting techniques the place privateness is preserved and a person’s stake within the ecosystem immediately influences outcomes. In social media, privateness‑preserving identification verification may allow platforms to ship content material aligned with customers’ verified preferences—slightly than relying on algorithmic manipulation. Beyond that, blockchain expertise unlocks totally new product classes beforehand deemed not possible, weaving a reliable basis for innovation.
What’s the most important trade-off between privateness and comfort in your system? How do you resolve it?
There is all the time a trade-off. Even cypherpunks undergo KYC to entry stablecoins. Privacy doesn’t imply anonymity; it’s good to confirm paperwork as soon as, and the info shouldn’t be shared throughout the ecosystem. Our system balances comfort and privateness: customers confirm as soon as, stay personal, and regulators are glad. Overemphasizing anonymity prevents adoption and regulatory compliance. We skew towards comfort whereas preserving core privateness guarantees.
Could Concordium’s resolution redefine what it means to belief a web-based service?
Yes, and it already does. Trust stems from proving attributes—comparable to age—with out revealing pointless private information. For occasion, when it’s good to confirm the authenticity of on-line content material or interactions, Concordium permits trustless, privateness‑preserving proof. It repeatedly verifies attributes throughout the ecosystem, redefining how we perceive belief within the digital world.
If Concordium succeeds, what tangible variations will the typical web person expertise of their digital life?
Their expertise might be smoother and safer. Users can work together on-line with out unnecessarily exposing private information. For occasion, in grownup content material situations, there’s no want to fret about AI age estimation or disclosing delicate private data. Concordium permits trustless interactions that confirm person attributes whereas preserving privateness, finally making the web and digital life safer for everybody.
The publish Concordium’s CEO on The Future of Digital Identity Is Privacy and Programmable Money appeared first on Metaverse Post.
