From Anonymous to Verifiable: My Web3 Identity Journey

From 0x… to ookyet.eth: how I built a verifiable Web3 identity with ENS, NFT avatar, and Dentity — balancing privacy and trust for the AI era.

From 0x... to ookyet.eth: how I built a verifiable Web3 identity with ENS, NFT avatar, and Dentity — balancing privacy and trust for the AI era.

  • Anonymity protects privacy but limits trust and collaboration
  • ENS + NFT avatar create a portable, cryptographic personal brand
  • Dentity adds verifiable humanness amid AI-generated personas
  • Layer privacy and verification based on context and risk
  • Practical phases and cost to establish Web3 identity
ookyet.eth

Every Web3 user faces the same question: How much of yourself do you reveal online?

This is my journey from complete anonymity to verifiable identity—and why both matter.

2023: The Anonymous Phase

Like most people entering Web3, I started completely anonymous.

My setup:

  • Metamask wallet: 0x1691…6f99 (just another address)
  • No profile picture
  • No name, no story, no context
  • Pure financial utility

Why I chose anonymity:

  • Privacy felt like the core Web3 value
  • “Not your keys, not your crypto” extended to identity
  • Didn’t want to dox myself to unknown protocols
  • Believed pseudonymity was enough

The problem I encountered:

When you’re just 0x1691…6f99, nobody trusts you.

  • NFT communities ignored my messages
  • Collabs required “reputation” I couldn’t prove
  • DAOs wanted to know: “Who are you really?”
  • Even simple transactions felt risky to counterparties

The realization: Anonymity protects privacy, but destroys trust.

2024: ENS + NFT Avatar — Building a Digital Brand

In early 2024, I made my first identity investment: ookyet.eth.

Why ENS?

I realized I needed:

  • A memorable identifier (not 42 random characters)
  • Ownership proof (blockchain-secured, not intermediary-controlled)
  • Portability (one name across 1,000+ dApps)

The decision: Spend ~$50/year for ookyet.eth instead of staying 0x1691…6f99.

Immediate benefits:

  • People could @mention me: “ookyet.eth just minted”
  • Wallet apps displayed my name, not hex
  • I started getting recognized in communities

Then came the avatar: Lil Ghost #761

The turning point: I saw someone using their NFT as a consistent avatar across platforms.

Why I chose Lil Ghost #761:

  • Cute but distinctive
  • Affordable (~0.05 ETH at the time)
  • WGG’s holder license allowed personal/commercial use
  • Most importantly: provably mine on-chain

The setup:

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ENS text records:
  avatar: eip155:1/erc721:0x9401...761
  com.twitter: @ookyet
  url: https://ookyet.com

What changed:

Suddenly I had a digital brand:

  • Same avatar on OpenSea, X, Discord, my website
  • People recognized me: “Oh you’re the Lil Ghost person!”
  • Not anonymous anymore, but pseudonymous with context

The lesson: NFT avatars aren’t just profile pics—they’re cryptographic brand assets.

2025: The Dentity Moment — Proof of Humanness

By early 2025, I faced a new problem:

AI-generated personas were everywhere.

  • Photorealistic avatars (Midjourney v6)
  • Entire “people” with consistent social presence (GPT-4 + automation)
  • Even blue checkmarks became pay-to-play vanity

The question evolved: In the age of AI, how do you prove you’re human?

Discovering Dentity

I came across Dentity through ENS integrations.

What caught my attention:

  • Unique Human verification (anti-Sybil, anti-bot)
  • Works with ENS (verify ookyet.eth directly)
  • Publicly verifiable credentials (dentity.com/ookyet.eth)

My internal debate:

❌ Concerns:

  • Requires government ID (KYC)
  • Biometric data (liveness check)
  • Contradicts Web3 privacy ethos?

✅ Why I did it anyway:

  • I already “doxxed” myself with ENS + public website
  • Verification is optional transparency, not forced
  • AI can’t pass “Unique Human” checks
  • In 5 years, unverified identities may be assumed bots

The verification process

10 checks I completed:

Identity layer:

  • ✅ Government ID (passport)
  • ✅ Phone number (SMS)
  • ✅ Email address
  • ✅ Biometric liveness (selfie video)
  • ✅ Unique Human (anti-duplicate database)

Social layer:

  • ✅ X (Twitter)
  • ✅ Apple Sign-In
  • ✅ Google OAuth
  • ✅ Facebook Login

Blockchain layer:

  • ✅ ENS domain verification
  • ✅ Age verification (21+)

Result: 10/10 checks passed

How I felt:

Surprisingly… empowered.

Not exposed, but provably authentic. Like showing a driver’s license at a bar—you prove age without revealing everything.

The unexpected benefit: Trust increased exponentially.

  • People replied faster to DMs
  • Got accepted to private communities
  • Brands reached out for collabs
  • Even scammers avoided me (harder target)

Reflections: What I Learned

1. Anonymity vs. Trust is a Spectrum

You’re not forced to choose between:

  • 🥷 Fully anonymous (0x...)
  • 🎭 Pseudonymous (ENS + avatar)
  • 👤 Verifiable (KYC + credentials)

You can layer them:

  • Use anonymous wallets for financial privacy
  • Use ENS identity for social/professional contexts
  • Reveal verification when trust is required

2. Web3 Identity ≠ Web2 Identity

Web2: Your identity is owned by platforms (Google, Meta, X)

Web3: You own your identity components:

  • ENS domain → you control
  • NFT avatar → you own
  • Verification credentials → portable across platforms
  • Private keys → ultimate ownership proof

3. AI Makes Human Verification Valuable

2023: “Why would I KYC in Web3?”

2025: “Why would anyone trust an unverified account?”

As AI-generated content floods the internet, proof of humanness becomes the ultimate differentiator.

Dentity’s “Unique Human” badge is like blue checkmarks used to be—but actually meaningful.

4. Privacy and Trust Can Coexist

Privacy: Keep your legal name, home address, financial details private

Trust: Prove you’re:

  • A real person (not AI)
  • The owner of specific assets
  • Consistent across platforms
  • Accountable to your reputation

They’re not opposites—they’re complementary layers.

The Current State: ookyet.eth in 2025

My identity stack:

Layer 1: ENS

Layer 2: NFT Avatar

Layer 3: Verification

Layer 4: Social Proof

What this achieves:

  • ✅ Recognizable brand (not just hex address)
  • ✅ Provable asset ownership
  • ✅ Verifiable humanness
  • ✅ Trust without full doxxing

Advice for Your Own Journey

If you’re starting out:

Phase 1: ENS (Week 1-2)

  • Buy a short, memorable ENS name
  • Set avatar, URL, social records
  • Use it everywhere instead of 0x address

Phase 2: NFT Avatar (Week 3-4)

  • Pick an affordable NFT you genuinely like
  • Check the license (can you use it commercially?)
  • Set it as your ENS avatar record
  • Use consistently across platforms

Phase 3: Verification (Optional, Month 2)

  • Only if you need trust signals
  • Dentity for anti-Sybil proof
  • Other options: BrightID, Worldcoin, Gitcoin Passport
  • Decide what you’re comfortable revealing

Cost breakdown:

ENS: $50-200/year (depends on name length) NFT avatar: $20-500 (depends on project) Dentity: Free (some features may require credits) Website (optional): $10-50/year

Total: ~$100-800 to establish verifiable Web3 identity

What to avoid:

❌ Buying a name you don’t actually like ❌ Changing avatars frequently (kills brand consistency) ❌ Over-verifying (don’t KYC everything) ❌ Using someone else’s NFT as avatar (copyright issues)

The Future: Where This Goes

My prediction for 2026-2030:

“Verified Human” will be the new default expectation.

Just like:

  • 2015: Having an email was expected
  • 2020: Having a LinkedIn was professional standard
  • 2025: Blue checkmarks became meaningless

2030: Verifiable humanness = baseline credibility.

Why I’m positioned well:

I built this identity before it became required:

  • ENS locked in (can’t be taken away)
  • NFT avatar owned (permanent brand)
  • Early Dentity verification (established trust)
  • Consistent cross-platform presence

When “Unique Human” verification becomes mandatory for high-trust interactions, I’m already there.

Final Thoughts

The journey from 0x... to ookyet.eth taught me:

  1. Anonymity is a choice, not a requirement

    • You can be private without being invisible

  2. Digital identity is an investment

    • ENS, NFTs, verification all compound over time

  3. Trust is earned through consistency

    • Same name, same avatar, same values across years

  4. Human verification will only grow in importance

    • As AI improves, proof of humanness becomes valuable

Where I’m going next:

  • Expanding my proof page with more verifiable claims
  • Exploring schema.org markup for structured identity data
  • Building reputation in specific Web3 communities
  • Helping others navigate their identity journey

Resources

My verification proofs:

Learn more about my identity architecture:

Tools I use:

Have you started your Web3 identity journey? What phase are you in? I’d love to hear your story.

Reach out: ookyet.mid@gmail.com or DM @ookyet