As layer-2 networks like Base continue to expand, the demand for scalable, privacy-respecting identity infrastructure is quickly becoming a necessity rather than an option.
Human Passport, formerly Gitcoin Passport, now under the umbrella of human.tech, has launched a full suite of Sybil resistance tools on Base.
CCN spoke with Kyle Weiss, Head of Strategy at the Holonym Foundation, which is building Human.tech. Weiss previously co-founded Passport XYZ (acquired by Holonym to become Human Passport) and Gitcoin, where he helped launch its Protocols and DAO. Weiss discussed the motivation behind the launch, the growing threat of Sybil attacks, and the broader mission to redefine digital identity in Web3.
Web3 Needs Real Users, Not Bots
Base, Coinbase’s Ethereum layer-2 (L2), has rapidly become a dominant force among L2s by total value locked (TVL) and user activity. But with that growth comes increasing exposure to Sybil attacks—coordinated, often automated attempts to exploit airdrops, gaming mechanisms, and governance systems using fake or duplicated accounts.
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“Base is currently the fastest-growing ETH L2, with a rapidly expanding user base and ecosystem activity,” Weiss explains. “This growth creates great opportunities, but also creates vulnerabilities like Sybil attacks, where bad actors create fake accounts to exploit token distributions or governance.”
The timing of Human Passport’s launch is designed to meet that moment.
“Launching on Base now allows us to provide essential identity infrastructure at a critical moment, helping projects protect their communities while preserving user privacy and experience,” he adds.
By launching on Base, Human Passport aims to embed verification tools at the heart of one of the most active ecosystems, before exploitation scales further.
From Gitcoin Passport to Human Passport: A Strategic and Cultural Shift
What began as Gitcoin Passport, a system to validate user credibility for public goods funding, has evolved into a far more generalized tool. The rebranding to Passport XYZ signaled this shift, expanding beyond the Gitcoin context and laying the groundwork for broader decentralized identity use cases.
“Gitcoin Passport rebranded to Passport XYZ to reflect its evolution beyond a single platform and toward a broader role in Sybil resistance and decentralized reputation,” Weiss says.
Then, in late 2024, Passport XYZ was acquired by human.tech, becoming Human Passport.
“That acquisition wasn’t just strategic, it was cultural,” Weiss explains. “Both teams shared a deep commitment to ethical, privacy-preserving technology that strengthens user autonomy.”
This reorientation reflects a deeper truth: that decentralized identity must serve more than protocol compliance, it must safeguard digital dignity.
A New Era of Sybil Behavior Requires New Defenses
Sybil resistance is not a static problem. As tooling improves on the defense side, attackers adapt. According to Weiss, the team is seeing more elaborate forms of manipulation than ever before.
“We’re seeing more sophisticated Sybil attacks leveraging multiple chains and complex wallet behaviors to bypass traditional filters,” Weiss says. “The volume and velocity of fake accounts trying to claim airdrops or manipulate governance have increased significantly.”
These aren’t just bots running scripts, they’re well-structured campaigns, often with wallets that simulate human-like usage across chains.
That rising sophistication is one reason Human Passport avoids simplistic detection methods. Traditional tactics, like filtering by social connections or device fingerprints, often miss the most coordinated attacks or worse, violate user privacy.
Privacy at Scale: How Human Passport Verifies Without KYC
One of Human Passport’s foundational promises is that users don’t need to undergo traditional KYC (Know Your Customer) checks to prove they’re real.
“We avoid traditional identity frameworks that require personal info by relying on behavioral signals embedded in blockchain activity, enriched by privacy-preserving cryptography,” says Weiss.
The team uses a multilayered approach. At the base are on chain activity patterns—such as the structure and timing of wallet interactions. On top of that, cryptographic tools like zero-knowledge proofs (zk proofs) and secure multi-party computation are layered to ensure the verification can happen without compromising anonymity.
“We use a combination of machine learning models that analyze wallet transaction patterns across chains, combined with cryptographic proofs,” Weiss says. “This lets us verify ‘humanness’ without collecting personal data or requiring KYC, maintaining user anonymity while detecting suspicious activity at scale.”
Importantly, Human Passport offers users choices in how they prove identity.
“Verifying via biometrics is an option the user can take… the same way verifying socials is an option, or doing KYC, or by simply being active on chain,” he explains. “We have chosen the least invasive mechanisms without forcing a one-size-fits-all mantra.”
Fast Integration, Real Impact: Base Projects Already Benefiting
Integration was a design priority from the beginning. Human Passport’s tools are meant to be accessible not just in principle, but in practice.
“Integration is designed to be simple—‘Sybil defense with one line of code’,” Weiss says. “Teams can leverage our API or the new on-chain decoder smart contracts to access a user’s Human Passport score or stamp during onboarding or interaction.”
That ease of integration has enabled quick adoption by several Base-native projects.
“Projects like LayerEdge and Story Protocol have successfully screened hundreds of thousands of wallets,” Weiss notes. “They’ve preserved airdrop integrity and prevented millions in fraudulent claims.”
This kind of immediate, on-chain deployment demonstrates a real-world proof of concept: Sybil resistance can scale without breaking the user experience.
Developers can also customize how they use the scoring system.
“Human Passport is highly flexible,” he adds. “Developers can customize scoring thresholds or combine scores with their own logic. The protocol is modular to support various use cases and risk profiles.”
What Comes Next: Cross-Chain Identity and Ethical Infrastructure
Looking ahead, the Human Passport team sees Sybil resistance becoming a hybrid concern, one that must be addressed both at the network level and by individual applications.
“We expect a hybrid model,” Weiss says. “Some amount of network-wide Sybil resistance will emerge to provide baseline protections—we are seeing this on World’s chain, on Aztec and others.”
But application-level enforcement will remain essential, especially in an environment where state actors and sophisticated bots operate across chains.
“Individual apps will be increasingly required to confirm they are not supporting bad actors (think North Korea),” Weiss adds. “That’s where our concept of ‘Proof of Clean Hands’ comes in.”
Human Passport already supports multiple chains and expects demand for cross-chain identity to grow as the multi-chain experience becomes standard.
“Base is one of a half-dozen networks we have enabled on-chain verification of Passport scores,” Weiss says. “More recently, teams like Avail and others are helping to bring cross-chain identity to fruition.”
Ultimately, the team’s mission goes far beyond Sybil detection.
“Progress by 2026 means more than just better Sybil scores or slicker UX, it means an ecosystem grounded in ethical technology,” Weiss concludes. “We want to see identity infrastructure that protects what it means to be human in a digital world: the right to privacy, autonomy, and equitable participation.”
“We believe identity is civil rights infrastructure, and by mid-2026, we hope to see more teams treat it that way: prioritizing dignity, not just data.”
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