SURGE is a decentralized identity and reputation protocol for the Optimism Superchain that enables users to preserve their on-chain history across multiple wallets and recover their reputation even after wallet compromise.
At its core, SURGE provides a multi-wallet identity system where users can link multiple addresses to a single on-chain identity via soulbound tokens. This creates a resilient reputation layer that survives wallet loss, theft, or rotation—solving one of Web3's biggest UX problems: the permanent loss of identity and achievements when private keys are compromised.
The protocol aggregates cross-chain activity from all linked wallets (Base, Optimism, Celo, Zora, and other OP Stack chains) into a unified reputation score. Users can mark compromised wallets to immediately block malicious access while preserving their historical contributions. Heritage badges automatically prove achievements from old wallets, allowing reputation transfer to new addresses.
Use Cases:
SURGE transforms ephemeral wallet addresses into permanent, recoverable identities—making reputation truly owned by users, not tied to vulnerable private keys.
SURGE's mission is to make Web3 identity resilient and recoverable, eliminating the catastrophic risk of losing years of reputation due to wallet compromise.
The protocol establishes a new primitive for the Superchain: permanent, multi-wallet identity that survives key loss and aggregates reputation across chains. By separating identity from individual wallet addresses, SURGE enables users to safely rotate wallets, recover from security incidents, and maintain continuity across the ecosystem.
Initial deployment covers Base, OP Mainnet, Celo, Zora, and expanding to all OP Stack chains. The architecture is designed for permissionless adoption—any Superchain project can integrate SURGE identity verification without requiring changes to their existing smart contracts.
Beyond wallet recovery, SURGE creates infrastructure for:
Success means transforming the Superchain from isolated wallet experiences to a unified identity layer where users control their reputation, projects can trust verification, and the ecosystem grows through composable, portable identity primitives.
Blockchain identity is permanently tied to wallet addresses, creating catastrophic failure points. When users lose private keys or wallets are compromised (through phishing, malware, or social engineering), they lose:
This problem affects even experienced users—compromised wallets with 5+ years of activity have no recovery mechanism, forcing users to rebuild identity from zero. The crypto community treats new wallets as "unverified" regardless of the owner's actual experience, creating barriers to ecosystem participation.
Additionally, cross-chain reputation is fragmented. A user highly active on Base may appear as a "new user" on Optimism or Celo, despite being the same person. Projects lack tools to verify identity across chains, leading to Sybil attacks in airdrops and difficulty distinguishing real users from farmers.
Current solutions (ENS, POAP) don't solve wallet compromise—they're tied to specific addresses and offer no recovery path. Social recovery wallets require setup before loss, and most users don't configure them. There's no infrastructure for proving "I'm the same person" after losing access to a wallet.
SURGE creates a permanent, recoverable identity layer through multi-wallet linking and on-chain attestations:
1. Identity Anchor System
Each user gets a unique on-chain identity that exists independently of any single wallet. Soulbound tokens (SBTs) with matching IDs are minted to all linked wallets, creating cryptographic proof of shared ownership. This identity persists even if individual wallets are lost.
2. Proactive Protection
Users can link multiple wallets to their identity before any compromise occurs. If one wallet is stolen, others remain secure and maintain access to the full identity. Activity from all linked wallets is aggregated into a single reputation score visible across the Superchain.
3. Wallet Recovery Mechanism
If a wallet is compromised, users can mark it as such from any other linked wallet. This immediately:
4. Heritage Badges
Compromised wallets generate automatic achievement badges based on their history: wallet age, transaction volume, unique contract interactions, cross-chain presence. These badges mint to active wallets as proof of veteran status, allowing users to demonstrate their real experience level even with a new address.
5. Sybil-Resistant Scoring
A "Primary Wallet" system prevents multi-accounting: only one linked wallet displays the aggregated reputation score to external projects. Users can change primary wallets (with cooldown periods), but cannot farm multiple eligibilities from a single identity. External APIs return zero score for non-primary wallets.
6. Cross-Chain Reputation
AI-powered analysis aggregates activity across Base, Optimism, Celo, and other Superchain networks. Projects can query a single API to verify user reputation across the entire ecosystem, with weighted scoring based on network participation and protocol interactions.
Technical Architecture:
The protocol is open and composable—any Superchain project can integrate SURGE identity for airdrop eligibility, DAO voting weights, or reputation-gated features. Achievement NFTs become a natural extension of this identity layer, allowing communities to issue verifiable badges that enhance reputation scores.
Want to grow through just grant funding
Global - Optimism Superchain Ecosystem (19 chains incl. Base, Optimism, Celo, Zora, Ink, Lisk, Soneium, Unichain)
0 (Actively applying for Optimism Collective, Base, and Superchain ecosystem grants)
