Blockchain-based identification system launched in Buenos Aires

In the Argentine capital, Buenos Aires, a blockchain-based personal identification system will be launched in the coming months. The QuarkID project has been developed for several years in collaboration with Extrimian and Matter Labs. According to the city administration, its system will be the first initiative of its kind in Latin America.

Starting in November, city residents will be able to receive a copy of their income certificate and educational documents directly to their crypto wallet. As BlockWorks points out, in the first stage, the Buenos Aires administration decided to concentrate its efforts on the key documents necessary to receive the benefits. In the future, QuarkID plans to introduce support for more IDs and certificates, including passports and driver’s licenses.

By the end of the year, the developers’ plans include publishing a detailed project roadmap and reaching 2.5 million active users. From a technical point of view, the system is provided by Extrimian and Matter Labs. QuarkID is based on the second layer solution for the Ethereum blockchain ZkSync Era.

Residents of Latin American countries are actively switching to cryptocurrency payments. According to a Ripple study published in 2022, 74% of respondents are more likely to transact with companies that accept cryptocurrency payments, while among Europeans this figure is only 41%. A Mastercard report published in June of that year found that more than half of Latinos had already paid for goods and services using cryptocurrencies.