What is Proof of Address (zkPoA)?
As Web3 matures, platforms dealing with regulated assets or financial services are increasingly expected to verify user addresses for compliance across jurisdictions. Whether for KYC, AML, or jurisdictional restrictions, businesses must confirm where their users reside. However, traditional address verification processes create significant challenges for both platforms and users. They require uploading and storing sensitive documents such as bank statements, utility bills, or tax notices鈥攅xposing both parties to substantial risks including data breaches, identity theft, and regulatory complications.
zkMe's Proof of Address (zkPoA) provides a privacy-first solution that enables users to prove their residence without revealing their full address or exposing personal documents. By using zero-knowledge proofs (ZKPs), zkPoA confirms compliance with jurisdictional requirements while preserving user privacy and eliminating centralized data storage risks.
User Journey: Meet Alice
Alice wants to access a platform that requires confirmation of her country of residence for compliance. With zkMe, she verifies her residence by scanning a recent bank statement, utility bill, lease agreement, or tax notice. The zkMe widget validates the document type, checks that it was issued within the last 90 days, and confirms her home jurisdiction without exposing raw address details.After this one-time verification, she receives a Proof-of-Address credential in the form of a Soulbound Token (SBT) containing a zero-knowledge proof, which she can reuse across multiple services that require proof of living address while keeping her sensitive information private.
Benefits for Business Clients
- User Privacy Protection
- Validate user's residential address with zero-knowledge proofs (ZKPs) without exposing or storing sensitive documents. Users maintain full control over their information, dramatically reducing the risk of data breaches and unauthorized access to personal details.
- Trusted Verification
- Confirm address using trusted sources (e.g., utility bills, bank statements, tax notices) with built-in cryptographic assurance. The system authenticates documents, validates recency, and ensures proper address formatting through automated checks.
- Compliance-Ready
- Satisfy global AML/KYC requirements for address verification, ensuring alignment with jurisdictional regulations. Platforms can confidently meet regulatory obligations while protecting user privacy and reducing compliance overhead.
- Reusable Credentials
- Once issued, zkPoA credentials are reusable across multiple platforms for the entire duration of their validity, eliminating redundant verification steps. This improves user experience and reduces friction in onboarding processes.
- Decentralized & Secure
- Proofs are generated and verified without central storage of raw address data, eliminating the risk of leaks. The decentralized architecture ensures that sensitive information never sits in vulnerable centralized databases.
- Seamless Integration
- Easily embed zkPoA into onboarding or transaction flows using our SDKs for instant, compliant address checks. The solution integrates smoothly with existing systems, minimizing development time and technical complexity.
Residency-Gated Entry
As part of KYC/AML requirements, some platforms might need to confirm a user's residence jurisdiction before providing access to financial products. zkMe's Proof-of-Address verifies a user's residential address using zero-knowledge proofs, ensuring documents are valid, issued within 90 days, and compliant with jurisdictional rules, without exposing the raw address details. This enables platforms to enforce residence-based requirements while keeping sensitive user information private.
Additional Use Cases:
Beyond residency-gated entry, zkPoA enables various compliance and verification scenarios:
- Decentralized Identity Integration: zkPoA credentials, issued as Soulbound Tokens (SBTs), can be seamlessly reused across Web3 ecosystems
- Cross-Compliance Scenarios: Combine zkPoA with zkMe's Proof of Location (zkPoL) for dual verification of both permanent residence and current presence
- DeFi Platform Access: Enable compliant participation in region-specific DeFi protocols
- Tokenized Securities: Verify investor residency for jurisdiction-specific token offerings
- Cross-Border Financial Services: Facilitate compliant access to financial services across different regulatory frameworks
Visual Tutorial Resource
To help you get started with zkMe's Proof of Address, a step-by-step video guide is available here.
馃摵 Watch the Step-by-Step Guide on YouTube
馃摎 Getting Started with zkPoA
Visit our Documentation Hub for complete technical documentation and integration guides.
The Future of Address Verification
zkMe's Proof of Address (zkPoA) represents more than just a technological advancement鈥攊t's a fundamental shift toward privacy-respecting compliance in Web3. As regulatory frameworks continue to evolve globally and data privacy concerns intensify, zkPoA positions both businesses and users to navigate these challenges while maintaining the core principles of decentralization and user sovereignty.
By combining robust compliance capabilities with uncompromising privacy protection, zkPoA is redefining how compliance and privacy can coexist in the digital age. Whether you're a business ensuring compliance, expanding globally, or a user seeking privacy-first onboarding, zkPoA delivers the perfect balance of regulatory compliance, security, and user empowerment.
For more information about zkMe's complete suite of privacy-preserving identity solutions, visit zk.me or contact us at contact@zk.me.
