self.xyz

What It Is

Self.xyz is a zero-knowledge identity protocol from Self Labs. It is positioned not as traditional KYC, but as zkKYC/Pre-KYC: users scan the NFC chip in a biometric e-passport via the Self App to prove they are a real person, are over 18/21, come from a specific country or region, or are not on Sanctions/OFAC lists—without uploading a full ID document or exposing raw identity data to third parties. Target use cases include app registration, Web3 protocols, DeFi, airdrops, communities, and agentic AI identity.

Core Capabilities and Deployment

In terms of protection type, Self is more of an identity and anti-fraud infrastructure layer than a traditional perimeter security product. It uses zero-knowledge proofs to reduce PII exposure and states that data is stored only on the user’s local device, with external entities not retaining original documents. For deployment, the site provides an open API and lightweight Web/iOS/Android SDKs, emphasizing fast integration. On the user side, the iOS/Android app is required to read the e-passport NFC chip. The Pro plan also includes white-label UX, SMS/Email/Passkey/OTP recovery, an enterprise admin toolkit, and a custom policy engine for age, geography, and fraud-risk rules.

Pricing and Support

The Builder plan is free, requires no credit card, and includes 10,000 verifications per month. It is suitable for consumer apps, early-stage protocols, and beta products, and includes support for 180+ countries, developer office hours, and a community Slack. The Pro plan requires contacting sales and is aimed at scaled AI products, protocols, and enterprises. It adds higher-assurance checks, SLA-backed uptime, a dedicated solutions engineer, and audit-ready controls. The public page does not list specific Pro pricing or disclose supported payment methods.

Pros and Cons

The main advantage is its clear privacy-first design: it avoids creating a centralized PII data warehouse, reducing the risk of document leaks and lowering compliance pressure. It also supports e-passports from 180+ countries, offers a generous free tier, and provides developer-friendly APIs/SDKs. The limitation is that it is not a complete traditional KYC solution; if a business requires manual review, address verification, or local regulatory reporting, additional services will still be needed. It also depends on e-passports and NFC-capable devices, making the user threshold higher than phone-number verification or photo-based ID checks. The page also does not provide clear information on compliance certifications, alerting mechanisms, audit logs, or SIEM integration.

Best Fit and Access from China

Self is best suited for AI, Web3, fintech pre-access checks, communities, and cross-border applications that want to prove “real person / age / region / not on sanctions lists” while collecting as little private data as possible. Access from mainland China, payment methods, and local compliance adaptation are not explained in the main text, so they should be treated as unknown. If targeting Chinese users, teams should also evaluate e-passport adoption, app availability, cross-border data considerations, and local alternative identity-verification services.