Embedding human rights into crypto isn’t optional, it’s foundational

Shady El Damaty, co-founder of Human.Tech, argues that human rights must be built into crypto and decentralized identity systems as foundational architecture rather than treated as optional features. He points to surveillance overreach, centralization disguised as innovation, and tools that serve power over people as sources of disillusionment among builders and users. He says self-custody should be designed for ordinary users without sacrificing sovereignty, that proof of humanity should be possible without state-run biometric IDs or corporate credentialing, and that privacy should be the default. He acknowledges critics who warn that ethical frameworks could be co-opted, but argues that transparent design and open governance can mitigate that risk.