Victoria d’Este
Printed: November 28, 2025 at 6:36 am Up to date: November 28, 2025 at 6:37 am
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November 28, 2025 at 6:36 am
In Transient
Concordium’s blockchain makes use of zero-knowledge proofs to confirm age and identification privately, promising safer, seamless digital interactions.
What in case you may show your age on-line with out ever revealing your identify, birthday, or ID? In an unique interview, Boris Bohrer‑Bilowitzki—CEO of Concordium—explains how the corporate’s blockchain platform leverages zero‑information proofs to embed digital identification immediately on the protocol degree. This innovation allows privateness‑preserving verification and programmable cash, opening the door to a essentially new digital paradigm. Bohrer‑Bilowitzki delves into how this know-how may redefine belief, streamline actual‑world interactions, and ship a safer, extra seamless digital expertise for on a regular basis customers.
Boris, are you able to please introduce your self and Concordium?
I’m Boris Bohrer‑Bilowitzki, CEO of Concordium. We function a layer‑1 blockchain distinguished by two core distinctive promoting propositions. First, identification is embedded immediately into the bottom layer. This allows customers to work together inside the ecosystem in a totally privateness‑preserving method by zero‑information proofs.
On the opposite facet, now we have what we name PLTs, protocol-level tokens, which permit issuance particularly geared towards stablecoins, enabling full programmability options. This delivers on the core promise of programmable cash, which then integrates with the ID in what we name “confirm and pay,” or the ID by itself in “confirm and entry.”
The aim isn’t to problem Ethereum or Solana—or any of the established gamers—in a head‑on battle. That may be futile, particularly within the DeFi house, the place the highest 70 tasks largely replicate each other. As an alternative, we’re targeted on onboarding new customers by abstracting away the complexities of crypto. Our first step is privateness‑preserving age verification, which is already stay throughout a number of industries, as our current bulletins display.
Constructing on prime of that, with regard to the programmability options of protocol-level issuance, we summary away all of the dangers that sensible contracts inherently have once they fulfill a custodial perform. That’s how the Ethereum and Solana ecosystems are typically constructed.
And I do know a factor or two about custody, since I used to be the founding associate, and nonetheless am the founding associate, and former Chief Industrial Officer of Copper, one of many largest custodians on the planet. The thought right here is that issuing on a protocol degree, fairly than by way of sensible contracts, lets you program sensible cash for transactions you do, whether or not in the true world or industries like playing, gaming, grownup content material, or any transaction to pay for content material.
Alternatively, for extra complicated transactions equivalent to commerce and finance, the place the time worth of cash is vital, it offers stablecoins, presently missing use circumstances within the type of tokenized cash market funds or any yield-bearing stablecoin, an precise goal. And that’s the venture.
How does Concordium embed digital ID on the protocol degree with out compromising person privateness?
That’s the core of all of it. Privateness is essential to us as a result of, on the finish of the day, you received’t get customers within the crypto world in case you don’t implement it in any respect. And in case you ignore compliance-related requirements with regard to ID, you received’t get regulators onboard.
Concordium’s method is that you just undergo a verification course of as soon as when getting into the ecosystem, achieved by traditional identification suppliers, like Notabene. Notabene certifies that the doc you current to onboard is legitimate. However right here’s the magical half: Concordium at no level has entry to the info; the chain doesn’t see it. What occurs is that the road gadgets of that identification are cryptographically hashed into an identification object tied to your pockets.
So, for instance, usually you’d see Boris Bohrer-Bilowitzki, driver’s license, birthday, and so on., however when interacting in an ecosystem, you don’t wish to reveal your identify or precise doc. If we take age verification as a easy instance, the service provider solely must know in case you’re over 18. Utilizing zero-knowledge proofs, from a pockets that solely you management, you’ll be able to show this with out ever exhibiting your private knowledge. That’s how privateness is carried out.
If age verification could possibly be utterly invisible, how would that change the Web for customers?
The way in which folks presently work together on-line, they should undergo some onboarding course of in all places, which is ridiculous. The thought needs to be that you just don’t have to reveal your identify or exercise simply to entry a service. Sure, you want compliance when proving age, and rightly so, particularly for kids and social media. However invisible age verification makes your life simpler, retains you personal, and stays compliant.
It’s troublesome to implement this, notably with zero-knowledge proofs and ecosystem interplay, however we’ve solved that.
Might Concordium’s method to identification verification turn out to be a worldwide commonplace for privacy-first authentication?
Completely. It depends upon how far you wish to take it. Age verification is a low-hanging fruit since your birthdate is on any government-issued doc. The hot button is doing it as soon as, not a number of occasions. Interplay afterward stays personal.
We’re already experimenting with extra complicated KYC use circumstances. For instance, onboarding to banks requires greater than a driver’s license picture. You could possibly hash your identification to a pockets in a manner that lets you open a checking account with one click on, scanning a QR code, with out repeatedly submitting paperwork. Layers exist behind this for KYC reliance, however the basis is there. So sure, this method may turn out to be an ordinary for privacy-first authentication globally.
How do you persuade regulators that privateness doesn’t imply loneliness?
Privateness is just not the identical as anonymity. Crypto usually emphasizes full anonymity, which regulators don’t settle for, forcing providers to repeat KYC checks. We deliver our options to regulators, for instance, on age verification, together with retailers and fee service suppliers. They’ve given us the inexperienced gentle, recognizing this as the very best answer they’ve seen.
It’s a step-by-step course of. Convincing regulators entails proving that rules are upheld. After years of lagging behind, regulators are embracing know-how that secures compliance whereas respecting privateness. For instance, the UK On-line Security Act is strict, and Ofcom ensures it’s enforced. Concordium’s answer helps remedy these issues effectively, lowering person friction whereas satisfying regulatory necessities.
Might zero-knowledge proofs finally exchange conventional ID checks in all places, from banks to bars?
My brief reply is sure. Implementation is essential. For instance, bars and film theaters presently verify IDs manually. Banks do the identical with paper information. Over-regulation usually exists as a result of there’s no know-how to simplify it. Zero-knowledge proofs present privateness whereas satisfying regulators, enabling belief with out exposing private info. Sovereign identification plus privacy-preserving know-how is the way in which ahead, and regulators agree that they simply want assurance that rules are being upheld.
How do you reply to critics who say blockchain-based identification is simply too complicated for on a regular basis customers?
I’m not shocked. Present implementations in Ethereum or related networks are dangerous. Complexity is usually misunderstood; the blockchain itself shouldn’t be seen, it ought to simply work. Trade contributors should make tooling simpler.
Explaining seed phrases or personal keys to on a regular basis customers, like your aunt, is futile. That’s why folks lose entry to funds. Complexity could be solved. At Concordium, blockchain is invisible; customers arrange an ID in our app and work together with providers like age verification. Different performance follows.
The crypto ecosystem reveals indicators of stagnation. With month-to-month dApp customers caught at 6–7 million, it’s clear that blockchain’s complexity has stored most customers at arm’s size. However folks already use complicated methods like finance with out absolutely understanding them. Blockchain can remedy these real-world issues. The hot button is tooling and usefulness. Id options don’t must be complicated if the appliance is intuitive.
Are there any inventive use circumstances for privacy-preserving IDs past age verification, like voting or social media?
Governance is one compelling instance. Think about identification‑based mostly voting methods the place privateness is preserved and a person’s stake within the ecosystem immediately influences outcomes. In social media, privateness‑preserving identification verification may allow platforms to ship content material aligned with customers’ verified preferences—fairly than counting on algorithmic manipulation. Past that, blockchain know-how unlocks solely new product classes beforehand deemed unattainable, weaving a reliable basis for innovation.
What’s the largest trade-off between privateness and comfort in your system? How do you remedy it?
There may be at all times a trade-off. Even cypherpunks undergo KYC to entry stablecoins. Privateness doesn’t imply anonymity; it is advisable confirm paperwork as soon as, and the info shouldn’t be shared throughout the ecosystem. Our system balances comfort and privateness: customers confirm as soon as, stay personal, and regulators are glad. Overemphasizing anonymity prevents adoption and regulatory compliance. We skew towards comfort whereas preserving core privateness guarantees.
Might Concordium’s answer redefine what it means to belief an internet service?
Sure, and it already does. Belief stems from proving attributes—equivalent to age—with out revealing pointless private knowledge. As an illustration, when it is advisable confirm the authenticity of on-line content material or interactions, Concordium allows trustless, privateness‑preserving proof. It constantly verifies attributes inside the ecosystem, redefining how we perceive belief within the digital world.
If Concordium succeeds, what tangible variations will the common web person expertise of their digital life?
Their expertise shall be smoother and safer. Customers can work together on-line with out unnecessarily exposing private knowledge. As an illustration, in grownup content material eventualities, there’s no want to fret about AI age estimation or disclosing delicate private info. Concordium allows trustless interactions that confirm person attributes whereas preserving privateness, in the end making the web and digital life safer for everybody.
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About The Writer
Victoria is a author on a wide range of know-how subjects together with Web3.0, AI and cryptocurrencies. Her in depth expertise permits her to write down insightful articles for the broader viewers.
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Victoria d’Este
Victoria is a author on a wide range of know-how subjects together with Web3.0, AI and cryptocurrencies. Her in depth expertise permits her to write down insightful articles for the broader viewers.
