New Web3 Identification Standard: IT Expert launches an innovative decentralized platform without servers and KYC
Dan Agbo 
An international software engineer and IT expert Rassul Rakhimzhan has made a breakthrough and developed a solution that allows Web3 users to pass identity verification without servers, wallets and registration — and is already being used in a productive environment.
Against the backdrop of the recent launch of the European Digital Identity Wallet and the ambitious plans of the European Commission to mandate all member states to implement a unified digital identity system by 2026, the question of trust and control over personal data in the online realm has become increasingly important. Governments and commercial platforms alike are actively developing centralized solutions for storing and verifying user information. However, a Kazakh engineer has proposed a novel approach that challenges this status quo.
His system allows for online identification without the necessity of logins, wallets, or servers, providing cryptographic security guarantees in mere seconds. This technology, already being integrated into Web 3 applications, holds the potential to revolutionize the way we perceive identity in the digital landscape. In this article, Rassul Rakhimzhan shares the architectural principles and practical steps that helped turn the idea into a scalable product.
Security without intermediaries: How the innovative program works
Rassul Rakhimzhan is the co-founder and chief engineer of a program called DefaceID. DefaceID is a groundbreaking decentralized platform that offers a novel approach to identity verification in the Web3 space. Unlike conventional KYC (Know Your Customer) systems and digital passports, DefaceID does not require centralized data storage or linking to a cryptocurrency wallet.
Centralized KYC systems operate under a framework in which users submit personal information (e.g., passport details, selfies, and addresses) to a third-party service provider for processing, verification, and storage on a server. The information can then be utilized to identify the user across various platforms and may be accessed by third parties as needed. Unlike traditional KYC systems that rely on centralized data storage, decentralized solutions by Rassul Rakhimzhan such as DefaceID eliminate the risk of large-scale data breaches and abuse. With decentralized systems, user data is not stored on third-party servers, making it less vulnerable to attacks. In this architecture, users have control over where and how their information is processed.
The platform utilizes canisters – self-contained smart contracts within the Internet Computer ecosystem – to generate unique digital identities. These identities are authenticated through reputation algorithms embedded in the blockchain, which rely on zero-knowledge proofs to verify data without directly revealing it.
Mobile libraries for React Native facilitate seamless integration with decentralized applications (DApps), allowing users to log in via a user-friendly interface without exposing a single byte of sensitive information. This process is fast, transparent, and secure, free from potential vulnerabilities.
The implementation of a unified digital identity system in the European Union holds the promise of expediting access to services and harmonizing verification procedures. However, this development also raises concerns regarding centralization, as personal data of countless individuals will be consolidated and managed within a singular repository, potentially exposing them to technical failures and potential administrative oversight. DefaceID can serve as a balance between the convenience of digital identity and the fundamental rights to privacy and control over personal data.
Nuances of technical architecture: subtleties of DefaceID operation
The project is predicated on a biometric-driven wallet system. The entire infrastructure, comprising the front-end, back-end, and neural network for determining human vitality, is hosted on a blockchain-based Internet Computer Protocol.
Each software component is a smart contract on the blockchain, with the exception of ICP canisters, which possess enhanced functionality. DefaceID leverages threshold signature schemes – the same cryptographic approach that secures entire blockchain networks and enables the creation of decentralized bridges between chains. Although the application is built on the Internet Computer (ICP), its architecture is blockchain-agnostic and can, in theory, be integrated with any ecosystem. This mechanism distributes the signing authority across multiple network participants, so only a subset (e.g., 3 out of 5) of private keys is needed to authorize a transaction or issue an attestation. By eliminating reliance on a single secret, DefaceID avoids single points of failure and remains resilient even if individual nodes are compromised.
Threshold signatures serve as an algorithm safeguarding the entire blockchain and enabling the establishment of decentralized connections to other blockchains. Consequently, the application, developed using ICP, has the potential to operate on any blockchain platform. Wallets, for instance, can be validated on Bitcoin or Ethereum networks through our ICP technology.
“Our containers will be verified, meaning that the source code for our programs will be not only open, but anyone with sufficient technical skills can ensure that the code on GitHub is directly run as a decentralized program. In other words, we can prove that our data is not being shared anywhere, and users can verify this for themselves,” Rakhimzhan commented.
Consequently, the platform significantly reduces integration expenses by 75%, effectively eliminating the need for centralized storage. This not only ensures scalability but also enables seamless operation for hundreds of thousands of users.
Rakhimzhan, as the co-founder and chief engineer, takes the lead in making critical architectural decisions and devising a scalable strategy for mobile integration. In his own words, he states, “I am actively involved in key decision-making processes related to on-chain reputation algorithms, container design, and the overall mobile integration strategy.”
How participation in the development of industry standards promotes recognition
Rakhimzhan is not just developing his own platform; he has also integrated a variety of technologies into the work of other companies in order to optimize their operations prior to launching DefaceID. For instance, at Floboom, he spearheaded the development of continuous integration and continuous deployment (CI/CD) pipelines, as well as an architecture that attracted $150,000 in investment, propelling the company’s value. Through his solutions, he reduced the build time for backend services by 90%, halving the size of mobile applications.
“The CI/CD pipelines and product architecture I put in place helped grow the company’s valuation from zero to $ 715,000 – all directly tied to the robustness and scalability of those processes,” Rakhimzhan noticed.
The impact of Rassul Rakhimzhan’s work on interfaces and WebGL-powered Google showcase has significantly enhanced Lighthouse performance for MediaMonks, raising it from 40 to 100, becoming the company’s standard. Moreover, at BTSDigital, he designed an OAuth2 integration mechanism that unified eight internal projects serving over 3 million monthly users – demonstrating that his approach can scale to very large user bases. As part of a large-scale digital company, Rakhimzhan helped deliver 10+ Android and iOS apps across five countries, reaching millions of retail customers with consistent UX and real-time data features. Also Rakhimzhan was selected for a senior React-Native role within a big cross-country delivery team, responsible for code-reviews, TDD enforcement, and mentoring – a recognition reserved for top performers. The React Native UI/UX toolkit he developed achieved a 100% reduction in APK bundle size – simplifying maintenance and improving install speeds.
“I have been invited to give internal tech talks on scaling React Native and Next.js architectures, and contributed to open-source components (e.g., advanced Mapbox integration modules) that are now downloaded by thousands of developers monthly,” Rakhimzhan commented.
He is also a senior member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), organizes workshops on Test-Driven Development (TDD) and security, and delivers presentations to share his expertise and best practices with fellow developers.
Perspectives and scaling of ideas
Rassul Rakhimzhan is currently focusing on scaling DefaceID: integration with other blockchains, standardization of interfaces, and expansion to new DApp platforms. His objective is to establish an autonomous think tank for the entire realm of Web3.
“There are plans to scale DefaceID to the network identity layer by extending it to new blockchains and integrating it with mainstream DApps,” – Rakhimzhan shares.
At present, Rakhimzhan is actively engaged in conducting workshops on cybersecurity, and he has ambitious plans to deepen his expertise in this domain. The expert intends to enhance his experience in the field of trust and CP by creating more open source tools for seamless convergence of Web 3 and mobile devices. During his current job he continues to lead larger cross-functional teams, innovating in React Native and decentralized applications.