Architecture of the BEAST
Zero-Knowledge Proof (ZKP)
A zero-knowledge proof is a cryptographic method that allows someone (the prover) to prove something is true to another party (the verifier) without revealing any information beyond the validity of the statement.
Digital Identity and ZKP
1. Government Issues a Verifiable Credential
2. You go through identity verification (e.g., passport office).
3. The government issues you a verifiable credential (VC), like a signed digital certificate.
4. This VC contains your identity attributes (e.g., name, age, citizenship) and is digitally signed by the government (issuer).
5. The VC is stored securely in a mobile digital wallet app.
You Generate ZKPs to Prove Attributes
1. When you want to prove something (e.g., “I am a resident of this country” or “I am over 18”):
2. Your device generates a ZKP based on the VC and your private key.
3. The verifier checks the proof, but sees only the fact that the statement is true, not the full credential.
4. The ZKP includes the government’s signature as part of the verification chain but does not reveal your full identity unless needed.
Which governments have implemented this technology ?
1. EU eIDAS 2.0: Incorporates ZKP and selective disclosure into the European Digital Identity Wallet.
2. Canada, Estonia, and Germany: Exploring or implementing verifiable credentials and privacy-preserving ID systems.
3. World Economic Forum & EBSI: Promote ZK-friendly, decentralised identity architectures.
Why this even matters ?
Once every citizen is tied to a digitally issued, government-approved credential, access to services, movement, or commerce may require proof of compliance—even if anonymised. If linked with biometrics, financial transactions, or social behavior tracking, this creates a centralised control grid. ZKPs may ironically enhance this system’s efficiency, allowing mass digital control without requiring visible coercion.
Governments will not directly enforce Digital Identity mandates, but instead rely on third-party companies and app developers to implement and normalize them. This creates the illusion of decentralised, unrelated tools—like transportation apps, online marketplaces, banking platforms, or event check-ins—that each "coincidentally" require digital ID verification. Behind the scenes, these private actors often operate under governmental guidelines, funding incentives, or legal compliance requirements, effectively outsourcing surveillance and control.
This fragmented enforcement strategy masks the unified design of the system, making it appear user-driven and voluntary—when in reality, it builds an inescapable surveillance grid. The result is a form of technocratic governance that hides its reach behind a facade of convenience and consumer choice, echoing the subtle yet totalitarian control foretold.
"And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name." — Revelation 13:17