In the evolving world of Web3, the next major breakthrough is digital identity. As blockchain applications reach the masses, the need to differentiate real, unique human beings from bots, Sybil attackers, and duplicate accounts becomes urgent. Proof of Humanity (PoH), originally conceptualized on Ethereum, offers a promising path forward. Yet adoption has been slow, and implementations often struggle with usability, privacy, and scale.
On the other hand, building PoH on TON means leveraging Telegram’s access to nearly 1 billion users, enabling a system that not only secures on-chain activity from bots and Sybil attacks but also supports mass adoption by embedding identity directly where users already are – Telegram!
With Telegram’s vast user base and TON’s high-speed, low-cost blockchain infrastructure, there’s an unmatched opportunity to build a native PoH layer. Combined with the innovations of projects like TBook and ONTON, the TON ecosystem is uniquely positioned to redefine what digital identity can mean for the mainstream.
Why Proof of Humanity Matters in the World of AI
Proof of Humanity (PoH) is a cryptographic and social process that confirms a user is both human and unique. In a world where sophisticated AIs and humans coexist, distinguishing genuine human behavior from bots and AI-generated accounts is more important than ever.
However, unlike traditional KYC, PoH doesn’t just ask, “Are you a real person?” It asks, “Are you a real, one-of-a-kind person on this network?”
This distinction is crucial for:
- Preventing Sybil attacks in DAOs, voting, and public goods distribution
- Making airdrops and incentives fair by blocking multi-account exploiters
- Creating a foundation for reputation, governance, and trust in decentralized communities
Current methods like CAPTCHA, email verification, or even social login systems don’t scale effectively or resist manipulation. Blockchain-native identity systems must go beyond simple access control and serve as a bridge to trusted digital participation.
TON & Telegram: A Natural Fit for PoH
- Powering Mass Adoption with PoH
With over 1 billion users, mostly Web2 users, Telegram has demonstrated massive adoption potential through innovations like TON mini apps, tap-to-earn features, and Telegram Gifts. However, Telegram has long struggled with bot authentication and abuse.
One major hurdle TON has faced while onboarding millions through Telegram mini apps is bots capturing the majority of rewards, leaving genuine users with little or nothing. Proof of Humanity (PoH) offers a promising solution by ensuring that only verified, unique humans benefit from incentives.
Additionally, PoH can address a core challenge for the Telegram platform itself—its ongoing struggle with bot detection. This expands PoH’s utility beyond Web3, helping to make one of the world’s largest messaging platforms more secure.
- Telegram’s Massive Network Effect
With a massive user base and deep penetration in Web3 communities, Telegram is already the largest communication platform for crypto. Channels, groups, and bots serve as hubs for everything from token launches to governance discussions.
Integrating PoH directly into Telegram via TON allows for low-friction, high-trust onboarding. It means building identity in the exact place where crypto communities already organize, coordinate, and engage.
- TON’s Infrastructure Strength
TON is the ideal foundation for building a human-first identity protocol, as it supports microtransactions, gamified systems, and the seamless issuance of SBTs – with the ability to support micro-interactions at scale.
Features that makes TON ideal for POH development:
- Fast, scalable, and cost-efficient transactions
- Native NFT and SBT capabilities
- Growing support for ZK and privacy-preserving mechanisms
- The Social Layer Is Already Active: ONTON & TBook
TON is not starting from scratch when it comes to identity. Two major platforms have already laid the groundwork:
- ONTON has issued Soulbound Tokens (SBTs) to over 250,000 users across more than 2,000 events, using event participation as proof of engagement and a strong proxy for identity.
- TBook has onboarded over 2 million users through its on-chain reputation system, which reflects users’ trustworthiness and activity across the ecosystem—helping to establish a reliable and dynamic digital identity.
This means that users across TON are already familiar with Web3 identity and SBTs. The ecosystem has quietly onboarded millions into a world where actions, not just wallet addresses, define identity.
TON doesn’t need to convince users to adopt PoH – it’s already happening. What’s needed now is structure, visibility, and interoperability across the network.
- Easy-to-Use UX with a Telegram Native Experience
Proof of Humanity efforts in many ecosystems have struggled due to high user friction, unfamiliar interfaces, and weak incentives.
The TON and Telegram ecosystem offers the opposite:
- All activity happens within the familiar, user-friendly interface of Telegram bots and mini apps—eliminating complexity and onboarding barriers.
- Engaging reputation systems like leaderboards and badges within the Telegram Mini Apps (TMA) ecosystem keep users motivated and connected.
- The native wallet built into Telegram makes the Web3 experience for Proof of Humanity even more seamless.
This smooth and native integration positions TON and Telegram uniquely to drive mass adoption of Proof of Humanity.
How ONTON and SBTs Power Digital Identity on TON
Soulbound Tokens (SBTs) are a special type of NFT that are non-transferable and permanently tied to a user’s wallet, making them a natural fit for digital identity. These tokens act as badges that prove your presence, accomplishments, and contributions within the ecosystem.
The TON ecosystem has already onboarded millions of users into the basics of Proof of Humanity through SBTs:
ONTON uses Soulbound Tokens (SBTs) to turn event participation into a digital identity signal. When a user registers for an event through ONTON and attends it, they receive an SBT as proof they were there – a badge that can’t be transferred or faked.
For example: Imagine attending a Web3 workshop hosted on TON via ONTON. After the event, you receive an SBT in your wallet that proves you participated. Later, this badge can help you unlock exclusive access to future events, special airdrops, or even voting rights in community decisions – all because your digital identity shows you as a verified, engaged human participant. TBook integrates SBTs into campaigns, awarding them when users complete specific tasks.
TBook also further enhances the uses of SBTs by integrating them into an on-chain reputation system called the Wise Credit Score, which acts as an index reflecting users’ contributions and trustworthiness based on defined criteria.
SBTs play a crucial role in TON’s Proof of Humanity because:
- The TON ecosystem has already introduced millions of users to digital identity through SBTs.
- Unlike simple scores, SBTs serve as immutable badges showcasing milestones and achievements that scores alone cannot fully capture.
- Being recorded on-chain, SBTs provide a secure, transparent, and verifiable record of a user’s identity and history.
With this foundation, ONTON is uniquely positioned to lead the next phase of Proof of Humanity on TON by deepening identity verification and trust across the ecosystem.
How ONTON has started a journey to build the POH in TON
ONTON is building the widest on-chain Proof-of-Humanity (PoH) layer for a future where people and AI agents operate side-by-side-virtually indistinguishable from one another.
Humanity SBTs at Global Scale
Proof of Attendance SBTs were only the setup. Now ONTON turns every human touchpoint, whether in person (e.g. at crypto conferences) or online, into a soul-bound Humanity badge-the definitive signal that you’re carbon, not code.
Web3’s Largest Identity Graph
In partnership with TBook, ONTON merges SBTs, DIDs, and cross-chain data into a single trust graph spanning millions of wallets.
Web3’s Largest Community Activation Layer
Integrated with TBook’s WISE Credit Score, ONTON converts every action into a real-time reputation index-empowering projects to pinpoint and reward top contributors while channeling more value back to the community, amplifying impact and shared wealth.
🎁 Want a Bonus SBT?
If you’re reading this, you’re probably into Proof of Humanity – and we’ve got something for you.
Ask a thoughtful question about this topic in our Telegram chat using #question, and you’ll get a special SBT, 20 ONTON points, and some other very cool perks.😎
⏳ Deadline: July 4
Only for the first 50 participants
Ask your question here: https://bit.ly/ontoncommunity
