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SelfKey

SelfKey (KEY) — a reference card for a crypto project: what the product does and how verifiable the project’s key claims are; also — alignment with the Decentralized AI thesis (DecAI Fit).

SelfKey — a historical Infra / Identity project on the Ethereum network, token (symbol: KEY): a self-sovereign digital identity system (Identity Wallet, SelfKey Marketplace, DID) developed by the SelfKey Foundation. In 2025 SelfKey became part of Singularity Finance together with SingularityDAO and Cogito Finance, and the KEY token was converted into SFI.

Disclaimer

Important: this page is a reference overview of the project. Within DecAIHub, we separately record a verification based on open sources within the AI thesis (what is real AI/onchain/why a token, and which sources this is based on).
This is not financial advice and not a recommendation to buy/sell/hold any asset. We do not assess price, returns, or entry/exit timing.
Conclusions are based on publicly available materials found as of the verification date. The absence of confirmation does not imply the absence of the technology.

TL;DR (for readers who are not into AI)

  • What it is: a self-sovereign digital identity wallet (Identity Wallet) and a marketplace of services with onboarding based on a KYC profile (SelfKey Marketplace); a historical project that is no longer developed on its own.
  • Who it’s for: individuals and companies that want to keep their KYC documents themselves and reuse them for onboarding (exchanges, banks, company incorporation), as well as the providers of such services.
  • Why onchain/token: the user’s keys and DID are on Ethereum; the KEY token was used to pay for marketplace services and to post a deposit (staking) for access to services (per SelfKey materials).
  • Status: SelfKey has ended as a standalone project: it became part of Singularity Finance, and KEY was converted into SFI (800 KEY = 1 SFI); after the merger, the project continues as Singularity Finance.

How it works (very briefly)

  1. The user does: installs the Identity Wallet, stores personal (or company) documents and attributes in it and chooses a service in the SelfKey Marketplace.
  2. The system does: documents are stored locally on the user’s device; with the user’s consent, the KYC package is passed to the service provider, while the blockchain records keys, DIDs and hashes, but not the personal data itself (per the whitepaper).
  3. The user gets: a reusable KYC profile, login to websites via SelfKey and access to marketplace services (company incorporation, bank accounts, exchanges).
  4. Where the blockchain is: Ethereum — the KEY token, the DID registry contract and KEY staking in the marketplace; personal data stays offchain.
  5. Token role (if any): KEY is the payment unit of the marketplace and a deposit (staking) for access to services; in the merger, KEY was converted into SFI (800:1).

Quick links: AI thesis fit

Project passport

Field Value
Project name SelfKey
Also known as (aliases) KEY, SelfKey Foundation, SelfKey DAO
Logo (logo) ../assets/257_selfkey_logo.svg
Token symbol (ticker) KEY
Category Infra | Identity
Primary chain (chain) Ethereum
Type EVM
Network status mainnet
Consensus (consensus) PoS (Ethereum)
Launch date (launch_date) 2018-01-11
Project status (status) merged into Singularity Finance
Token (standard) ERC-20
Token contract 0x4cc19356f2d37338b9802aa8e8fc58b0373296e7
Token model (token_type) utility (payments + staking)
Max supply 5,999,999,954.464071964173094448 KEY (Etherscan Max Total Supply)
Issuance fixed (per the max total supply on the explorer)
Tokenomics (tokenomics, brief) payment for marketplace services and KEY staking; in the merger — conversion into SFI at 800:1
Governance SelfKey Foundation; since 2023 — SelfKey DAO (SelfKey iD holders)
Admins/keys —
Audit yes (Identity Wallet — Uncloak.io, per the SelfKey website)
Bug bounty yes (SelfKey DAO, rewards in SELF)
Team (team) SelfKey Foundation; founded by KYC-Chain Ltd (per the whitepaper)
Funding (investors/funding) token sale (January 2018; $21.7M per SelfKey)
AI component (ai_component) positioning only (AI-powered proof of individuality)
Use‑case (use_case) self-sovereign identity wallet + KYC marketplace
DecAI Fit — AI thesis fit 3/6 — medium alignment with the Decentralized AI thesis
DecAI Fit component summary 1 / 2 / 2 / 3
Last verified 2026-02-11

General project overview

SelfKey is a self-sovereign digital identity system developed since 2017 by the non-profit SelfKey Foundation; per the whitepaper, the foundation was founded by KYC‑Chain Ltd, which handed the wallet code over to it. The user keeps personal documents and attributes in the Identity Wallet, receives confirmations (attestations) for them and uses this profile for onboarding at financial and corporate services via the SelfKey Marketplace. By design, personal data is not written to the blockchain: onchain are keys, DIDs and hashes. The KEY token (ERC‑20) was conceived as the unit of value exchange in the ecosystem: payment for services and a deposit for access. In 2023 the website described the project as SelfKey DAO, governed by SelfKey iD holders. After the merger with SingularityDAO and Cogito Finance, SelfKey is no longer developed as a standalone project.

Features/modules

  • Identity Wallet: an open‑source wallet for Windows, macOS and Linux (later — a mobile version): local storage of documents and attributes, transfers of ETH, KEY and ERC‑20 tokens, KEY staking and submission of a KYC package (repository README).
  • SelfKey Marketplace: a showcase of services with onboarding based on the KYC profile — exchanges, company incorporation, bank accounts; payment in KEY (roadmap, website).
  • DID and login via SelfKey: the SelfKey DID method (per the roadmap, added to the W3C DID method registry), a browser extension and “Login with SelfKey” for websites (Docs).
  • SelfKey iD and SelfKey DAO (2023): a SelfKey iD (SBT) is issued after KYC and a selfie; iD holders participate in the DAO and receive SELF tokens (SelfKey blog).

Typical scenarios

  • Scenario 1: a user fills in a KYC profile in the Identity Wallet → chooses a marketplace service (for example, company incorporation abroad) → pays for it in KEY and, with their consent, passes the documents to the provider.
  • Scenario 2: a website integrates “Login with SelfKey” → the user logs in with their DID without a password (Docs).
  • Scenario 3: a KEY holder in 2025 converts KEY into SFI at 800 KEY = 1 SFI via the Singularity Finance portal (Ethereum only, 90‑day window).

Getting started (wallet/network)

  • What you need: historically — the Identity Wallet and an EVM wallet with KEY; no active SelfKey product was found as of the verification date.
  • Network/chain: Ethereum (the KEY contract and the DID registry).
  • Fees: Ethereum gas for KEY transfers and onchain operations.

Architecture/tech (non‑AI)

  • Components: the Identity Wallet (Electron, open‑source), a browser extension, the SelfKey Marketplace, the KEY token contract and the DID registry contract on Ethereum (the address is set in the Identity Wallet configuration), KYC microservices by KYC‑Chain (per the whitepaper).
  • Participant roles: identity owners, service providers (relying parties), verifiers issuing confirmations, KEY holders.
  • Where logic runs: onchain — the KEY token, DIDs and hashes of confirmations; offchain — document storage on the user’s device, data exchange and KYC checks.
  • Dependencies: Ethereum; external KYC providers and marketplace service providers.

Token/economics (expanded, no forecasts)

  • Token utility: payment for SelfKey Marketplace services in KEY; a KEY deposit in a contract (staking) for access to services and protection against spam and Sybil attacks (whitepaper, Identity Wallet README).
  • Protocol necessity drivers: per the whitepaper, KEY is needed to participate in the network and access its services; a hard dependence of the core functions on KEY is not proven per Tier‑1.
  • Who pays fees: marketplace users (in KEY) and Ethereum gas for onchain operations.
  • Where fees go: payment for services — to marketplace providers; gas — to Ethereum validators; protocol fee flows are not established per Tier‑1.
  • Issuance/burn: the max total supply of KEY — per Etherscan (see the passport); the public sale of KEY took place in January 2018 (per SelfKey).
  • Security/incentive mechanisms: KEY staking for access to services; penalty (slashing) parameters were not found.
  • Distribution and token issuance schedule: not established per Tier‑1.
  • Treasury: not established per Tier‑1.
  • Merger with Singularity Finance: KEY converts into SFI at 800 KEY = 1 SFI (based on the 200‑day moving average up to 2024-11-26); the window is 90 days from the SFI token launch, on Ethereum only; 1.5% of the SFI supply is allocated to KEY holders from the SFI treasury. Etherscan marks the KEY contract as migrated to a new address (the SFI contract is given in the Singularity Finance card).

Governance

  • Who makes decisions: per the whitepaper — the non-profit SelfKey Foundation (Mauritius) with members and a board; since 2023 the website describes SelfKey DAO, governed by SelfKey iD holders.
  • How protocol parameters change: — (not established per Tier‑1).
  • Where decisions are discussed/made: — (not established per Tier‑1).
  • Keys/multisig: — (not established per Tier‑1).

Security and incidents

  • Audits: the SelfKey website (2024) claimed an audit of the Identity Wallet by Uncloak.io; the report itself was not found.
  • Bug bounty: SelfKey DAO (2023) accepted bug reports for app.selfkey.org and selfkey.org via Discord with rewards in SELF tokens (1, 3 or 10 SELF depending on severity); terms — per the official page (see links_*).
  • Incidents: — (no Tier‑1 confirmation found).
  • Threat model: KYC data is stored on the user’s device: this reduces the risk of a centralized leak but shifts the risk to the device itself.

Project status and timeline

  • Current status: SelfKey has ended as a standalone project — it became part of Singularity Finance, and KEY was converted into SFI; the last push to the SelfKeyFoundation GitHub was on 2024-05-21.
  • Key releases/milestones: 2017-09-11 — the SelfKey Foundation whitepaper; 2018-01-11 — creation of the KEY contract on Ethereum, in January 2018 — the public sale of KEY; 2018 — the Identity Wallet public beta; 2019 — the company incorporation and bank account marketplaces with payment in KEY, the SelfKey DID method in the W3C registry, the mobile wallet; 2023 — SelfKey DAO and SelfKey iD; 2024-11-08 — per SingularityDAO, 99.9% of the KEY holders who voted supported the merger (on the original terms); 2025-01-29 — announcement of the integration of KEY into Singularity Finance on revised terms; 2025-02-06 — start of the first phase of the token migration into SFI.
  • Roadmap: the 2022 roadmap page (see links_*); no current SelfKey roadmap was found — development continues within Singularity Finance.

Ecosystem/integrations

  • Integrations: Ethereum; Ledger and TREZOR hardware wallets (roadmap); “Login with SelfKey” and the marketplace API for websites (Docs).
  • Partners: — (not established per Tier‑1; the roadmap mentions a proof of concept with Standard Chartered and KYC processing for Aditus and Airswap — requires separate verification).
  • Where it’s actually used: no active use was found as of the verification date; historically — the SelfKey marketplaces (company incorporation, bank accounts, exchanges).

AI component of the project

  • What is real AI here? SelfKey’s own Tier‑1 materials (blog, 2023) claim an AI selfie check for SelfKey iD and proof of individuality (face recognition, detection of forged and AI-generated images); no tech description, demo or metrics were found, so this is recorded as AI intent. The Singularity Finance AI materials do not apply to SelfKey.
  • What is truly onchain? the KEY token (ERC‑20) and the DID registry contract on Ethereum; personal data is offchain.
  • Why is a token needed? payment for marketplace services and KEY staking for access to services (whitepaper, roadmap, Identity Wallet README).
  • Red flags (based on the information found): AI‑washing — the AI thesis appeared in a 2023 blog without technical details or artifacts; the project is no longer developed on its own.

DecAI Fit component summary

  • DecAI Fit: 3/6 — medium alignment with the Decentralized AI thesis
Component Level Score
AI reality low 1
Onchain necessity medium 2
Token necessity medium 2
Evidence Tier‑1 present 3
Details

AI reality

AI_0 — AI intent (Tier‑1 roadmap) (1/0)

  • AI_0 (decision): 1
  • Claim (one line): the official SelfKey blog (2023) claims an AI selfie check and proof of individuality for SelfKey iD and SELF issuance (“SelfKey will require an AI-Powered selfie check”; “SelfKey iD uses the power of Artificial Intelligence”).
  • Evidence: Tier‑1 — https://selfkey.org/ai-powered-proof-of-individuality/ ; https://selfkey.org/sybil-attack-threats-and-selfkeys-decentralized-defense/
  • Why sufficient / why not (one line): this is a Tier‑1 declaration of an AI direction; no artifacts of a working AI component (code, demo, metrics, tech description) were found, so AI_1..AI_4 = 0.
  • Conflict note (if any): the Singularity Finance AI claims do not apply to SelfKey and are not counted in the assessment.

AI_1 — what the AI does (1/0)

  • AI_1 (decision): 0
  • Claim (one line): the AI function is described in the blog at the level of intent (matching a selfie against the KYC photo, detection of AI-generated images); the model, the provider and its place in the product are not disclosed.
  • Evidence: Tier‑1 — https://selfkey.org/ai-powered-proof-of-individuality/
  • Why sufficient / why not (one line): without Tier‑1 confirmation that the AI check is implemented in the SelfKey product (documentation, code, release), we set 0.
  • Conflict note (if any): the blog post of 2023-03-07 describes the check in the future tense (“will require”), the post of 2023-06-29 — in the present tense (“uses”); the implementation could not be confirmed.

AI_2 — demos/examples (1/0)

  • AI_2 (decision): 0
  • Claim (one line): no public demo or reproducible example of the AI check was found.
  • Evidence: Tier‑1 — https://github.com/SelfKeyFoundation/Identity-Wallet
  • Why sufficient / why not (one line): the Identity Wallet README describes document storage, the marketplace and staking, but no AI features.
  • Conflict note (if any): —

AI_3 — metrics/quality (1/0)

  • AI_3 (decision): 0
  • Metrics: — (not found)
  • Context (version/date/how measured): — (not found)
  • Evidence: Tier‑1 — https://selfkey.org/ai-powered-proof-of-individuality/
  • Why sufficient / why not (one line): the blog contains only general statements about the accuracy of biometrics, without numbers or measurement context.
  • Conflict note (if any): —

AI_4 — tech description/architecture/versions (1/0)

  • AI_4 (decision): 0
  • Claim (one line): no tech description of an AI model, architecture or versions was found; the whitepaper describes identity on blockchain keys and plans biometric research on proof of individuality without mentioning AI.
  • Evidence: Tier‑1 — https://selfkey.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/selfkey-whitepaper-en.pdf
  • Why sufficient / why not (one line): without a tech description of an AI component, we set 0.
  • Conflict note (if any): —

Onchain necessity

OC_1 — contracts/addresses/chain (1/0)

  • OC_1 (decision): 1
  • Chain: Ethereum (ERC‑20)
  • Addresses/identifiers: KEY 0x4cc19356f2d37338b9802aa8e8fc58b0373296e7 (contract created on 2018-01-11)
  • Evidence: Tier‑1 — https://etherscan.io/token/0x4cc19356f2d37338b9802aa8e8fc58b0373296e7
  • Why sufficient / why not (one line): Etherscan confirms the KEY contract and the max total supply.
  • Conflict note (if any): the KEY page carries the note “SelfKey token contract has migrated to a new address” (migration into SFI).

OC_2 — onchain beyond just a token (1/0)

  • OC_2 (decision): 1
  • What useful logic is onchain: the SelfKey DID registry — the contract 0x0cb853331293d689c95187190e09bb46cb4e533e on Ethereum (set as ledgerAddress for chainId 1 in the Identity Wallet configuration; Create DID transactions), as well as KEY staking in the marketplace with a status that the wallet reads from the blockchain.
  • Evidence: Tier‑1 — https://github.com/SelfKeyFoundation/Identity-Wallet/blob/master/src/common/config.js ; https://etherscan.io/address/0x0cb853331293d689c95187190e09bb46cb4e533e ; https://github.com/SelfKeyFoundation/Identity-Wallet
  • Why sufficient / why not (one line): the onchain logic is not reducible to the token: DID registration and staking statuses.
  • Conflict note (if any): the source code of the registry contract is not verified on Etherscan; the latest Create DID transactions on the explorer date from 2020.

OC_3 — onchain is critical (1/0)

  • OC_3 (decision): 0
  • “Replace the blockchain” test: documents and data exchange are offchain; the blockchain provides keys, DIDs and timestamps (hashes), but no Tier‑1 proof was found that without the blockchain the product loses its meaning.
  • Evidence: Tier‑1 — https://selfkey.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/selfkey-whitepaper-en.pdf
  • Why sufficient / why not (one line): the whitepaper justifies decentralization by the principles of self-sovereign identity, but without a strict blockchain-replacement test.
  • Conflict note (if any): —

Token necessity

TK_0 — no token (1/0)

  • TK_0 (decision): 0
  • Claim (one line): the project has a token, KEY (ERC‑20).
  • Evidence: Tier‑1 — https://etherscan.io/token/0x4cc19356f2d37338b9802aa8e8fc58b0373296e7 ; https://selfkey.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/selfkey-whitepaper-en.pdf
  • Why sufficient / why not (one line): the token is confirmed by the explorer and described in the whitepaper.
  • Conflict note (if any): in the merger, KEY was converted into SFI; the KEY contract remains on the network as legacy.

TK_1..TK_4 (1/0)

TK_1 — payment for the service (1/0)

  • TK_1 (decision): 1
  • Claim (one line): SelfKey Marketplace services were paid for in KEY (“Users can now open a business abroad and pay for it with KEY”).
  • Evidence: Tier‑1 — https://selfkey.org/roadmap/ ; https://selfkey.org/tokenomics-selfkey-faqs/
  • Why sufficient / why not (one line): the roadmap and the tokenomics FAQ directly state payment for marketplace services in KEY.
  • Conflict note (if any): —

TK_2 — incentives/collateral/penalties (1/0)

  • TK_2 (decision): 1
  • Claim (one line): KEY is posted as a deposit (locked contract, staking) for access to services and protection against spam and Sybil attacks; the Identity Wallet implements KEY staking for marketplace exchanges.
  • Evidence: Tier‑1 — https://selfkey.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/selfkey-whitepaper-en.pdf ; https://github.com/SelfKeyFoundation/Identity-Wallet
  • Why sufficient / why not (one line): the token deposit is described in the whitepaper and implemented in the wallet (staking and deposit reclamation).
  • Conflict note (if any): —

TK_3 — governance (1/0)

  • TK_3 (decision): 0
  • Claim (one line): a permanent governance model via KEY is not established per Tier‑1: per the whitepaper, decisions are made by the foundation, and since 2023 — by the DAO of SelfKey iD holders.
  • Evidence: Tier‑1 — https://selfkey.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/selfkey-whitepaper-en.pdf ; https://selfkey.org/
  • Why sufficient / why not (one line): the KEY holder vote on the merger in 2024 is a one-off decision, not a protocol governance model.
  • Conflict note (if any): —

TK_4 — token is replaceable (1/0)

  • TK_4 (decision): 0
  • Claim (one line): the replaceability of KEY is not established per Tier‑1.
  • Evidence: Tier‑1 — https://selfkey.org/tokenomics-selfkey-faqs/
  • Why sufficient / why not (one line): the flag is set only with a Tier‑1 justification that payment and the deposit can be moved to another asset without loss of meaning; the SelfKey FAQ states the opposite (“many components could not function without its existence”).
  • Conflict note (if any): —

Evidence (table)

Tier Source What it proves
Tier‑1 https://selfkey.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/selfkey-whitepaper-en.pdf the SelfKey Foundation whitepaper (2017-09-11): identity on blockchain keys, the Identity Wallet, the marketplace, the role of KEY (payment, a deposit against spam and Sybil attacks), personal data offchain (checked 2026-09-24).
Tier‑1 https://selfkey.org/ the SelfKey website before the merger: SelfKey DAO of SelfKey iD holders, storage of KYC data in the wallet, the marketplace powered by KEY, the claimed Identity Wallet audit (Uncloak.io) (checked 2026-09-24).
Tier‑1 https://selfkey.org/roadmap/ milestones 2017–2019: the token sale, wallet releases, marketplaces with payment in KEY, the DID method in the W3C registry (checked 2026-09-24).
Tier‑1 https://selfkey.org/tokenomics-selfkey-faqs/ tokenomics FAQ: payment for marketplace services in KEY, the public sale of KEY in January 2018 (checked 2026-09-24).
Tier‑1 https://selfkey.org/ai-powered-proof-of-individuality/ SelfKey blog (2023-03-07): the claimed AI selfie check for SelfKey iD — AI intent (checked 2026-09-24).
Tier‑1 https://selfkey.org/sybil-attack-threats-and-selfkeys-decentralized-defense/ SelfKey blog (2023-06-29): a claim that SelfKey iD uses AI against fake identities, without technical details (checked 2026-09-24).
Tier‑1 — No Tier‑1 source for claim “the AI selfie check is implemented in the SelfKey product (code, demo, metrics)” was found.
Tier‑1 https://github.com/SelfKeyFoundation/Identity-Wallet Identity Wallet README: local document storage, the marketplace, KEY staking, submission of a KYC package; last push — 2024-05-21 (checked 2026-09-24).
Tier‑1 https://github.com/SelfKeyFoundation/Identity-Wallet/blob/master/src/common/config.js wallet configuration: the DID registry address for chainId 1 (checked 2026-09-24).
Tier‑1 https://etherscan.io/address/0x0cb853331293d689c95187190e09bb46cb4e533e the DID registry contract on Ethereum with Create DID transactions (checked 2026-09-24).
Tier‑1 https://etherscan.io/token/0x4cc19356f2d37338b9802aa8e8fc58b0373296e7 the KEY token: contract, max total supply, the note on the migration to a new address (checked 2026-09-24).
Tier‑1 https://selfkey.org/how-to-qualify-for-self-selfkey-dao-bug-bounty/ the SelfKey DAO bug bounty: bug reports via Discord, rewards in SELF (checked 2026-09-24).
Tier‑1 https://docs.singularityfinance.ai/background/merger SelfKey is one of the three projects whose merger formed Singularity Finance (checked 2026-09-24).
Tier‑1 https://docs.singularityfinance.ai/tokenomics-and-utility/token-merge-and-allocations conversion KEY → SFI at 800:1; a 90‑day window from the SFI launch, Ethereum only, allocation from the SFI treasury (checked 2026-09-24).
Tier‑1 https://selfkey.org/official-announcement-integration-of-selfkey-key-into-the-singularity-finance-sfi-ecosystem/ announcement of 2025-01-29: integration of KEY into Singularity Finance on revised terms, 1.5% of the SFI supply for KEY holders (checked 2026-09-24).
Tier‑1 https://singularityfinance.ai merger dates: start of the first migration phase on 2025-02-06; ratios based on the 200‑day average up to 2024-11-26 (checked 2026-09-24).
Tier‑1 https://medium.com/singularitydao/singularitydao-selfkey-and-cogito-finance-token-holders-approve-merger-to-form-singularity-finance-97a7beebedcb SingularityDAO post of 2024-11-08: the merger was supported by 99.9% of the KEY holders who voted (checked 2026-09-24).
Tier‑2 https://www.coingecko.com/en/coins/selfkey the KEY profile with a banner about the merger into SFI, no trading pairs (aggregator; not proof of technology) (checked 2026-09-24).
Tier‑2 https://coinmarketcap.com/currencies/selfkey/ the KEY profile in untracked status (aggregator; not proof of technology) (checked 2026-09-24).

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