Self Protocol today announced the general availability of Self’s zero-knowledge (ZK) proof-of-humanity in Google Web3’s Celo Sepolia testnet faucets, helping ensure that test tokens go to real developers instead of bots or AI agents. This launch is the first integration to go live between Google Cloud and Self, moving the collaboration from announcement to production for Web3 builders. With Self embedded directly into the Celo Sepolia faucet flow, developers can verify that they are real humans over the age of 18, without sharing sensitive personal data such as their date of birth or country of residence.
Verified users are eligible to receive up to ten times more testnet tokens in their second allocation than non-verified users, giving genuine builders the resources they need while maintaining fairness and strong anti‑sybil guarantees. The testnet integration also sets the stage for a first‑of‑its‑kind mainnet faucet that will launch as part of the Google Cloud and Self roadmap. In this upcoming mainnet faucet, verified Self users will be able to access larger, more meaningful allocations than users who have not verified their personhood, aligning token distribution with real human users while preserving privacy through ZK proofs.
By bringing proof‑of‑humanity into high‑value entry points like faucets, Self helps partners such as Google Cloud Web3 actively reduce sybil attacks while building relationships with real human users. Partners gain a way to protect scarce infrastructure and liquidity from abuse, and users experience a clear benefit to verification, making it easier to understand and adopt Self as part of their onboarding journey. “We are making testnet faucets useful again for real, human developers after bots have overwhelmingly exhausted resources across the industry,” said Rene Reinsberg, Self co‑founder. “With privacy as the cornerstone of Self’s infrastructure, builders can claim the testnet tokens they need in seconds without disclosing private personal information.”
“We’re committed to ensuring developers can build faster with reduced friction while maintaining industry‑leading security standards,” said Rich Widmann, Head of Strategy, Web3 at Google. “Integrating Self allows us to further this mission with frontier zero‑knowledge solutions that benefit developers throughout the blockchain ecosystem.” The collaboration reinforces Self’s role as an emerging identity layer of choice, already trusted by leading Web3 platforms and protocols including Aave, Velodrome, Talent Protocol, and Lemonade Social. Extending proof‑of‑humanity to fair testnet token distribution builds on Self’s existing applications, like boosted yield for verified humans and age‑gated event registration, designed to give more value to real people while keeping their data private.
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