BTC
$96,885.14
–
0.00%
ETH
$1,837.53
–
0.66%
USDT
$1.0003
–
0.01%
XRP
$2.2275
–
0.76%
BNB
$598.71
–
1.01%
SOL
$150.96
–
1.41%
USDC
$0.9999
–
0.02%
DOGE
$0.1814
–
0.10%
ADA
$0.7104
+
0.61%
TRX
$0.2465
–
0.85%
SUI
$3.4594
–
7.57%
LINK
$14.64
–
1.95%
AVAX
$21.29
–
0.53%
XLM
$0.2767
–
0.92%
LEO
$8.8994
–
0.79%
SHIB
$0.0₄1351
–
0.88%
TON
$3.1785
–
0.91%
HBAR
$0.1862
–
1.92%
BCH
$373.03
+
0.19%
HYPE
$20.84
+
1.70%
By Shaurya Malwa|Edited by Parikshit Mishra
May 2, 2025, 11:20 a.m.
- Google is enhancing its Wallet service with zero-knowledge proof technology for privacy-focused age verification.
- Bumble will be among the first to use Google’s system for verifying user ages without revealing personal data.
- The technology allows users to confirm age without sharing birthdates, using a blockchain-based method for secure verification.
Google is rolling out a privacy-focused upgrade to its Wallet service that uses zero-knowledge proof (ZKP) technology for age verification, per a release.
The company said that the dating app Bumble, among others, will be one of the first partners to use this system. Bumble will use digital IDs issued through Google Wallet for user verification, while ZKPs will handle age confirmation.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW
The move allows users to prove they’re old enough to access certain apps or websites without revealing their birthdates or personal identifying data. ZKP is one of the biggest use cases for blockchains apart from real-world assets and payments, though it has yet to find popularity outside of niche circles.
Google said the system was developed in response to the growing number of services requiring age checks, from dating platforms to e-commerce and social media. “We wanted to develop a system that not only verifies age, but does it in a way that protects your privacy,” it said.
The ZKP cryptographic method lets someone prove a fact (like being over 18) without revealing how they know it or any more information.
Traditional ID-based age verification methods, in contrast, often require revealing government-issued documents or date of birth, creating privacy and data security risks.
This is done using a complex blockchain-based system that runs a condition (such as age) in an encrypted form, generating a proof, and letting an outside system verify it using public keys, ensuring privacy without exposing the underlying information.
The implementation is now live in Google Wallet and works across mobile devices and apps using Google’s Digital Credential API, which means it can be embedded into third-party sites and platforms.
ZK-based tokens are up 1.7% on average in the past 24 hours, CoinGecko sector data shows. The sector could be one to keep an eye on as giants like Google adopt ZKP technology – bringing demand to the privacy-first sector that has generally fallen out of investor interest in past years.
Shaurya is the Co-Leader of the CoinDesk tokens and data team in Asia with a focus on crypto derivatives, DeFi, market microstructure, and protocol analysis.
Shaurya holds over $1,000 in BTC, ETH, SOL, AVAX, SUSHI, CRV, NEAR, YFI, YFII, SHIB, DOGE, USDT, USDC, BNB, MANA, MLN, LINK, XMR, ALGO, VET, CAKE, AAVE, COMP, ROOK, TRX, SNX, RUNE, FTM, ZIL, KSM, ENJ, CKB, JOE, GHST, PERP, BTRFLY, OHM, BANANA, ROME, BURGER, SPIRIT, and ORCA.
He provides over $1,000 to liquidity pools on Compound, Curve, SushiSwap, PancakeSwap, BurgerSwap, Orca, AnySwap, SpiritSwap, Rook Protocol, Yearn Finance, Synthetix, Harvest, Redacted Cartel, OlympusDAO, Rome, Trader Joe, and SUN.
