Idena is the first blockchain utilizing the “Proof of Person” consensus mechanism , which prioritizes people over tokens. Unlike systems that rely on money-based governance, Idena operates on the principle of “one person, one vote,” ensuring that power is distributed equally among all participants. This prevents a small group from gaining too much control.
Idena’s proof of person system uses a form of validation accessible to anyone. Validation does not require any personal information and allows participants to join the network without any investments. Users play an active role in mutual verification by challenging each other with AI-resistant “flip tests”. This process is done in a synchronous ceremony, which ensures that individuals cannot spoof multiple accounts.
A flip test is a sort of CAPTCHA that helps to determine whether a user is human. As opposed to a CAPTCHA, which is usually run by an automated service, a flip should be created by a human. And unlike a usual CAPTCHA, which is based on object recognition, solving a flip requires a semantic interpretation of the relationship between objects.
How to start with Idena
- Create your account at https://app.idena.io/
- Pass the validation training and get a training certificate
Please note that Idena validations are invitation-only. Invitations can be issued by validated users. By providing the training certificate to your inviter you prove that you are familiar with flips and know how to solve them. - Ask for an invitation code in the Idena community (Telegram, Discord, Reddit)
Tip 1: your rewards for the first 3 validations depend on your inviter’s stake. The bigger their stake is, the more coins you get into your identity stake. Part of their rewards also depend on your success. That is why large stakeholders give out their invitations to those who can prove that they are committed and attend validations.
Tip 2: invite codes are free!
DON’T BUY INVITE CODES FROM ANYONE, BECAUSE THE CODES CAN BE REVOKED AND RESOLD - Activate the invitation code and wait for the validation day
- Login to https://app.idena.io/ at least 5–10 mins before validation
Tip: If you are on the go and do not have your computer at hand when validation starts, get your mobile phone ready for validation in advance– import your encrypted private key to app.idena.io on your mobile. Login and keep app.idena.io open in your mobile browser for at least 5 mins before validation starts. - Pass the validation and validate your identity
After the first validation you get Newbie status.
How to keep my identity alive
The validation status of your identity is not forever. It expires when the next epoch starts. You should prolong your validation status for every new epoch.
- Create 3 flips to participate in the next validation
If your flips are qualified by other participants, you will get flip rewards as well. - Keep validating your identity in the following validations and mine coins
A higher identity age increases the credibility of your identity and protects your identity stake from slashing.
How to mine Idena coins (IDNA)
- After successful validation install the Idena desktop app on your laptop
- Migrate your account from the web app by exporting your private key and importing it into the desktop app (Settings page)
- Turn on mining. The IDNA coins will be mined while your desktop node is online. If you decide to shut down your computer or stop mining, you need to turn off your mining status.
Newbie to human — developing your identity
After passing several validations in a row, your identity’s status changes from “Newbie” to “Verified”, and then to “Human” (see more). Starting from Verified status, you are eligible to make extra flips and issue invitations, which can provide you with additional rewards.
Please note that while on “Newbie” status, missing or failing validation will result in your identity being cancelled by the protocol and your stake being burnt.
Once you grow your identity up to “Human”, the full stake protection gets unlocked. This means that if you miss or fail validation, your stake will not get burnt (see details).
The replenishment of your stake may increase your rewards significantly as mining rewards and most of the validation rewards depend on your stake. You can use the staking calculator to estimate possible earnings.
Idena staking and governance
Idena’s staking works differently to other Proof-of-Stake systems. Idena protocol utilizes “Identity Staking” to prevent large stake holders from dominating the network. Identity staking encourages individual mining and ensures the democratic distribution of staking rewards.
In practice, this means that small stakeholders get a higher APY on their stakes than large stakeholders. This encourages more people to join in, while making Idena network more decentralized and secure.
Moreover, Idena governance relies on the basic democratic principle of “one person, one vote”. After reaching a certain stake threshold, the votes are considered equal, regardless of the amount of stake. This distinguishes Idena from crypto projects that promise decentralization but end up being dominated by a small, powerful group of players.
Join the Idena network, earn rewards and participate in securing the Idena blockchain to take decentralization to the next level.
