What is Self Protocol? Collaboration with Google Cloud, staking zero-knowledge privacy authentication.

Self Protocol is a privacy-first, Open Source identification protocol that utilizes zk-SNARKs for secure identity verification. In July 2025, Google Cloud established a partnership with Self to integrate ZKP identification technology into the Google Cloud Web3 portal. The protocol supports passport verification from 129 countries and ID verification from 27 EU countries.

What is Self Protocol? Anti-Sybil identification original scheme

Self Protocol is an identification primitive that utilizes zk-SNARKs to achieve Sybil-resistant token distribution. A Sybil attack refers to the act of a single user creating multiple fake identities to gain an unfair advantage, which is very common in cryptocurrency airdrops and DeFi governance. Self Protocol ensures that a person can only have one identity through selective disclosure using real-world proofs such as passports, while not revealing any sensitive personal information.

The core innovation of Self Protocol lies in the combination of traditional identification with zk-SNARKs technology. Users scan their biometric passports or identification cards using the NFC scanner on their mobile phones, and Self verifies the authenticity of the documents using the encrypted signature within the chip, then generates zk-SNARKs. This proof can be presented to third-party applications to show “user is over 18 years old” or “user is not on the sanctions list” without revealing specific information such as date of birth, name, or passport number.

The protocol supports passports from 129 countries and identification cards from 27 EU countries, Turkey, Ukraine, Vietnam, Ghana, and Saudi Arabia. This extensive document support makes Self Protocol a global identification solution. For developers, it only takes a few lines of code to easily check whether a user is human while maintaining privacy, and this ease of use is key to the rapid adoption of Self Protocol.

Core Features of Self Protocol

Privacy First: Only disclose necessary information to protect user privacy.

Sybil Resistance: Ensuring one person one identification, preventing multiple false identities.

Humanity Proof: Verify real people without establishing a personal information database

Decentralized: Portable digital identity, controlled by users rather than companies.

The operation principle of Self Protocol is divided into three steps: scanning the passport (using a mobile NFC scanner to scan the passport), generating proof (producing ZK proof on the passport, only selecting the content to be disclosed), and sharing evidence (sharing the ZK proof with the selected application). This process does not require users to understand complex cryptographic principles, and the entire process is completed on the mobile phone in seconds.

Google Cloud strategic partnership opens enterprise-level applications

Google Cloud's collaboration with Self will “support the Web3 developer ecosystem with new AI capabilities, including exploring how to integrate the Self protocol with new AI search tools in its Web3 portal.” Richard Widmann, Google Cloud's Web3 Strategy Director, stated: “Our collaboration with Celo and Self to integrate ZKP identification technology with Web3 developer tools on the Google Cloud Web3 portal is a great opportunity to demonstrate the value and timeliness of these technologies.”

Google Cloud's Testnet faucet will also integrate with Self's human identification ZKP to prevent Sybil resistance. The tech giant's upcoming mainnet faucet will use exclusion proofs developed by Self, which are based on the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctions list. This integration demonstrates that Google Cloud is serious about building Web3 infrastructure rather than merely treating it as a fringe experiment.

Google is actively adopting ZKP cryptography, integrating it into Google Wallet to provide age verification. In early July, the company announced a partnership with the public savings bank network Sparkasse to offer wallet-based digital age verification services. This trend of adopting ZKP technology in traditional products shows that zk-SNARKs are expanding from cryptocurrency-native applications to mainstream consumer services.

Celo previously collaborated with Google Cloud to run validators on the Celo network, helping to enhance overall network security. Self Labs was founded in early 2024 by members of the Celo core team, and this deep technical background provides a reliable technical foundation for the Self Protocol. Eric Nakagawa, CEO of Self Labs, stated: “Every on-chain project today faces the same challenge: how to ensure its applications reach unique users without sacrificing privacy. Our protocol provides the necessary infrastructure for projects.”

Acquisition of OpenPassport to Strengthen Technical Capabilities

Self Protocol was launched after acquiring the zk-SNARKs project OpenPassport, and this acquisition significantly strengthened its technical capabilities. Florent Tavernier, co-founder of OpenPassport and current co-founder of Self Labs, stated: “We are thrilled to join Self Labs and combine our expertise in ZK technology and identification solutions to expand the Self protocol to on-chain and broader applications. The purpose of OpenPassport's creation is to develop tools that ensure the future internet is controlled by humans rather than robots.”

OpenPassport has a solid technical accumulation in passport NFC reading and zk-SNARKs generation. The project's open source passport verification circuit has been adopted by multiple Web3 projects, proving its technological reliability. After Self Labs acquired OpenPassport, they gained a complete technical stack and an experienced development team, enabling Self Protocol to quickly go to market.

One of the main advantages of this protocol is that it does not rely on biometric hardware. Unlike Worldcoin, which requires specialized iris scanners, Self Protocol users can verify their identity by scanning biometric passports or identification cards and using NFC technology. This approach leverages existing trust infrastructures (government-issued identification documents) rather than attempting to establish an entirely new biometric system.

Wide Application Scenarios and Developer Tools

The practical applications of Self Protocol cover multiple key areas. Airdrop protection ensures that token distribution is safeguarded against bot attacks, with one passport equating to one application. Secondary funding prevents farmers from distorting reward distribution, ensuring that funds genuinely flow towards valuable public goods. Wallet recovery uses identification as the recovery source to protect assets, providing backup solutions when users lose their private keys.

Social media and marketplaces can incorporate human verification into user profiles to ensure that the platform is driven by real people rather than bots. Country-specific features unlock different content or services based on the user's country of origin. Sanction list checks help ensure platform compliance and prevent services from being provided to sanctioned entities. Age verification proves that users meet age requirements without disclosing their birth date, applicable for adult content or alcohol sales.

Main Application Scenarios of Self Protocol

Airdrop Protection: One passport, one application, to eliminate witch attacks.

DeFi Compliance: Unlocking functionality based on nationality to meet regulatory requirements

Age Verification: Proving age without disclosing the date of birth.

Wallet Recovery: Using identification as a social recovery mechanism

AI Agent Protection: Ensure that only real people can interact with the application.

As a decentralized protocol, Self is ready for developers and projects conducting airdrops to integrate immediately. Developers can learn how to integrate Self into applications through https://docs.self.xyz. The platform offers a complete set of APIs, SDKs, and documentation, lowering the technical barrier.

“We are honored that Google has chosen our SDK to provide secure, privacy-first identification solutions and further drive AI and Web3 innovation for real users,” said Marek Olszewski, co-founder of Self. This enterprise-level collaboration brings mainstream recognition to Self Protocol.