To facilitate identification on the Web3, Synaps has developed the Anima decentralized identity protocol. Launched on April 12, this decentralized identity brings a major innovation in the protection of personal data and can be used to instantly validate your KYCs when registering for platforms.
Synaps presents its decentralized identity protocol Anima
Anima is a protocol for creating a decentralized digital identity (dID). This can be used indefinitely on the various services requiring identification or a Know Your Customer (KYC) process .
This Web 3.0 protocol is developed by the French company Synaps , itself already specialized in the provision of KYC solutions.
Synaps has many clients such as the French Just Mining and Deskoin and supports many launchpads such as Polkastarter , Solanium , Solstarter , Starterra or BHero to take just a few examples.
We will therefore see how Anima offers time savings and additional user comfort when interacting with blockchain applications. In addition, thanks to encryption and decentralized storage, this protocol offers protection to our personal data and respects our privacy.
The current problem of KYC
Current KYC checks are not pleasant for either the user or the service provider.
They represent a cost for the application that must implement this control. An operating cost of course, but above all an additional cost of acquiring customers . Indeed, having to constantly repeat this procedure of sending identity documents, proving your place of residence and taking a selfie to confirm that you are human can scare people away.
Once this is done, you will then have to wait for the whole process to be validated before being able to fully interact with a protocol.
Moreover, as a user, we can quickly feel spied on and legitimately wonder what will be done with our data when Web 3.0 is nevertheless supposed to reclaim control of it.
And all these constraints could become even more accentuated as the regulatory framework around blockchain and cryptocurrencies tightens.
The solution provided by Anima
Significant time savings
Anima is a decentralized identity based on the prerequisites of a KYC. This certified identity can thus be used to instantly validate KYCs and no longer have to go through them again. The first advantage brought by Anima is therefore a considerable saving of time .
To take the example of Florian Le Goff, CEO of Synaps, it is as if we only passed one valid airport control for all our activity on Web 3.0 . In other words, we could also see his Anima as the bracelet, which is provided to us at the entrance to a festival and then clears us of a new ticket control.
By creating your Anima, you therefore create in a way your digital double representing your identity on the Internet.
This brings comfort to the user who will no longer have to redo all the KYC verification steps for each new protocol. The Anima being authentic, the decentralized applications thus remain in compliance with the regulations , without scaring off potential customers.
How to create your decentralized identity with Anima?
First go to the Anima application , then click at the top of the page on “ Create an Anima ”.
Figure 1: Create your Anima
You will have to make a first signature with your MetaMask wallet, then you will be directed to the menu below where you will have to click on “ Create an Anima ” again:
Figure 2: Anima sound creation menu
You will then have to carry out a usual KYC procedure . When your documents have been verified, you will then be able to access your Anima.
Figure 3: KYC Verification
As of this writing, the solution only works on MetaMask, without a hardware wallet, but we are only at the beginning of the protocol and other digital wallets will be added. The team clarified that Ledger wallets will soon be supported.
Secure data
The other aspect of Anima, and which is certainly the most important, is data security and, by extension, regaining control over it.
First, it should be clarified that Synaps, developing the Anima protocol, does not have access to our decentralized information . Indeed, they are encrypted with the public key of our wallet and can only be decrypted with the private key of this one in such a way that only we have access to them. This encrypted information is then stored on the Aleph.im decentralized storage network.
The Anima is created on the Ethereum (ETH) blockchain, but there is no need to worry about possible gas fees, because it is only about signatures and not transactions.
Figure 4: Anima sound management menu
As we can see above, the data we provide is actually encrypted and the only way to access it is to sign with our wallet.
Reveal the bare necessities
In the continuity of this data security, Anima places itself as an overlay of protection between our personal information and the various applications that we are required to use. Thus, we only reveal what is necessary .
To take a concrete example, token launch platforms (launchpad) are closed to citizens of certain countries. In this case, we are therefore obliged to carry out a KYC by transmitting our identity documents to prove that we reside in a country authorized by the platform.
With Anima, this is no longer mandatory, because without having to reveal our nationality , a signature of our private key makes it possible to authenticate that we are not a resident of such or such country, because this verification has already been made in upstream.
Beyond the blockchain and cryptocurrency aspect, it is an innovation that can be exported to many areas . The restriction to certain countries is indeed not the prerogative of our ecosystem and one thinks, for example, of access to Internet sites where the majority is required to be able to access them.
Conclusion on Anima and its technology
In view of a future token launch, Anima has also set up affiliate links, to encourage users who have already decentralized their identity to share this novelty with their network. This will generate a count that will be considered during an upcoming airdrop .
As we have seen, the Anima solution, powered by Synaps, is a real innovation. If it manages to be accepted by the various players in the sector, it will offer real ease of use in the face of current KYCs.
In addition, it could be one of the ambassadors of decentralized identity solutions offering us control over our personal data , and this, the exact opposite of what has been done on the Internet until now.
Anima is above all a way to reconcile confidentiality and compliance to allow everyone to share only what is necessary.
