Today, the POA Team would like to introduce our Proof of Physical Address (PoPA) DApp which is a new addition to our collection of identity verification DApps. PoPA was originally an identity Oracle created by ConsenSys in 2016 and its purpose was to help define exactly what “Know Your Customer” (KYC) means on the blockchain. This inspired Igor Barinov, tech lead of POA Network, to create the Proof of Phone project. Proof of Phone won the ConsenSys “Truffle Challenge”, and soon after we received a grant to continue working on it and create one more Ethereum based identity verification service: Proof of Github.

We have been working on identity verification services ever since. When ConsenSys discontinued working on PoPA, we decided to take it over and rewrite it. POA Network’s unique consensus model requires our validators to stake their identity, but first there needs to be a thorough verification and confirmation process.

In addition to holding the title of public notaries in the United States, POA Network validators conducts their own identity verification checks that are performed and recorded directly on the POA blockchain. POA Network has a collection of DApps that specifically focus on verifying an individual’s identity and connecting to their respective wallet on an Ethereum compatible network. We believe these DApps will play an essential role in reshaping the blockchain identity verification processes that exist today.

Proof of Physical Address (PoPA) is a unique DApp as it combines a real life tangible element directly with blockchain technology. This adds an additional layer of certainty especially when it comes to verifying an individual’s identity. PoPA connects an individual’s physical address directly with a wallet address in which they control the respective private key.

The process for someone to use this DApp is quite simple:

Access the DApp using a specific wallet you control. Submit a form on the PoPA DApp homepage stating your name, street address, city, state, and zip code. The data is inserted into a PoPA contract that links the information provided and the wallet together.

Note: this information is recorded to the blockchain but has NOT been verified. PoPA connects with an online postcard service and sends a random confirmation code to the physical address provided by the individual. When the postcard arrives, the individual accesses the PoPA DApp with the same wallet and inputs the confirmation code. This completes the verification process and records the direct link between physical address and wallet to the blockchain.

As part of the rewrite, we integrated uPort, which is a ConsenSys umbrella project, with PoPA. The PoPA contract additionally stores attestations in a special ERC780 contract which is a standard proposed by uPort team for storing user credentials on the blockchain. Every time a user verifies his/her postcard in the DApp, the PoPA contract updates its own record and also calls the ERC780 compatible contract to store the user / address association.