Increased Yield for Verified Users on Celo: Aave Integrates Self for ZK Proof-of-Humanity

Hi 👋

The Celo ecosystem takes another big step forward at the intersection of DeFi and identity earlier this week with Aave’s integration of Self Protocol’s zero-knowledge proof-of-humanity (zkPoH), providing double yield to verified users on Celo-native USDT and WETH pools.

Incentive campaigns are powerful tools for onboarding users, but they are often undermined by sybil attackers who create multiple wallets to capture rewards. Aave’s new integration ensures rewards flow only to real, verified humans––not bots––while protecting user privacy. Built for DeFi with fee abstraction, sub-cent transaction costs, and one-block finality, Celo provides the foundation for mainstream adoption that can be accelerated through fair, sybil-resistant incentive campaigns.

Through Self’s zkPoH and identity verification, Aave campaigns confirm that a wallet belongs to a single person while keeping sensitive data private. 

This integration:

• Delivers fairer, sybil-resistant incentive distribution

• Advances privacy-preserving identity in DeFi

• Reinforces Celo as the home for real-world Web3 applications for humans everywhere

Self has quickly become a trusted layer for identity across Web2 and Web3. Since launching earlier this year, it has been adopted by Google Cloud, Para, Velodrome, and Farcaster, supporting users across 129 passport countries and 35 national ID programs.

“Aave is setting the standard for DeFi risk management with features like borrow and supply caps, and we’re proud to support the continued growth of the platform through zk proof-of-humanity verification,” said Eric Nakagawa, CEO and co-founder of Self.

The campaign is launched in partnership with the Stabila Foundation, the community-funded initiative expanding the adoption of stablecoins on Celo. 

Explore the campaign: