The Moca Foundation has announced the upcoming launch of Moca Chain, a new Layer 1 network built to handle digital identity and user data. Moca Chain is designed to give people and digital agents full control over their personal data without relying on big tech platforms. A public testnet is set for Q3 2025, with the mainnet set for Q4 2025.

With that, Moca Chain will enable decentralized identity verification both on-chain and off-chain, using tools like cross-chain oracles, decentralized data storage, zkTLS (zero-knowledge web proofs), and on-chain validation systems. It will run as a modular, EVM-compatible chain that connects with other blockchains, acting as a universal identity and data layer. MOCA Coin will serve as the core utility token for gas, staking, storage, and all identity services.

Addressing Centralization and Privacy in Digital Identity

The goal of Moca Chain is to replace centralized identity systems such as Single Sign-On (SSO), which store and manage user credentials in ways that can expose them to data breaches or monetization without consent. Yat Siu, co-founder and executive chairman of Animoca Brands, noted on this concern.

"Billions of users today go online using single sign-on (SSO), which contains the keys to a user's data, services, and digital lives. While convenient, SSO represents a centralized point of failure that compromises security while also allowing operators to aggressively extract value from users' digital selves. Moca Chain seeks to solve this problem by giving users decentralized true ownership of their data, ensuring the sovereignty of users' digital identity without a single point of failure."

Siu added that Moca Chain, together with the AIR Kit from Moca Network, will allow users to own their identity and online contributions.

"This aligns strongly with the mission of Animoca Brands to advance digital property rights and empower individuals to control and benefit from their online activities and their personal data," he said.

Moca Network and AIR Kit: Infrastructure for the Ecosystem

Moca Network, the identity division of Animoca Brands, is a key launch partner for Moca Chain. The network includes over 570 companies and more than 700 million potential users. Its AIR Kit SDK supports verifiable credentials, smart accounts, and plug-and-play permissions. AIR Kit is already integrated into various web2 apps and services, including SK Planet's OK Cashbag (28 million verified users) and One Football (over 200 million users).

According to Kenneth Shek, project lead of Moca Network, "Moca Chain and AIR Kit are a one-of-a-kind infrastructure for verified identity data to empower consumer apps and their users. By adopting Moca Chain and MOCA Coin, we believe we can disrupt current models of data ownership and break down the dominance of walled garden ecosystems, returning value to the users who generate it and making ecosystem growth more scalable."

Real-World Use Cases Across Industries

As such, Moca Chain seeks to solve common problems in identity systems, such as data fragmentation, lack of authenticity, privacy risks, and lack of interoperability. Its self-sovereign identity layer will power real-world use cases in areas like healthcare, recruitment, finance, and advertising. For instance, it can support portable electronic health records, verified credentials for hiring, privacy-preserving financial KYC/AML, and accurate user verification in digital advertising.

Users of Moca Chain can manage access to their private data using granular permissions. This means they can decide which apps can view or use their data, and in return, they may receive ecosystem access, perks, or token rewards.

Seamless and Secure Digital Interactions

By using zK proofs, protocols on Moca Chain can verify user credentials without ever exposing private data. This allows identity data to be shared across apps and chains without direct API integrations or central control. Instead of platforms verifying user data, users themselves will manage and prove their identity wherever needed.

The Moca Chain identity layer will also support transferable user traits such as loyalty points, social proof, and access rights. These can move across applications while maintaining privacy and security.

Supporting Devs with Open Tools

Builders will be able to create dApps on Moca Chain using AIR Kit to enable features like smart accounts, user reputation systems, and verifiable identity. With out-of-the-box permission tools, AIR Kit makes it easier to build privacy-respecting and user-controlled apps.

About Moca Foundation and Moca Network

The Moca Foundation is a community-led organization guiding the growth and development of Moca Chain and Moca Network. Its aim is to promote open governance and cultural innovation in web3. MOCA Coin is both the utility and governance token, used for payments, staking, and protocol governance. Moca DAO oversees the ecosystem with participatory governance and delegation systems.

Moca Network, on the other hand, builds infrastructure for cross-chain identity and reputation. It supports verified access, reward systems, and decentralized user control. As part of the Animoca Brands ecosystem, Moca Network offers tools for builders and businesses to tap into a growing user base across apps and industries.

For more info, visit moca.foundation and moca.network.