Crypto Exchange Binance to Issue 'Soulbound' Tokens to Users Who Complete Know-Your-Customer Checks

The tokens will allow users to participate in building projects on the BNB chain.

AccessTimeIconSep 8, 2022 at 3:29 p.m. UTC
Updated May 11, 2023 at 6:46 p.m. UTC
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Cryptocurrency exchange Binance plans to issue a "soulbound" token on the BNB blockchain to all users who complete know-your-customer (KYC) requirements, according to an official announcement.

Soulbound tokens, which in this case act as an identity passport across the BNB chain, are unique and non-transferrable. Users who would prefer their identity not be shared across the entire network can opt out of the token.

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  • Binance's soulbound token – named binance account bound (BAB) – will allow users to participate in "building projects" while earning rewards, according to the release.

    The concept of soulbound tokens was first discussed in a blog post by Vitalik Buterin, a co-founder of the Ethereum blockchain, in January. He described the new asset class as non-transferable digital tokens that represent social identity in a decentralized society.

    The use of KYC in crypto came under intense scrutiny this week when decentralized exchange dYdX prompted its users to complete a "liveness check" using webcam technology, with several users commenting on the antithetical relationship between decentralization and KYC.

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    Oliver Knight

    Oliver Knight is a CoinDesk reporter based between London and Lisbon. He does not own any crypto.


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