From palm print "revolution" to access control manufacturers, tearing apart the dual facade of Humanity's technology

Author: Fairy, ChainCatcher

Editor: TB, ChainCatcher

On one side, there is the enthusiastic support of top capital; on the other, there are controversies surrounding technical outsourcing and privacy issues. One side raises the banner of "anti-witch," while the other reveals logos from Shenzhen access control manufacturers lying in the code.

Humanity Protocol, hailed as the "strongest anti-witch network" and a star project in Web3 identity verification, has seen its valuation exceed $1.1 billion, backed by a luxurious lineup of capital including Pantera, Jump, and Animoca, and was once regarded as a strong competitor to Worldcoin.

However, on the other side of the spotlight, the layer of "technological revolution" and "privacy shield" is gradually peeling away. What kind of "double act" lies behind Humanity?

Capital Deification: The Fast Track to a $1.1 Billion Valuation

Founded in 2023, Humanity Protocol's core selling point is a human proof system based on palm print recognition, claiming to solve the "witch" problem in the Web3 world through non-invasive biometric technology.

The capital's keen sense was quickly attracted: Humanity has completed three rounds of financing to date, raising over $50 million, with a fully diluted valuation reaching $1.1 billion. Investors include 31 well-known institutions such as Animoca Brands, Blockchain.com, Polygon, and IDG Blockchain.

The Humanity Foundation is also filled with big names, led by Yat Siu, chairman of Animoca Brands, with co-founders 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, the Android version supporting palm print scanning verification was released, with over 8 million users pre-registering for Human ID. Shortly after, on June 22, Binance announced the launch of Humanity Protocol (H) on the Alpha and contract markets. At this point, Humanity's development momentum seemed very strong, but as the airdrop activity was initiated, more hidden information was uncovered by netizens, and doubts began to emerge.

Core Technology from Chinese Outsourcing Firms?

According to X user @LianFang, Humanity Protocol may be a "domestic project shell," as the APP code repository still contains images from Shenzhen access control manufacturer Zhangteng Information, and claims that the social platform's popularity is largely self-directed by the project team’s alternate accounts.

Crypto KOL AB Kuai.Dong further disclosed that Zhangteng Information is backed by a Shanghai outsourcing company specializing in comprehensive outsourcing services for identity verification systems. This stands in stark contrast to the "technological innovation" touted by Humanity.

In response, Humanity founder Terence Kwok stated that Zhangteng Information is an early partner, and the related materials are "historical residues" from the packaging process, emphasizing that the founder has rich experience in the biometric field, having previously worked with Tencent and UnionPay.

However, this response did not dispel community concerns. AB Kuai.Dong countered, asking if it was merely a partnership, why could they use their code library, even including the cover of their company?

In fact, this is not the first time Humanity has sparked controversy on a technical level. As early as December 2024, SlowMist Technology founder Yu Xian pointed out on the X platform that Humanity had serious security vulnerabilities during the testnet phase: if users logged in using Web2 methods (such as email), the platform would automatically assign a wallet address and store the private key in plaintext in the browser's sessionStorage.

The technical underpinnings of Humanity, wrapped in a glamorous package, are gradually losing their luster with each revelation.

Founder’s Shadow: A $170 Million "Cautionary Tale"

In the face of team controversies, Humanity Protocol founder Terence Kwok stated, "I am a Chinese person who gave up my U.S. passport and only holds a Hong Kong passport." However, as his background was further investigated, an unflattering entrepreneurial history emerged.

According to foreign media Protos, Terence Kwok nearly doomed his $1.5 billion smartphone company Tink Labs due to aggressive expansion, burning through over $170 million in investment funds. Tink Labs, which gained favor from giants like SoftBank and Foxconn by providing free smartphones to hotel guests, ultimately fell into trouble due to changes in market conditions, imbalanced operational models, and a broken capital chain, leading to bankruptcy liquidation in 2020.

The former HR head of Tink Labs candidly stated, "I never expected it to last long, but I also didn't think it would collapse so quickly. Kwok only cares about making money." This old case of "unicorn fall" has now planted another seed of concern in users' minds.

Airdrop Becomes a "Joke"

On June 22, Humanity Protocol announced the launch of its first "human proof" Fairdrop airdrop, with eligible users including early testnet participants, real users, and contributors to the promotional community. However, this highly anticipated airdrop ultimately ignited collective anger within the community.

According to crypto KOL Bingwa, some people spent a year completing check-in tasks only to receive an airdrop worth $1; many others were directly shown as "not qualified." Long-term community maintainers, content creators, and official Mod volunteers were also dismissed with "0 airdrop." Meanwhile, multiple ghost addresses appeared on-chain, with no interaction or contribution records, yet they received as much as 40,000 $H in airdrops.

Over the past year, Humanity frequently launched various "anti-witch" limited-time form-filling activities, requiring users to fill out detailed information, cooperate with verification, and participate in interactions. However, the reality is that these actions did not serve as genuine reference standards for airdrops but were merely operations to create activity by the project team.

Humanity founder Terence Kwok responded to the airdrop controversy, stating, "We have noted the widespread feedback from the community and are seriously addressing complaints regarding fair airdrop distribution." However, the project's future remains full of uncertainty, and the community is eagerly awaiting a more open, transparent, and responsible response.

Humanity Protocol has been elevated to the clouds by capital and vision, yet it sways precariously in the whirlpool of doubts and controversies. The so-called "innovation" packaging may just be another capital hunt dressed up in a technological narrative.