Proof of Personhood

Definition ∞ Proof of Personhood is a cryptographic or algorithmic method designed to verify that a unique human individual is interacting with a digital system, distinguishing them from bots or multiple accounts created by the same person. This mechanism aims to prevent Sybil attacks, where one entity controls many identities to gain disproportionate influence or resources. It typically involves attestations, biometric scans, or social graph analysis to confirm singular human presence. The objective is to ensure equitable participation in decentralized governance and resource allocation.
Context ∞ Proof of Personhood protocols are increasingly relevant for decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs) seeking to implement fair voting systems and for universal basic income (UBI) projects distributing funds to unique individuals. Debates often concern the privacy implications of identity verification methods and the potential for exclusion or bias in global implementation. Developments in zero-knowledge proofs offer promising avenues for privacy-preserving personhood verification.