The Vouch Protocol is a decentralized system for proving identity and building trust within the Arweave and AO ecosystems. It helps prevent Sybil attacks, where a single entity creates multiple fake accounts to manipulate a system. By using the Vouch Protocol, we can verify that entities (such as users, wallets, or organizations) are real and trustworthy.
Why Does Sybil Resistance Matter?
In decentralized networks, Sybil attacks undermine fairness and security by allowing one person to act as multiple fake users. Sybil resistance protects these systems by verifying and limiting fake identities. The Vouch Protocol provides a standardized way to achieve this.
Key Features
- Decentralized Trust: Confidence levels are determined collaboratively by VouchDAO members, ensuring no single party has control.
- Customizable Verification: Supports multiple methods, including social media, email, and KYC.
- Interoperability: Works seamlessly with other AO and Arweave processes.
How to Use the Vouch Protocol
- Vouching: Link wallets with trusted verification methods and submit them to the VouchDAO
- Staking: DAO members stake tokens to vote on the reliability of vouched wallets.
- Confidence Scores: Use confidence scores to evaluate trustworthiness for applications, services, or transactions.
Vouch Portal
The Vouch Portal is an open-source reputation system on AO that calculates a humanity score using a mix of:
- AO ecosystem data
- Ethereum blockchain activity
- Web2 social presence
Key Benefits:
- Verifies genuine users for enhanced security.
- Rewards reputation with prioritized benefits.
- Encourages positive ecosystem behavior.
Adoption
Vouch is currently used by Bazar, Llama Land, and Permaverse. Other permaweb apps can integrate Vouch through the Developer Docs.
How to Earn Vouch Points
1. Vouch X
- Link your Twitter/X account.
- Points are awarded based on account criteria, such as age and activity.
- Each Twitter/X account can only be linked once.
2. Vouch Gitcoin Passport
- Use Gitcoin Passport to aggregate blockchain activity, social profiles, and KYC data.
3. Vouch AO Balance
- Earn points by holding AO tokens, bridging stETH, or holding DAI in the AO pre-bridge.
- This method is valid until AO becomes tradable (~Feb 2025).
4. Stake wAR
- Earn additional points by staking wAR in the Vouch Portal.
- Points vary by staking duration and AR price. Tokens are securely stored and can be withdrawn after the lock period. See the staking contract here.
Summary
The Vouch Protocol is a decentralized proof-of-humanity system that helps build trust by verifying identities within the AO ecosystem. It plays a vital role in protecting against fake accounts, ensuring fairness, and enabling more secure decentralized applications.
Want to learn more? Explore the full Vouch Protocol Specification here.