Shady El Damaty is co-founder of Holonym Foundation, pioneering decentralised identity solutions through zero-knowledge cryptography. He holds a Ph.D. in Neuroscience from Georgetown University, specialising in cognitive development and neural systems. Shady previously founded Opscientia, the first decentralised science DAO, successfully scaling it to 700 contributors and securing significant funding and data indexing milestones. He continues to focus on integrating privacy tools and decentralised technology to empower individuals and enhance digital security globally.
How does Holonym’s approach to digital rights differ from other projects?
Human.tech by Holonym views technology as a contract between humans and tech, steering innovation towards human-centred outcomes.
We embed digital rights directly into our technology, focusing on:
- Self-custody of crypto keys: Individuals exclusively own their cryptographic keys.
- Universal personhood: Human identity is inherent, independent of institutional validation.
- Privacy by default: Using client-side encryption, practical homomorphic encryption, and zero-knowledge cryptography to protect user data.
- Secure capital flows: Ensuring funds like aid, grants, and payments securely reach individuals, preventing interference from malicious actors or automated systems.
We see these digital rights as crucial for empowering individuals and balancing interactions with powerful organisations in future technological contexts.
What are Human Keys, and what benefits do they offer in cryptographic ID management?
Human Keys enable secure crypto onboarding. They are private keys generated from personal factors like biometrics, security answers, or hardware devices, making them safe and user-friendly.
These keys are always recoverable and made persistent through the Human Network, a threshold network with $1.4B in committed security.
These keys are universal, self-managed, and reusable across multiple applications and blockchains, allowing private verification of identity and secure blockchain transactions.
For instance, we use Human Keys to help displaced individuals securely prove their identity and directly receive aid funds, simplifying access to vital resources without traditional documentation.
Could you briefly outline Holonym’s current approach to Human Wallet and its relevance for users?
Human Wallet enables users to create recoverable, self-custodial private keys and wallets on any blockchain, eliminating reliance on passphrases or external custodians.
It streamlines crypto interaction, making blockchain transactions more accessible to everyday users.
Could you describe a typical daily scenario using Human Keys, Human Wallet, and Human ID?
Human.tech combines these tools to simplify daily digital interactions. For instance, during online shopping:
A user first generates a Human Key using personal information, securely creating their cryptographic identity. This key is universal and persistent across different apps and blockchains.
Using Human Wallet, the user maintains a wallet that securely stores and manages their digital funds, easily topping it up through integrated services.
During checkout, if age verification is required, Human ID allows the user to privately and securely provide proof of eligibility via a zero-knowledge proof linked to their government-issued ID.
This process safeguards their personal information while facilitating smooth, secure transactions.
With Holonym being one of the first profitable ZK ID protocols, what are the next challenges or goals on your horizon?
We are targeting a roll out to unlock $80 billion in global capital flow of grants, direct aid, and payments to reach 200 million individuals globally.
We are very excited to work with aid and crowdfunding platforms to direct capital to real humans and prevent abuse by bots, middlemen, or bad actors.