Evolving ZK Identity from Iden3 to Privado & Billions
Update: 2025-09-17
Description
In this episode, Anna Rose chats with David Z and Oleksandr (Sasha) from Privado ID and Billions Network about the evolution of ZK-based identity systems, tracing their roots back to iden3 in 2018, one of the earliest projects to pioneer ZK for on-chain identity.
They discuss their origin as the iden3, their creation of the influential Circom DSL, the move into Polygon ID, the spin-out as Privado ID with a focus on B2B privacy tools and verifiable credentials, and the recent launch of Billions Network, which aims to build a scalable network of humans and AI agents with mobile-first verification and progressive proofs.
They compare their broad, composable approach to projects like Self, Rarimo, and ZK Email, while highlighting future plans for reputation layers, on-chain economies, and AI agent identities to enable accountable interactions in a decentralised world.
Related links:
ZK Whiteboard Sessions is an educational video series produced by ZK Hack. It is focused on the building blocks of zero knowledge technology. Find season 3 of the Whiteboard Sessions as well as previous seasons here.
**If you like what we do:**
* Find all our links here! @ZeroKnowledge | Linktree
* Subscribe to our podcast newsletter
* Follow us on Twitter @zeroknowledgefm
* Join us on Telegram
* Catch us on YouTube
**Support the show:**
* Patreon
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* BTC - Donation address
* SOL - Donation address
Read transcript
They discuss their origin as the iden3, their creation of the influential Circom DSL, the move into Polygon ID, the spin-out as Privado ID with a focus on B2B privacy tools and verifiable credentials, and the recent launch of Billions Network, which aims to build a scalable network of humans and AI agents with mobile-first verification and progressive proofs.
They compare their broad, composable approach to projects like Self, Rarimo, and ZK Email, while highlighting future plans for reputation layers, on-chain economies, and AI agent identities to enable accountable interactions in a decentralised world.
Related links:
- Privado ID introduces Billions: The First Global Human & AI Network
- Billions Launches Mobile App for Digital Identity Verification in the Age of AI
- DEEPTRUST: VERIFIABLE IDENTITIES AND REPUTATION FOR AI AGENTS
- Iden3 Protocol Specifications (Version 0)
- W3C: Verifiable Credentials Overview
- Poseidon: ZK-Friendly Hashing
- European Digital Identity
- ZK HACK - Introducing Circom 2.0 - Iden3
- Iden3: Sparse Merkle Trees
- Billions App Transforms ID Verification with Privacy-First Liveness Checks
ZK Whiteboard Sessions is an educational video series produced by ZK Hack. It is focused on the building blocks of zero knowledge technology. Find season 3 of the Whiteboard Sessions as well as previous seasons here.
**If you like what we do:**
* Find all our links here! @ZeroKnowledge | Linktree
* Subscribe to our podcast newsletter
* Follow us on Twitter @zeroknowledgefm
* Join us on Telegram
* Catch us on YouTube
**Support the show:**
* Patreon
* ETH - Donation address
* BTC - Donation address
* SOL - Donation address
Read transcript
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