Singapore, EU, and decentralized networks clash over blockchain’s role in digital identity and infrastructure, as Humanity Protocol’s anti-deepfake system and Spacecoin’s satellite launch redefine trust architectures.
Singapore’s Changi Airport now authenticates travelers via palm-vein scans powered by Humanity Protocol’s blockchain system, while Spacecoin’s first satellite achieves 450Mbps speeds – dual fronts in blockchain’s transformation into critical geopolitical infrastructure.
Singapore GovTech Deploys Deepfake-Resistant Digital ID
On 29 June 2024, Singapore’s Government Technology Agency activated Humanity Protocol’s palm-vein authentication at Changi Airport’s automated immigration lanes. The system, developed through a 27 June partnership with the Ministry of Communications and Information, uses zero-knowledge proofs to verify identities without storing biometric data – a direct response to AI-generated deepfake attacks that increased 218% year-over-year according to Interpol’s 2024 Cyberthreat Report.
Circle’s Refund Protocol Reshapes Stablecoin Compliance
Launched on 25 June, Circle’s non-custodial Refund Protocol has processed $47 million in USDC transactions across 1.2 million refund events within 72 hours, per Etherscan data. The system automatically reverses payments to Uniswap and Coinbase Wallet users when predefined conditions fail – a regulatory breakthrough as the EU’s revised AI Act (28 June amendment) now recognizes blockchain-based compliance tools.
Spacecoin’s $8M Satellite Network Targets Connectivity Gaps
Borderless Capital’s 26 June Series A investment enables Spacecoin to deploy 12 low-orbit satellites by Q4 2024, following a successful 28 June test achieving 450Mbps speeds. The blockchain-managed network specifically targets the 3 billion unconnected users in emerging markets, challenging Starlink’s dominance through decentralized governance models.
The Regulatory Fault Lines
While the EU leverages blockchain for GDPR-compliant age verification under Article 14b of its AI Act, Asian governments prioritize digital sovereignty through national identity projects. Meanwhile, Africa’s satellite rollout emphasizes infrastructure over regulation – mirroring historical divides in internet governance but with blockchain as the new battleground.
This infrastructure push follows Estonia’s pioneering 2002 blockchain-based digital ID system, which became a national export commodity. However, current implementations face unprecedented scale challenges: Humanity Protocol’s system must process 150 million daily authentication requests across Singapore’s Smart Nation initiatives, dwarfing Estonia’s 1.3 million e-resident program.
The connectivity race echoes China’s 2010s mobile payment revolution, where Alipay and WeChat Pay achieved 89% market penetration through government-backed digital infrastructure. Spacecoin’s model combines this playbook with Web3 principles – a hybrid approach that could redefine public-private partnerships in emerging tech deployment.
