Humanode

Humanode is a layer-1 blockchain network operating on a novel consensus mechanism that addresses the challenge of Sybil attacks, where a single entity can create multiple fake identities to gain disproportionate influence. The project was conceptualized in 2017 by Dato Kavazi and Victor Smirnov, co-founders of the deep-tech research institute Paradigm. Their backgrounds in political science, history, and macroeconomics, combined with a decade of experience in the blockchain space, led them to identify the inherent plutocracy in Proof-of-Work (PoW) and Proof-of-Stake (PoS) systems, where power concentrates with wealth.

Development on Humanode officially began in September 2020, and the mainnet launched on November 15, 2022. The network's core principle is "One human = One node = One vote," which is achieved through a proprietary crypto-biometric verification system. This system uses a combination of liveness detection and private, encrypted 3D face mapping to ensure that each validator node is operated by a unique living person, without compromising their anonymity. Biometric data is encrypted and remains on the user's device. This approach replaces capital-intensive mining or staking with a proof of unique existence, aiming to create a more democratic and decentralized infrastructure.

Humanode's technology stack is built on the Substrate framework, making it compatible with the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) and the Polkadot ecosystem. This allows developers to deploy existing Solidity smart contracts and build decentralized applications (DApps) on a Sybil-resistant foundation. The native token, HMND, is utilized for transaction fees, smart contract deployment, and to pay for the private biometric computations. A distinctive feature is its cost-based fee model, which denominates transaction fees in USD to mitigate the impact of HMND token volatility on operational costs.

The platform serves developers and DApps requiring a high degree of Sybil resistance for use cases like fair airdrops, decentralized governance (DAOs), Web3 social media, and financial services. Products like 'BotBasher' for Discord and Telegram and 'Biomapper' for DApps are offered to integrate this biometric verification. Humanode has secured approximately $3 million in funding from seed and private rounds, with backing from notable investors including Republic Capital, Wintermute, Tribe Capital, and the co-founders of Polygon.

Keywords: crypto-biometric, layer-1 blockchain, Sybil resistance, decentralized identity, one human one vote, proof-of-existence, Substrate framework, EVM compatible, biometric verification, Fath monetary algorithm