Aave Integrates Self ZK Proof-of-Humanity, Offering Increased Yield to Verified Humans

Leading decentralized non-custodial liquidity protocol Aave today deployed its integration of Self, enhancing proof-of-humanity verification without compromising user privacy. While reward campaigns can serve as a powerful method of incentivizing new entrants to the DeFi ecosystem, fair distribution is often undermined by individuals creating multiple wallets and claiming disproportionate allocations.

This is why Aave turns to cutting-edge zero-knowledge (ZK) solutions to bolster its support for real, verified humans. Integrating Self’s zk proof-of-humanity (zkPoH) and identity verification solutions unlocks incentive campaigns that distribute rewards only to wallets tied to a single real, verified person, eliminating the risk of a single user with multiple wallets claiming the majority of a rewards pool.

Since launching at EthDenver earlier this year, leading Web2 and Web3 projects including Google Cloud, Para, Velodrome, and Farcaster have looked to Self for ZK-powered identity and proof-of-humanity solutions. By supporting government-issued biometric passports and ID cards from 129 and 35 countries, respectively, Self is expanding access throughout the world to seamless identity solutions that protect user privacy.

Self’s partnership with Aave marks a step forward in bringing sybil-resistance and humanity verification tools to DeFi protocols, ensuring that users can validate their unique identity without revealing personal information. Through the integration, Aave users who supply USDT and WETH can double their yield by confirming their humanity via Self. This integration will initially be live on Celo.

“Aave is setting the standard for DeFi risk management with features like borrow and supply caps, and we’re proud to support the continued growth of the platform through the introduction of ZK proof-of-humanity verification,” said Eric Nakagawa, CEO and co-founder of Self. “Offering enhanced yield to real, verified humans is an exciting application of Self’s capabilities, introducing the Web3 ecosystem to the benefits that privacy-preserving identity solutions offer.”

The campaign is launched in partnership with the Stabila Foundation, a community-funded initiative dedicated to increasing the adoption and real-world use cases of stablecoins.

Aave’s deployment expands the real-world applications of Self, which include the recently announced integration by Google Cloud to support identity proof-of-humanity for its AI-powered Web3 search platform, sybil-resistance for its Testnet Faucet, and the forthcoming launch of a first-its-kind Mainnet Faucet leveraging Self’s OFAC list’s exclusion proofs for sanctions screening.

Aave’s integration, which follows Self’s partnership with decentralized exchange and liquidity marketplace Velodrome, announced during EthCC, is ushering in the next wave of DeFi innovation, addressing the need for humanity and identity verification without compromising user privacy.