Humanity Protocol, Mastercard Partner for Biometric ID, Open Finance

Published Date : 11/5/2025 

Humanity Protocol, a proof-of-personhood framework, partners with Mastercard to offer users a faster and more secure way to verify personal data and access financial services using palm biometrics and zero-knowledge cryptography. 

Humanity Protocol, the proof-of-personhood (PoP) framework based on palm biometrics, has announced a strategic partnership with Mastercard to enhance financial data verification and access. This collaboration allows users to quickly and securely verify personal data, such as income, assets, and financial credentials, without the need for extensive paperwork.

A user seeking a faster credit approval process, for example, can provide lenders with cryptographic proof of eligibility, significantly reducing processing time and minimizing the risk of fraud. The integration of Mastercard’s open finance capabilities with Humanity Protocol’s identity verification platform, Human ID, will initially be available in the United States, with plans to expand into other markets.

Connecting Mastercard’s open finance with Humanity Protocol’s identity verification platform enables users to verify their bank account ownership and identity attributes used to link financial accounts. Thanks to selective disclosure and zero-knowledge cryptography, financial attributes can be proven without revealing raw data. This ensures user privacy while maintaining the integrity of the verification process.

Terence Kwok, the founder of Humanity Protocol, emphasizes the importance of identity in the future of finance. “We believe that identity is foundational to the future of finance. Together with Mastercard, we’re enabling our Human ID holders to demonstrate they meet financial requirements, without spending valuable time on manual processes,” he states.

Humanity Protocol emerged as a new player in the proof-of-personhood (PoH) space last year, competing with established companies like World. At the beginning of 2025, the San Francisco-headquartered firm secured $20 million in funding at a fully diluted valuation of $1.1 billion. Kwok notes that he does not necessarily view other PoH projects as competitors, as different systems can coexist for various use cases. The PoP concept ensures that users are real human beings through identity verification that does not rely on a central authority. The company has been focusing on creating a connected system for building cross-platform reputation.

During the launch of its mainnet in August, Humanity Protocol introduced the zero-knowledge Transport Layer Security (zkTLS) system, which enables a vouching mechanism. This allows users to verify a fact without directly referring to the source document, connecting familiar digital credentials to decentralized services known as Web3. Earlier this year, the company acquired Moongate, a decentralized platform specializing in ticketing, credentialing, and access control for global events.

The partnership with Mastercard marks a significant step forward for Humanity Protocol, enhancing its capabilities in the financial services sector and reinforcing its commitment to providing secure, efficient, and user-friendly identity verification solutions. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQS): 

Q: What is Humanity Protocol?

A: Humanity Protocol is a proof-of-personhood (PoP) framework that uses palm biometrics to verify user identities. It aims to create a connected system for building cross-platform reputation and ensuring that users are real human beings.

Q: How does the partnership with Mastercard benefit users?

A: The partnership allows users to quickly and securely verify personal data and financial credentials, reducing processing time and fraud risk. It also enables users to reuse their Human ID for KYC processes on different platforms.

Q: What is zero-knowledge cryptography?

A: Zero-knowledge cryptography allows users to prove the validity of a statement without revealing the underlying data. This ensures user privacy while maintaining the integrity of the verification process.

Q: What is the zkTLS system?

A: The zero-knowledge Transport Layer Security (zkTLS) system is a vouching mechanism introduced by Humanity Protocol. It allows users to verify a fact without directly referring to the source document, connecting familiar digital credentials to decentralized services.

Q: What is the future outlook for Humanity Protocol?

A: Humanity Protocol plans to expand its services into other markets and continue developing innovative solutions for identity verification and cross-platform reputation. The company also aims to integrate with more platforms and services to enhance user convenience and security. 

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