Original Author: Fairy, ChainCatcher
Original Editor: TB, ChainCatcher
On one side, top-tier capital is enthusiastic, while on the other, it is entangled with technical outsourcing and privacy controversies; on one side, it waves the "anti-Sybil" banner, while on the other, a logo of a Shenzhen access control manufacturer is found in the code.
Humanity Protocol, a Web3 identity recognition star project hailed as the "strongest anti-Sybil network," has a valuation that has exceeded $1.1 billion, backed by a luxurious capital lineup including Pantera, Jump, and Animoca Brands, and was once viewed as a strong competitor to Worldcoin.
But on the other side of the spotlight, the "technological revolution" and "privacy shield" facade is gradually peeling away. What kind of "double-sided drama" lies behind Humanity?
Capital Creates a God: The Quick Recipe for an $1.1 Billion Valuation
Established in 2023, Humanity Protocol's core selling point is a human verification system based on palm print recognition, claiming to solve the "Sybil" problem in the Web3 world through non-invasive biometric technology.
Capital's keen sense was quickly attracted: Humanity has completed three rounds of financing, totaling over $50 million, with a fully diluted valuation of $1.1 billion. Investors include 31 well-known institutions such as Animoca Brands, Blockchain.com, Polygon, and IDG Blockchain.
The Humanity Foundation is equally star-studded, led by Animoca Brands Chairman Yat Siu, with co-founding directors including Mario Nawfal, founder of an international blockchain consulting firm, and Yeewai Chong, a senior investment expert from Morgan Stanley and Ortus Capital.
On June 17, Humanity released an Android version supporting palm scan verification, with over 8 million users pre-registering for Human ID. Immediately following on June 22, Binance announced the listing of Humanity Protocol (H) on Alpha and contract markets. At this point, Humanity's development momentum seemed very strong, but as the airdrop activity began, more hidden information was uncovered by netizens, and doubts gradually emerged.
Core Technology from a Chinese Outsourcing Company?
According to X user @LianFang's revelation, Humanity Protocol might be a "domestic project shell," with Shenzhen access control manufacturer Zhangting Information's images still remaining in the app's code library, and claimed that the project's social platform heat was mostly self-staged by the project's small accounts.
Crypto KOL AB Kuai.Dong further disclosed that Zhangting Information is backed by a Shanghai outsourcing company specializing in comprehensive identity verification system outsourcing services. This stands in stark contrast to Humanity's proclaimed "technological innovation".
In response, Humanity founder Terence Kwok stated that Zhangting Information was an early partner, and the related materials were "historical remnants" from the packaging process, emphasizing that the partner's founder is a former Tencent executive who has also collaborated with UnionPay and has rich experience in biometric identification.
However, this response did not dispel community doubts. AB Kuai.Dong countered, if it was just a partnership, why could they use their code library, even including the company's cover?
In fact, this is not the first time Humanity has sparked controversy in the technical realm. As early as December 2024, Slow Mist Technology founder Yu Xian had posted on X platform, pointing out serious security risks in Humanity's testnet phase: if users log in with Web2 methods (such as email), the platform automatically assigns a wallet address and stores the private key in plain text in the browser's sessionStorage.
The technical color beneath Humanity's glamorous packaging gradually loses its halo with each revelation.
Founder's Resume Shadow: A $170 Million "Cautionary Tale"
Facing team controversies, Humanity Protocol founder Terence Kwok stated: "I am a Chinese person who gave up my US passport and only holds a Hong Kong passport." But as his background is dug deeper, an not-so-glorious entrepreneurial resume emerges.
According to Protos media report, Terence Kwok nearly destroyed his $1.5 billion smart phone company Tink Labs through aggressive expansion, burning through over $170 million in investment funds. Tink Labs, once favored by giants like SoftBank and Foxconn for its innovative service of providing free smart phones to hotel guests, fell into trouble due to market environment changes, unbalanced operating models, and capital chain rupture, ultimately entering bankruptcy liquidation in 2020.
Tink Labs' former HR head directly said: "I never expected it to last long, but also didn't think it would collapse so quickly. Kwok only had money in his eyes." This "unicorn fall" old case now also plants another seed of concern in users' hearts.
Airdrop Becomes a "Joke"
On June 22, Humanity Protocol announced the launch of its first "Proof of Humanity" Fairdrop, with airdrop-eligible users including early testnet participants, genuine users, and community promotion contributors. However, this much-anticipated airdrop ultimately ignited collective community anger.
According to crypto KOL Bing Frog's disclosure, some people spent a year consistently checking in, only to receive an airdrop worth $1; many others directly showed "not qualified". Long-term community maintainers, content producers, and official Mods were also dismissed with "zero airdrop". Meanwhile, multiple ghost addresses appeared on-chain, with no interaction or contribution records, yet receiving airdrops of up to 40,000 $H.
Over the past year, Humanity frequently launched various "anti-Sybil" time-limited form-filling activities, requiring users to fill out detailed information, cooperate with verification, and participate in interactions. But in fact, these behaviors were not real airdrop reference standards, but operations to manufacture activity.
Humanity founder Terence Kwok responded to the airdrop controversy, saying: "We have noted the community's widespread feedback and are seriously handling appeals about fair airdrop distribution." However, the project's future remains uncertain, with the community urgently awaiting a more open, transparent, and responsible response.
Humanity Protocol, lifted to the clouds by capital and vision, now teeters on the brink in a whirlpool of doubts and controversies. Beneath the packaging of "innovation" may be just another capital hunt disguised with a technological narrative.
