identity

According to Vietnamese media An Ninh Tien Te, the Ministry of Public Security of Vietnam proposed to expand the scope of electronic identification subjects in the draft of the "Electronic Identification and Authentication Law," incorporating data, applications, digital assets, and various other assets. The draft stipulates that electronic identification subjects include not only institutions, organizations, and individuals but also extend to physical entities such as products, goods, and equipment, as well as digital resources and digital assets like databases, documents, images, and videos. The identification of digital assets is executed in accordance with the provisions of the Digital Technology Industry Law.The draft also establishes mechanisms for the suspension, restoration, and cancellation of electronic identities and identification codes. The Ministry of Public Security stated that the current electronic identification primarily serves the digital construction of citizens and the government, but in the context of the rapid development of the digital economy and digital society, a unified identification mechanism needs to be established, covering various entities in both physical and digital environments.

According to official news, Base Build announced the launch of Base Verify Onchain to address the issue of witch attacks in the blockchain ecosystem. This feature has been launched on the Base Sepolia test network, allowing developers to implement the "one real user, one claim" rule in smart contracts. Base Build stated that traditional airdrop mechanisms are easily manipulated by bulk wallets, and a large number of rewards are often obtained by professional airdrop farmers, while users who genuinely participate in product development can only receive limited benefits.Base Verify Onchain helps project teams identify multiple wallets controlled by the same user by generating a stable identity hash for each real user, without needing to obtain users' names, account information, or other private data. Users can complete verification through existing accounts such as Coinbase, Instagram, X, and TikTok. The system then returns a verified identity credential to the smart contract, which automatically enforces rules such as claim limits, voting restrictions, or quota controls. Currently, Base Verify has been used over 300,000 times and serves collaborative projects such as Base App, Cody, Scratch, and Bracket. Base Build stated that Verify Onchain will provide fairer airdrops, token distributions, governance voting, and user incentive mechanisms for decentralized applications. Developers can use this technology to limit the number of claims per real user, allocate rewards based on real identities, or convert real-world signals into on-chain credibility, thereby reducing the impact of bots and multi-wallet manipulation on the fairness of Web3 applications.

According to The Block, Aztec Labs has acquired Obsidion, the company behind the open-source privacy identity verification tool ZKPassport. Its co-founders Michael Elliot and Theo Madzou, along with their team, will join Aztec Labs to continue developing ZKPassport and related applications.Aztec Labs is building the Ethereum privacy layer two network Aztec Network, which raised approximately $60 million worth of ETH through the AZTEC token sale last year, and previously secured about $125 million in venture capital.ZKPassport allows users to read passports or government documents via mobile NFC, generating cryptographic signatures locally for verifying age, nationality, and "real identity" without exposing full privacy. It has been used for ticketing at the Devconnect conference and for compliance identity verification in the Aztec community token sale. Aztec stated that it will continue to keep the ZKPassport protocol and iOS application open source.

AI predicts the market project NeoSoul collaborates with 0G to launch the prediction credentials on-chain identity credential campaign, with the first batch of credentials opening for minting on May 27. This campaign is aimed at NeoSoul and 0G ecosystem users, focusing on early identity verification, community participation, and on-chain interactions within 0G. Eligible users can obtain credentials minted through the 0G network as their early on-chain identity credentials.According to reports, NeoSoul has previously been conducting on-chain activities within the 0G ecosystem and has created over 100,000 Agents in total. This credentials campaign will set different levels of identity, and users can unlock corresponding credentials based on their task completion status. Specific rules can be found on the official website.It is reported that credential holders will have the opportunity to receive more ecosystem rewards and qualifications for future activities.

On May 13, BNB Chain announced the launch of an on-chain autonomous agent framework, enabling autonomous agents to obtain decentralized identities through the ERC-8004 standard, conduct peer-to-peer payments, delegate tasks to other agents via ERC-8183, and accumulate verifiable on-chain reputation on 8004scan. The entire system operates fully on-chain, with transactions being transparent and auditable, supporting hierarchical agency relationships.The framework integrates various skill modules, including native BNB Chain smart contract execution, querying on-chain data through natural language, Nodereal's MegaNode API infrastructure (providing access to over 25 blockchain networks), and meme token management capabilities provided by fourdotmemezh Agent Skills. Additionally, the BNB Chain Knowledge Base Model Context Protocol (MCP) allows agents to query blockchain documents and receive instant answers, extending agent functionalities to applications such as DeFi and asset management.

According to official news, the on-chain identity project Phi will cease operations on May 25, and phi.box and other services will be discontinued, but the PHI token will be retained and continue to trade on Aerodrome.Phi stated that in January of this year, the team underwent large-scale layoffs to reduce costs in search of a sustainable development path. In the following months, Phi explored various possibilities, including transitioning into the prediction market or artificial intelligence fields, but currently, the funds can no longer support the project's continued operation.

Cointelegraph Research's latest report shows that the United Nations Development Programme is applying blockchain technology to the construction of public digital infrastructure, focusing on addressing issues of transparency, collaborative efficiency, and trustworthy data sharing in government systems.The report "New Tech, New Partners" outlines 42 practical cases covering areas such as digital payments, financial inclusion, climate funding, data governance, and community investment, among which 7 focus on digital identity and data systems, primarily distributed in developing economies in Africa, Latin America, Asia, and Eastern Europe. The research points out that UNDP adopts a "pilot---validate---scale" approach, collaborating with governments, developers, and local businesses to first implement small-scale projects and then gradually promote them based on actual results. It also emphasizes a "platform-agnostic" architecture to maintain system openness and interoperability. Furthermore, the report highlights the importance of governance and risk control, stating that the application of blockchain in public systems requires accompanying privacy protection, regulatory frameworks, and audit mechanisms to prevent data misuse and smart contract risks. Overall, blockchain is extending from financial scenarios to public governance infrastructure, becoming one of the important technological options for digital transformation in various countries.

According to official news, the identity verification infrastructure VeryAI has announced the completion of a $10 million financing round, led by Polychain Capital, with participation from angel investors including the Berggruen Institute, Anagram, and Solana co-founder Toly.VeryAI is committed to building a privacy-first verification system based on palm print biometrics and cryptographic identity technology, aiming to distinguish real humans from bots, deepfakes, and synthetic identities at internet scale.

According to Jin Shi citing CCTV News, a representative of the Expert Assembly in Mazandaran Province, Iran, stated that the members of the Expert Assembly have fulfilled their duties, and the successor to Khamenei's legacy will be officially announced soon.He pointed out that the Expert Assembly has never faced such immense pressure as it does now, with hostile forces attempting to force the assembly to abandon its selected candidate, but the members have resisted external interference.

Due to pressure from multiple state attorneys general, Bitcoin ATM operator Bitcoin Depot will require customers to provide personal identification for verification each time they use its ATMs.The company stated that this move aims to combat account sharing, identity theft, and account takeover, marking a significant advancement in preventing fraud and illegal activities. Earlier this month, the Massachusetts Attorney General filed a lawsuit against the company, accusing it of deliberately profiting from scams targeting the elderly. FBI data shows that losses from cryptocurrency ATM fraud in the U.S. will reach $333 million by 2025. Currently, Bitcoin Depot operates 8,800 ATMs in North America.

According to The Block, South Korean prosecutors have recovered approximately $21.4 million worth of Bitcoin (BTC) that was previously stolen from their custody last year.In December last year, South Korean prosecutors discovered that the Bitcoin seized during a raid on a gambling platform had gone missing. An internal investigation revealed that in August this year, investigators accidentally accessed a phishing website and entered their recovery mnemonic, leading to the Bitcoin being stolen by hackers.The hacker returned 320.8 BTC to a wallet controlled by South Korean law enforcement on Tuesday. Prosecutors stated that they had previously blocked the hacker's transactions on centralized exchanges, making it difficult for them to cash out the Bitcoin. The hacker's identity remains unknown. Prosecutors have transferred the returned Bitcoin to a local exchange for safekeeping and will continue to investigate the hacker's identity.

On-chain detective ZachXBT posted about the user @sexinfochina, stating, "This user deliberately concealed the fact that they are an online criminal operating the Chinese dark web market 'FreeCity'. They publicly promote certain illegal services on Telegram and knowingly facilitated five money laundering transactions for North Korean hackers. Two years ago, this user asked me to investigate the reason a CEX account was frozen, and I found that it traced back on-chain to a theft case involving over a hundred million dollars by North Korean hackers."In addition, ZachXBT responded, "Although most users of this dark web platform are Chinese, many illegal transactions occur in Southeast Asia and other places."

On-chain detective ZachXBT revealed how hacker John Daghita (alias Lick) stole over $40 million from addresses of assets seized by the U.S. government (with the largest single amount being $24.9 million). John's father owns CMDSS, a company that currently has a valid IT government contract in Virginia to assist the U.S. Marshals Service in managing/disposing of seized/confiscated cryptocurrency assets.ZachXBT speculated that John gained access from his father and completed the theft of over $40 million in assets from U.S. government addresses around 2024, with the largest theft being $24.9 million in March 2024, which was seized from the U.S. government due to the Bitfinex hack. Additionally, John's address is associated with over $90 million in on-chain stolen funds (including non-U.S. government victims). Following ZachXBT's exposure, CMDSS's X account, website, and LinkedIn were all deactivated today.The exposure of John Daghita's identity was triggered by his recent display of wealth in a group chat with another hacker, Dritan Kapplani Jr., where he shared his Exodus wallet and transferred funds to prove his wealth. The entire process was recorded in two videos, and his flaunting wallet address is linked to the address of seized assets from the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation in March 2024.

According to Cointelegraph, U.S. Congressman Warren Davidson has warned that the United States is sliding into a financial system that requires licensing and is heavily monitored. He believes that the recently passed cryptocurrency legislation undermines the initial promise of permissionless private money in the industry.Warren Davidson criticized the stablecoin-focused GENIUS Act in a post on the X forum, arguing that the bill would give rise to a wholesale version of a U.S. central bank digital currency (CBDC), which could be used for "surveillance, coercion, and control." He also expressed concerns that a digital identity system might be introduced in the future, forcing American citizens to obtain government permission to use their own money.

Streaming service giant Netflix has announced the acquisition of the metaverse identity platform Ready Player Me, which is backed by a16z. The specific acquisition amount and terms have not been disclosed. It is reported that Ready Player Me will cease operations on January 31, 2026, and all team members will be integrated into Netflix.According to previous reports, Ready Player Me has raised approximately $72 million in investments, with several industry notable figures such as Roblox co-founder David Baszucki, Twitch co-founder Justin Kan, and GitHub co-founder Tom Preston-Werner being investors in the company.