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Frequently Asked Questions

General​

What is Hadinet Africa?​

Hadinet Africa is building ethical digital infrastructure for continental coordination. At its core is zkIdentity, a privacy-preserving identity verification platform. It lets you prove you have been verified by a trusted KYC provider without storing or sharing any of your personal data. Your proof lives on the blockchain, and you control who can see it.

Is Hadinet free to use?​

Yes. There are no protocol fees for users. Identity verification and document storage are free.

Do I need cryptocurrency to use Hadinet?​

No. You do not need any cryptocurrency or tokens. The wallet is used purely for identity (your DID) and signing messages. No transactions require gas fees from users.

What countries are supported?​

Currently, Hadinet supports 20+ countries through two providers:

  • Smile ID: Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, South Africa, Ethiopia, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Senegal, Cameroon, Cote d'Ivoire, Egypt
  • Plaid: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Australia, Spain, Ireland, Netherlands

See Supported Countries for the full list.

Privacy and Data​

What personal data does Hadinet store?​

None. After verification, only non-personally-identifiable metadata is stored: your verification status (yes/no), country code, provider name, verification level, and a cryptographic proof. Your name, ID numbers, photos, and all other personal details are never stored.

Who sees my personal data during verification?​

Only the KYC provider (Smile ID or Plaid) sees your personal documents during the verification process. The Hadinet attestor briefly processes the verification result in a Trusted Execution Environment (TEE) — an isolated secure enclave that even the server operator cannot inspect. After processing, your personal data is discarded.

Can Hadinet be subpoenaed for my data?​

There is no personal data to subpoena. Hadinet does not store names, ID numbers, addresses, or any personally identifiable information. The only data on-chain is your wallet's DID (a pseudonymous identifier), verification metadata, and a ZK proof — none of which can identify you.

What is a ZK proof and why should I care?​

A zero-knowledge proof (ZK proof) lets you prove something is true without revealing the underlying information. In Hadinet, it proves that a real KYC provider verified you, without anyone being able to see what was verified or who you are. See Zero-Knowledge Proofs for a detailed explanation.

Can I delete my data?​

You can delete all documents from the vault at any time (the files are removed from IPFS). On-chain verification records are permanent by design — they serve as your proof of verification. However, since they contain no personal data, there is nothing sensitive to delete.

Wallet and Authentication​

What wallets are supported?​

Hadinet supports any Ethereum-compatible wallet through Privy:

  • MetaMask (browser extension and mobile)
  • WalletConnect (any compatible wallet)
  • Coinbase Wallet
  • Email login (creates an embedded wallet)
  • Social login — Google, Apple (creates an embedded wallet)

What happens if I lose access to my wallet?​

Your identity and verifications are tied to your wallet. If you lose access to your wallet and cannot recover it (via seed phrase), you would need to create a new wallet and re-verify. This is a fundamental tradeoff of self-sovereign identity — you control your data, which means you are also responsible for securing it.

What does "Sign to Unlock" mean?​

When you see "Sign to Unlock," the app is asking you to sign a message with your wallet. This is not a blockchain transaction — it costs nothing and moves no funds. It simply proves you own the wallet, which allows the app to show you your data.

Can I use multiple wallets?​

Each wallet has its own separate identity. If you connect a different wallet, you will have a fresh, unverified identity. Verifications do not transfer between wallets.

Verification​

How long does verification take?​

Typically 30 seconds to 2 minutes after completing the provider's verification flow. Provider processing time varies — Plaid is usually faster, while Smile ID's biometric check may take slightly longer.

Can I verify with multiple providers?​

Yes. You can verify with Smile ID and Plaid (or any future providers) independently. Each verification creates its own on-chain proof. This is useful if you need coverage across different regions.

What if my verification fails?​

You can retry immediately. Common reasons for failure include unclear document photos, selfie lighting issues, or document/selfie mismatch. The app will tell you the reason so you can correct it.

How long is my verification valid?​

Verifications have an expiry date set by the provider, typically 12 months. When a verification expires, you will need to re-verify. Your historical verifications remain on the blockchain as a permanent record.

Can someone else verify using my account?​

No. Verification is tied to your wallet (which requires your private key to sign) and the KYC provider's biometric/document check. Even if someone had your wallet, they would still need to pass the KYC check with their own documents — and those documents would be tied to a different identity.

Document Vault​

How are my documents encrypted?​

Documents are encrypted with AES-256-GCM (the same standard used by governments and financial institutions) using PBKDF2 key derivation with a unique salt per document. Encryption happens inside a Trusted Execution Environment before the file touches any storage.

Where are my documents stored?​

Encrypted document files are stored on IPFS through Pinata's private gateway. They are not on the public IPFS network — they are pinned to a private gateway. Only metadata (file name, type, IPFS reference) is recorded on the blockchain.

Can Pinata (the storage provider) read my files?​

No. Pinata stores only encrypted blobs. Without the decryption key (which exists only inside the attestor's TEE), the files are unreadable.

What file formats are supported?​

The vault accepts common document formats including PDF, JPG, PNG, and other standard file types.

What is the difference between "Verified" and "Self-Attested" documents?​

  • Verified — documents that have been verified through a KYC provider or official process
  • Self-Attested — documents you upload yourself without third-party verification

Both are encrypted and stored identically. The label is for your own organization.

Technical​

What blockchain does Hadinet use?​

Hadinet uses a Cartesi Rollup that settles on Arbitrum Sepolia (an Ethereum Layer 2 network). Cartesi provides a full Linux virtual machine on the blockchain, which enables sophisticated data processing (like SQLite databases) that is not possible on standard smart contracts.

What is a DID?​

A DID (Decentralized Identifier) is a globally unique identifier derived from your wallet's public key. It looks like did:key:zQ3sh... and serves as your pseudonymous identity. It is deterministic — the same wallet always produces the same DID. No registration is required.

Is Hadinet open source?​

Yes. Hadinet's zkIdentity is released under the AGPL-3.0 license. The source code is publicly auditable.

What is a TEE?​

A Trusted Execution Environment is a secure area of a processor that guarantees code and data loaded inside are protected in terms of confidentiality and integrity. Think of it as a sealed room where computation happens — even the person who owns the computer cannot see what is happening inside.

Still Have Questions?​

If your question is not answered here, visit hadinet.africa for the latest information and community resources.