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zero-knowledge-privacy-identity-and-compliance
Blog

Why Selective Disclosure Is Loyalty's Next Frontier

Loyalty programs are broken. They trade privacy for points. Selective disclosure, powered by ZK proofs, flips the model: users prove claims (age, status, purchase history) without exposing their full identity. This is the key to compliant, scalable, and user-centric loyalty.

introduction
THE TRUST SHIFT

Introduction

Selective disclosure is the technical mechanism that will move user loyalty from brands to protocols.

Loyalty is a data problem. Current Web2 programs rely on opaque, centralized data silos, forcing users to surrender full privacy for rewards. This creates a trust deficit that erodes long-term engagement and limits program sophistication.

Blockchain inverts the model. Protocols like Worldcoin (with zero-knowledge proofs) and Sismo (with ZK badges) enable user-centric verification. Users prove specific credentials (e.g., 'I am human', 'I hold this NFT') without revealing their entire identity or transaction history.

This enables programmable loyalty. A protocol can trustlessly verify a user's eligibility for a reward based on a cryptographically proven trait, without needing custody of the underlying data. This shifts power from the data aggregator to the credential holder.

Evidence: The ERC-20 and ERC-721 token standards created digital property rights; emerging standards like ERC-7231 (bound identity) and ERC-7504 (dynamic ZK badges) are building the primitive for portable, private reputation.

thesis-statement
THE DATA

The Core Thesis: From Data Silos to Verifiable Claims

Loyalty programs fail because they rely on opaque, siloed data; the solution is user-owned, selectively disclosed verifiable credentials.

Loyalty programs are broken because they operate on proprietary data silos. This creates a prisoner's dilemma where brands hoard engagement data and users cannot prove their cross-platform value, leading to inefficient rewards and missed personalization.

Verifiable credentials are the atomic unit of portable loyalty. Standards like W3C Verifiable Credentials and implementations by Spruce ID or Polygon ID allow users to cryptographically prove claims (e.g., 'Platinum Status') without revealing the underlying transaction history.

Selective disclosure enables trustless portability. A user proves a specific claim to a new dApp without exposing their entire wallet history or relying on a centralized API. This shifts power from data custodians to the individual.

Evidence: The growth of zero-knowledge proof tooling from zkSync and StarkWare demonstrates the market demand for proving specific facts without revealing underlying data, a pattern loyalty systems must adopt.

LOYALTY & IDENTITY INFRASTRUCTURE

The Disclosure Spectrum: From Leaky to Private

A comparison of data disclosure models for on-chain loyalty programs, highlighting the trade-offs between user privacy, program utility, and developer flexibility.

Feature / MetricLeaky (Public Graph)Selective (ZK Proofs)Private (FHE/MPC)

Data Exposure

All user activity & graph links

Proven claims only (e.g., >1000 pts)

Fully encrypted, even during computation

Loyalty Tier Verification

On-chain, readable by anyone

βœ… Via ZK proof (e.g., Semaphore, Sismo)

βœ… Via homomorphic computation (e.g., Fhenix, Zama)

Cross-Protocol Portability

βœ… Direct composability (e.g., EigenLayer restaking)

βœ… Via verifiable credentials

❌ Limited; requires shared trust cluster

User Gas Burden for Proof

0 Gwei (data is public)

~150k-500k gas per proof

1M gas for FHE operations

Programmable Logic Complexity

Unlimited (Turing-complete EVM)

Constraint-based (circuit logic)

Limited by FHE/MPC op support

Trust Assumption

Trustless (code is law)

Trusted setup or transparent CRS

Trusted execution or committee

Primary Use Case

Open reputation systems

Gated benefits & anonymous loyalty

Private bidding & sealed-bid auctions

deep-dive
THE PROOF

Architectural Deep Dive: How It Actually Works

Selective disclosure protocols use zero-knowledge cryptography to prove specific facts about private data without revealing the data itself.

Core Mechanism is ZK Proofs: The system generates a zero-knowledge proof that a user's private data satisfies a public rule. This allows a user to prove they are over 18 from a passport, or have a credit score above 700, without showing the document or score. The verifier checks the proof's cryptographic validity, not the raw data.

Data Stays Off-Chain: The sensitive data, like a KYC document or transaction history, never touches a public ledger. It remains encrypted in a user's local wallet or a private data vault like zkPass or Sismo. Only the compact proof is submitted on-chain, eliminating the primary data breach vector.

Contrast with Full Disclosure: Traditional attestations, like those from Ethereum Attestation Service (EAS), publish claims publicly. Selective disclosure is the cryptographic upgrade, moving from 'here is my data' to 'trust this proof about my data'. This shifts the trust from the data's exposure to the proof's soundness.

Evidence: Polygon ID uses this to issue reusable credentials. A user proves residency once to an issuer, then can selectively disclose just their country of residence to a dApp, generating a new ZK proof for each interaction without re-submitting documents.

protocol-spotlight
SELECTIVE DISCLOSURE

Protocol Spotlight: Who's Building the Stack

The next loyalty battleground isn't points, it's privacy. These protocols are building the infrastructure to prove value without revealing everything.

01

Sismo: The Attestation Hub

Turns on-chain history into reusable, privacy-preserving badges. Users aggregate credentials (e.g., ENS holder, Gitcoin donor) into a single ZK-proof, revealing only what's needed.

  • Key Benefit: Enables sybil-resistant airdrops and gated experiences without exposing wallet history.
  • Key Benefit: ~2M+ ZK Badges minted, creating a portable, composable identity layer.
2M+
Badges Minted
ZK
Privacy Layer
02

Worldcoin & Personhood Proofs

Solves the unique-human problem via biometric Orb verification, generating a ZK-proof of personhood. The protocol's core innovation is the ability to prove 'liveness' and uniqueness without linking to real-world identity.

  • Key Benefit: Provides a global, sybil-resistant primitive for fair distribution (e.g., UBI, governance).
  • Key Benefit: ~5M+ verified humans, creating a foundational credential for mass adoption.
5M+
Verified Humans
Global
Sybil Defense
03

Polygon ID & Verifiable Credentials

Enterprise-grade framework for issuing and verifying claims on-chain. Uses Iden3 protocol and zero-knowledge circuits to enable selective disclosure for KYC, credit scores, and professional credentials.

  • Key Benefit: Institutions can issue reusable credentials, users control disclosure (e.g., prove age >18, not exact DOB).
  • Key Benefit: Native integration with Polygon's $1B+ DeFi ecosystem, bridging TradFi and DeFi compliance.
W3C Standard
VC Protocol
$1B+
Ecosystem TVL
04

The Problem: Data Silos vs. User Sovereignty

Today's loyalty is extractive. Protocols hoard user data to calculate points, creating locked-in silos. Users have no portability, and every new app demands full transaction history, a massive privacy leak.

  • Consequence: Loyalty becomes a stickiness trap, not a user-centric reward.
  • Consequence: >90% of users reflexively reject connecting wallets due to privacy concerns, stunting growth.
>90%
Wallet Rejection Rate
Siloed
Data Model
05

The Solution: Portable, Provable Reputation

Selective disclosure flips the model. Users cryptographically prove traits (e.g., 'Top 10% trader', 'Active for 2+ years') without revealing underlying data. Loyalty becomes a portable asset.

  • Mechanism: Zero-Knowledge Proofs (ZKPs) and Verifiable Credentials (VCs) form the tech stack.
  • Outcome: Protocols compete on utility, not data captivity. User acquisition cost plummets as trust becomes transferable.
ZKPs & VCs
Tech Stack
Portable
Reputation
06

Ethereum Attestation Service (EAS): The Schema Standard

The base-layer primitive for making attestations on-chain or off-chain. It doesn't enforce privacy itself but provides the universal schema registry and tracking that ZK-proofs like Sismo's can build upon.

  • Key Benefit: Creates a standardized data layer for trust, making attestations composable across the stack.
  • Key Benefit: Permissionless and schema-less, enabling infinite use cases from reviews to proof-of-attendance.
Base Layer
Primitive
Composable
Schemas
risk-analysis
WHY SELECTIVE DISCLOSURE IS LOYALTY'S NEXT FRONTIER

Risk Analysis: The Devil in the Details

Current loyalty programs leak user data and create systemic risk. Selective disclosure via zero-knowledge proofs (ZKPs) enables privacy-preserving, composable loyalty.

01

The Data Leak: Your Loyalty Program is a Liability

Centralized loyalty databases are honeypots for breaches, exposing purchase history, location data, and social graphs. This creates regulatory risk (GDPR/CCPA) and destroys user trust.\n- Attack Surface: Single point of failure for ~$200B+ in global loyalty points.\n- Business Cost: ~15-20% of program budgets spent on compliance & breach recovery.

$200B+
TVL at Risk
20%
Budget Waste
02

ZK-Proofs: Prove Without Revealing

Zero-knowledge proofs (e.g., zk-SNARKs, zk-STARKs) allow users to cryptographically prove eligibility (e.g., "I am a Platinum member") without revealing underlying transaction data.\n- Privacy-Preserving: User identity and full history remain hidden.\n- Interoperability: Proofs are portable across chains and programs, enabling composable loyalty.

~500ms
Proof Gen
0
Data Exposed
03

The On-Chain Abstraction: Privacy as a Feature

Protocols like Sismo, Semaphore, and Aztec provide the infrastructure for selective disclosure. Loyalty logic moves on-chain, but personal data stays off-chain.\n- User Sovereignty: Individuals own and control their proof-of-loyalty credentials.\n- Developer Primitive: Enables new apps like private airdrops, gated commerce, and Sybil-resistant governance.

10x
More Use Cases
-90%
Compliance Overhead
04

The Network Effect: Composable Loyalty Graphs

Selective disclosure unlocks portable reputation. A proof from Starbucks can be reused at Nike without either company seeing the other's data. This creates a decentralized loyalty graph.\n- Cross-Brand Value: Increases point utility and customer lifetime value (LTV).\n- Anti-Sybil: Makes farming and fraud across programs computationally infeasible.

50%+
Higher LTV
100%
Portable
05

The Regulatory Arbitrage: GDPR by Design

Selective disclosure is privacy-by-design, making it the most compliant architecture by default. It minimizes data collection to only what's necessary for the transaction (data minimization principle).\n- Audit Trail: All disclosures are cryptographically verifiable and consent-based.\n- Future-Proof: Aligns with evolving global privacy frameworks beyond GDPR.

-99%
Data Liability
By Design
Compliance
06

The Cold Start Problem & Incentives

Adoption requires solving coordination. Early movers must bootstrap the graph. Solutions include retroactive airdrops for early provers and shared liquidity pools for points redemption.\n- Bootstrapping: Use existing POAPs or NFT memberships as initial proof sources.\n- Economic Model: Protocols capture value via fee switches on proof verification and graph queries.

Phase 1
Bootstrapping
Fee Switch
Monetization
future-outlook
THE PRIVACY SHIFT

Future Outlook: The Loyalty Landscape in 2025

Loyalty programs will transition from data hoarding to user-controlled selective disclosure, enabled by zero-knowledge proofs and verifiable credentials.

Selective disclosure is inevitable because current programs are data liabilities. Brands collect excessive PII, creating honeypots for breaches. The future model uses zero-knowledge proofs (ZKPs) to let users prove attributes like 'loyal customer for 5+ years' without revealing their identity or full transaction history.

Verifiable credentials (VCs) replace point balances. Instead of a centralized ledger, users hold portable, self-sovereign credentials like W3C VCs or Sismo badges. This shifts power, allowing users to prove loyalty across brands without vendor lock-in, similar to how Polygon ID manages decentralized identity.

Programmable privacy enables hyper-personalization. With ZK tech from Aztec or zkSync, users can disclose specific data for tailored rewards while keeping other details private. This creates a trustless value exchange, moving beyond the blunt instrument of total data surrender.

Evidence: Starbucks Odyssey's NFT-based program demonstrates the market pull for portable, on-chain loyalty assets, proving users value ownership over traditional locked-in points.

takeaways
LOYALTY'S NEXT FRONTIER

Key Takeaways for Builders

Static points and generic NFTs are dead. The future of on-chain loyalty is dynamic, data-rich, and privacy-preserving.

01

The Problem: Loyalty Data Silos

Current programs trap user data in centralized databases, creating a poor experience and limiting composability.\n- No Interoperability: Points from Protocol A are useless in Protocol B.\n- Zero Portability: Users lose their history and status when switching chains or dApps.\n- Stale Value: Static NFTs or points cannot reflect real-time engagement or reputation.

0%
Data Portability
100+
Isolated Silos
02

The Solution: Portable Attestations

Use verifiable credentials (like Ethereum Attestation Service or Verax) to create portable, granular proof of user actions.\n- Selective Disclosure: Users prove specific traits (e.g., "Top 10% trader") without revealing full history.\n- Chain-Agnostic: Attestations can be verified on any EVM chain, breaking silos.\n- Composable Building Blocks: Protocols like Galxe or Noox can build dynamic loyalty atop this primitive.

~10ms
Proof Verify
Multi-Chain
Native
03

The Mechanism: Zero-Knowledge Loyalty

Leverage ZK proofs (via zkSNARKs or zkSTARKs) to enable trustless, private verification of complex user behavior.\n- Privacy-Preserving: Prove you qualify for a tier without exposing every transaction.\n- On-Chain Verifiable: Logic is cryptographically enforced, not run by an oracle.\n- Gas-Efficient: Proof verification is cheap, enabling micro-rewards and frequent updates.

-99%
Data Exposure
<$0.01
Verify Cost
04

The Business Model: Dynamic Yield & Airdrops

Shift from fixed rewards to algorithmic loyalty based on real-time contribution and reputation scores.\n- Sybil-Resistant Airdrops: Use on-chain history proofs to filter bots, as pioneered by EigenLayer and Optimism.\n- Variable APY: Lending protocols like Aave could offer better rates to loyal, long-term LPs.\n- Cross-Protocol Benefits: A high reputation in Uniswap governance could unlock perks in a Compound market.

10x
Airdrop Efficiency
Dynamic
Reward Curve
05

The Infrastructure: Attestation Aggregators

New infra layer will emerge to index, score, and serve verifiable user reputation data. Think The Graph for social/behavioral data.\n- Reputation Oracles: Services that compute scores from raw attestations (e.g., Gitcoin Passport).\n- Standard Schemas: Widespread adoption requires shared data formats (see ERC-7232).\n- One-Click Integration: SDKs for dApps to query and honor portable reputation.

1 Query
Full History
Universal
API
06

The Killer App: Intent-Based Loyalty

The endgame: loyalty that understands user goals, not just actions. Integrates with UniswapX, CowSwap, and Across.\n- Automatic Optimization: System routes your trade to get the best price and maximize your loyalty points across venues.\n- Loyalty-as-a-Service: Wallets like Rainbow or Safe bundle reputation to get users better deals.\n- User-Owned Algorithms: Users can deploy their own loyalty-strategy smart contracts.

20%+
Better Execution
User-Owned
Logic
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Selective Disclosure: The Next Frontier for Loyalty Programs | ChainScore Blog