The Problem with Airdrops in the AI Era
Web3 promised fair distribution. But in an age of AI agents, synthetic identities, and bot armies, "fair" has become nearly impossible.
Traditional airdrops don’t just reward the wrong people - they expose everyone in the process. KYC systems demand passports. Biometric scans store iris data. Verification becomes surveillance.
When Sentient prepared their $SENT token distribution, they wanted something different: a launch that was private by design, human by default. One where real contributors got rewarded - without exposing who they are.
That’s where Billions came in. With Billions’ Proof of Unique Human, Sentient delivered a launch that was private, seamless, and, most importantly, fair.
Earlier this year, we announced our partnership, positioning Billions as Sentient’s official identity partner. Powering privacy-first, composable, and human-first verification at global scale.
This case study shows how that partnership translated into real-world impact for Sentient’s token launch.
Why Uniqueness is Key
Token launches aren’t just about distribution. They’re about distribution with dignity and integrity.
For Sentient, this meant rewarding their real community without turning verification into surveillance. Because when verification requires exposing identity:
- Treasury tokens get wasted
- Rewards lose meaning
- Governance becomes unbalanced
- Builders lose motivation
- Add token sell pressure at TGE
- Project’s reputation suffers
The solution? Prove you’re human without revealing who you are. One person = one claim. Zero personal data exposed.
Privacy-first, Precise, and Fast - How Billions’ Integration In The $SENT Eligibility Checker Worked
In the age of AI, verification shouldn’t mean surveillance.
Billions’ Proof of Uniqueness uses zero-knowledge cryptography to verify humanness and uniqueness without collecting or storing any personal data. No biometric databases. No identity registries. No exposure.
The path to sybil resistance started with Clique, whose secure TEE infrastructure laid the foundation for private, verifiable eligibility checks.
See how it worked: in just a few clicks, users verified they were human and unique, directly inside Sentient’s eligibility portal:
What happens:
- One-time selfie creates a zero-knowledge proof
- Proof verifies uniqueness across all of Web3
- Image is never stored or transmitted
- User remains anonymous, verified, and in control
No downloads. No installations. No personal data exposed. Just clean verification in seconds.
The Outcome: Privacy Preserved, Humans First, Rewards Secured
Billions filtered out bots and duplicate claims while keeping every user’s identity private. The result? $SENT went to real builders and contributors — and no one had to sacrifice their privacy to claim it.
Why This Matters in the AI Era:
- As AI agents and synthetic identities proliferate, privacy-preserving verification isn’t a luxury - it’s infrastructure.
- Projects that respect user privacy from day one build the foundation for lasting trust.
Why it Worked:
- Privacy-first: User data is stored in user controlled wallet (powered by Zero-Knowledge proofs)
- Mobile-first: Works on any device, no orbs required
- Open-source: Auditable, transparent, trustworthy
- Fast: Stable even at peak traffic
- Fair: One human, one claim, one reputation
The $SENT launch showed that projects no longer have to choose between scale, security, and privacy.
With Billions’ Proof of Uniqueness, Sentient ran one of the fairest token distributions in web3, proving that when rewards go to real humans, everyone wins. Billions has powered privacy-first launches for Camp Network ($CAMP), Lagrange ($LA), Openledger ($OPEN), Beamable ($BMB), and more - making it the infrastructure of choice for projects that refuse to compromise on privacy.
The Alternative: Privacy or Verification?
Most verification systems force users to choose:
- Biometric scans that store iris data indefinitely
- KYC forms that demand passports and addresses
- Centralized databases vulnerable to breaches
Billions proves you don’t have to choose. Privacy-preserving verification is possible — and it’s already powering some of Web3’s most important launches.
Planning a token launch?
In the age of AI, your community deserves verification that respects their privacy.
Let’s build a launch that’s private by design, human by default.
Reach out at growth@billions.network
What’s Next for Billions?
About Sentient
Sentient is pioneering the development of open, community-built AI technologies that combine state-of-the-art performance with transparency and accessibility. Backed by Founder's Fund, Pantera Capital, and Framework Ventures, Sentient is committed to creating an AI ecosystem that aligns with community values and ensures that AI technology remains open while providing fair incentives to builders.
About Clique
Clique (clique.tech), on the other hand, is a blockchain protocol and application platform. It specializes in TEE/MPC-enabled protocols and applications, offering confidentiality, verifiability, and cost-efficiency. They focus on low-latency, privacy-preserving, and verifiable on-chain smart contract integration. Clique has facilitated the distribution of over $1.5B in on-chain incentives and created more than 10M on-chain data attestations.
About Billions.Network
Billions is the first Human and AI network, built on mobile-first, privacy-preserving technology to scale trust in the age of AI. Created by the founders of Disco.xyz, Hermez and Polygon, Billions tech powers over 9,000 zero knowledge and identity projects, including Sentient, TikTok, HSBC and the Indian Government.
