Fast-tracking trust in a digitally connected world
Our digital future
In an increasingly interconnected world, digital transactions are rapidly replacing traditional ones.
Cross-border payments
Financial transactions across borders require secure digital identity verification
Health records
Medical information sharing demands trusted digital profiles
Academic credentials
Educational verification relies on authenticated digital identities
Locating and trusting an individual's digital profile will be the essential first step for every digital transaction worldwide.
Our vision
Enable instant connection and fast-track trust for any digital transaction in the world
Current digital service landscape: fragmentation, friction and exclusion
Fragmented markets
Limited interoperability between providers make it challenging to locate and share customer data.
Proxies help ease friction domestically, but not across providers or across borders.
High costs of siloed identity
Hard for providers to verify identify, costly to trust
Increases costs for service providers
Limits access for users unable to meet high barriers to entry
Lack of data privacy
For individuals, private data is spread across several honey pots
Lack of ownership, with no ability to leverage previous "trust credit"
Proxy Addressing System Service (PASS)
Governed by the PASS Alliance, PASS is an interoperable, secure, global network of digital systems designed to expedite the lookup and verification of any digital profile in the world.
Faster look-up: leverages "smart proxies" to facilitate look-up of individuals across systems and streamline the convoluted and complicated routing of disconnected systems
Portable trust: establishes a "trust network" where members can provide trust attestations other members can leverage to fast-track KYC and streamline compliance
Enhanced privacy: Full authority over personal identity and data sharing, with granular permissions
Broad application: will transform cross-border payments, healthcare, education, and the future of any digital service worldwide
First use-case: cross-border payments
2.2%
Cost savings
Digital transfers are cheaper than cash-based transfers
↑
Complexity
Digital methods currently require more steps than cash
↓
Simplification
Proxies can streamline the digital experience
While sending cash remains the easiest option for many, it comes at a premium cost. The challenge lies in simplifying digital transfers to match the convenience of cash-based alternatives.
By leveraging popular domestic proxy systems, we can create a more intuitive cross-border payment experience that maintains the cost advantages of digital solutions while eliminating unnecessary complexity.
Integrating trust seamlessly into proxies
Standard Proxy
Proxy identifiers link transaction accounts to simple, memorable identifiers, enabling seamless payments without requiring bank details when initiating transfers or scanning QR codes.
Offers basic addressing with limited capabilities beyond resolution.
Smart Proxy
A novel mechanism connecting proxies to digital wallets, overcoming limitations of traditional proxies which point to one piece of data.
Enables several uses cases: payments, age verification, proof of residence, and sharing of sensitive data (health records, etc).
Facilitates conditional routing based on trust parameters and user preferences.
Trust needs a common language
Trust evolution
Need to modernise existing trust mechanisms
Digital attestations
LEIs can digitise institutional trust
Unified protocol
Must connect disparate trust sources
DNS for your data
PASS aims to create a trust standard
Building a unique, secure trust framework
Identity components
Phone number, SIM ID, Device ID, Biometrics
One-way hash
Generates unique ZKP blob
User wallet
User-controlled storage
Recovery options
Via biometrics or seed phrases
Key features
Distributed immutable identification service that provides a user complete control over their identity and data
Immutable identification
Making your existing digital identity tamper-proof using network effects
Hack-proof security
Data storage is fragmented across the network — distribute pixels: only your biometric can recreate
Complete user control
Full authority over personal identity and data sharing, with granular permission settings
The trust score framework
Attestations
PASS members (issuers) issue digitally signed verifications (telcos, corporates, banks, tax authorities, etc.)
Trust blocks
Score + issuer (LEI) + ZKP-linked blob
Selective disclosure
Users control trust history disclosure
Global rating
Like eBay rating but cryptographically secure
From fragmented trust to a global trust network
It's like the early days of email. At first, it didn't seem different from a fax. But over time, it changed everything.
Protocol layer
Building foundation for trust
Global reach
Connecting all end-points
Seamless experience
Making trusted data portability as easy as messaging
Our solution is open-source
And integrates best-in-class open-source technologies to create a unified trust framework:
Identity & Credentials
W3C Verifiable Credentials, DIDs, SpruceID, and Hyperledger Aries provide the foundation for portable digital identities.
Security & Privacy
Zero-knowledge systems (zkSync, Semaphore) and OpenZeppelin's smart contracts ensure tamper-proof, private attestations.
Infrastructure & Integration
IPFS, OAuth 2.0/OIDC, FAPI, Kubernetes, and Terraform enable secure, scalable deployment and interoperability.
By leveraging these open-source technologies, PASS creates a decentralized yet cohesive ecosystem where trust can flow seamlessly across organizations, borders, and use cases.
The competitive landscape
Current landscape
Siloed initiatives limited to banking only
Cross-industry integration
One proxy for health, travel, finance, and beyond
Unified global standard
PASS creates an open protocol like SMTP for email (interoperability and participation for all providers without discrimination)
Today's private sector initiatives remain isolated and non-interoperable, focusing solely on banking connections. PASS offers a decentralized standard allowing anyone to participate across multiple Industries, e.g. Health care, Travel, etc.
What if we don't do this?
Continued fragmentation
Digital payment services remain isolated islands.
Corporate control
Users trapped in closed ecosystems without ownership.
Limited interoperability
Like an internet where Gmail users can't email other email addresses.
Popular services like Venmo and PayPal serve millions but function as closed systems. This creates artificial barriers to global financial inclusion. Without an open protocol, even large private initiatives will maintain corporate control over user identities and limit true interoperability.
The PASS Alliance team
Arunjay Katakam
Fintech entrepreneur with 15+ years leading inclusive finance initiatives globally (ex-UNCDF, GSMA). Author of The Power of Micro Money Transfers and Generation Hope. Led UNCDF team as G20 TechSprint finalists in 2023
David Lemmens
20+ years in financial technology, specializing in cybersecurity, identity, and payments architecture. Former SWIFT global head of API, identity and security, and Deutsche Bank executive
June Shin McCarthy
15+ years advising on financial regulation, compliance, and digital ID standards. Former advisor at Tony Blair Institute and Meta, with expertise spanning multiple jurisdictions
Baltazar Rodriguez
Technology strategist and digital transformation leader with 20+ years experience driving innovation in financial services. Former IBM executive and regional CTO for Latin America and Advisor BIS Innovation Hub
Our leadership team brings together comprehensive expertise in digital trust, interoperability, open finance, and regulatory frameworks—essential elements for building a global trusted data protocol.
The PASS Alliance
A non-profit governance body overseeing the PASS network, establishing global standards for digital trust.
Similar to how:
ICANN manages the Domain Name System,
GLEIF manages the Legal Entity Identifier,
FIDO manages authentication standards, etc.
Join the PASS Alliance
1
Become a founding member
Get in at ground zero and lead the global revolution
2
Shape the framework
Help develop the core PASS service layer and standards
3
Shape priority use cases
Payments, age verification, address verification, etc.
4
Leverage the benefits
Improve efficiency and reduce costs while supporting inclusion globally
A future of trusted, open data
Together, we make digital trust programmable, portable, and people-powered