post<\/a><\/strong> published on Saturday, Buterin addressed the benefits and risks of digital ID models that use zero-knowledge proofs to verify user authenticity without revealing personal data. While these systems are designed to prove a user is a \u201cunique human,\u201d Buterin cautioned that the current trajectory may lead to a centralized, rigid identity framework.<\/p>\n\u201cUnder one-per-person ID, even if ZK-wrapped, we risk coming closer to a world where all of your activity must de-facto be under a single public identity,\u201d he wrote.<\/p>\n
World and the Growing Trend of ZK-Wrapped Digital Identity<\/h2>\n
World claims to have signed up over 13 million users using its biometric-scanning Orb device to assign a unique ID. While the project employs ZK proofs to safeguard identity data, Buterin remains skeptical of the long-term implications.<\/p>\n
He argued that even privacy-preserving mechanisms like ZK proofs could become problematic if linked to rigid, one-to-one digital identities. In such a model, users might no longer be able to manage multiple pseudonymous accounts, a core feature of today\u2019s digital landscape.<\/p>\n
\u201cTaking away the option for people to protect themselves through pseudonymity has significant downsides,\u201d Buterin warned, especially in an era of increasing technological threats like AI and drones.<\/p>\n