Self-Custody App Adds Onchain Reputation to Deter Fraud

The cryptocurrency sector has long wrestled with a fundamental dilemma: how to maintain user privacy without enabling fraud. As a result, decentralized identity protocols are gradually shifting from abstract infrastructure concepts to embedded features in consumer applications.

ANO, a self-custody platform that bypasses traditional login methods like email and phone numbers, has integrated Ethos Network to provide users with visible trust metrics. The feature allows individuals to link their Ethos profiles directly to their ANO accounts, generating an onchain reputation score that dictates their interaction parameters and risk profiles.

"ANO has no email and no phone number. Your identity is your wallet. That's great for privacy, but it creates a real question: when a stranger messages you, how do you know if you can trust them?" RVWV, builder of ANO, said in a written response to Onchain Wire. "Ethos gives us a portable, earned trust score that lives on Base, not on our servers. It fits ANO perfectly, because trust should belong to the user, not to the app."

Integrating Decentralized Credentials

The integration operates by rewarding users with in-app energy when they connect their Ethos profiles. Once linked, the reputation data strengthens a user's trust level, which helps others determine whether a counterparty is safe to engage with. The developers structured the feature to make credibility visible without requiring users to forfeit personal data to centralized servers.

Ethos Network functions as a credibility protocol on the Base blockchain. According to Ethos Network founder Trevor Thompson, the platform allows individuals to document who they trust and who they do not, leveraging peer reviews, staked assets, and onchain history to calculate credibility.

The system aims to build a verifiable layer of trust in an industry where fraud accounted for roughly $2 billion in losses in 2023, according to industry research published on Binance Square.

The broader decentralized identity sector is experiencing significant commercial traction. Research firm Mordor Intelligence estimates the global decentralized identity market will reach $7.4 billion in 2026, with projections suggesting it could expand to nearly $59 billion by 2031. Ethos itself launched its mainnet in 2025 following a $1.75 million pre-seed funding round backed by dozens of independent angel investors.

The Push for Portable Trust

Early adoption within the ANO application indicates a willingness among users to adopt decentralized reputation tools when provided with the option. The platform noted that users are voluntarily connecting their profiles to establish an owned reputation layer.

The long-term vision for onchain reputation involves widespread interoperability. Rather than rebuilding a trust score for every new platform, developers anticipate that users will eventually carry a unified credential across the entire digital asset ecosystem.

"Right now reputation is scattered and mostly social," RVWV said. "Over the next year I expect it to become portable across apps, the same way your wallet already is. The projects that win will be the ones that let users carry their trust with them instead of rebuilding it in every silo."