Proof Holdings vs Privy
Privy (now part of Stripe) is best-in-class at creating embedded wallets from an email or social login — it runs the key infrastructure. Proof Holdings never touches a key: it verifies control of a wallet the user already owns (coming soon), the way it verifies phones, emails, and domains today.
If you need to create wallets, Privy is superb. If you need to trust one that already exists, that's Proof's lane: verify control, touch no keys, get a portable ES256 token — the same primitive already live for phone, email, and domain.
One API · One key
One key does what a stack of vendors does
Most platforms on this page run wallet infrastructure. Proof — like SIWE — never touches a key: a single API whose reverse-OTP flow issues a signed, offline-verifiable ES256 token for each of these:
Flat price · Any asset
One flat price for every asset — phone, email, and domain today, with wallet and social coming soon. No per-seat, no per-MAU, no per-verification tiers — the meter that makes every rival's bill jump.
- Free every month
- 300 proofs
- Pay as you go
- €0.03 / proof
- At volume
- €0.0079 / proof
Feature Comparison
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| Feature | Proof Holdings | Privy |
|---|---|---|
| Core job | Verify control of an existing wallet → proof token | Provision & custody embedded wallets (its headline) |
| Runs key infrastructure (MPC / sharding) | No | Yes |
| Creates a wallet for the user | No | Yes — from email / social login |
| Verifies a wallet the user already owns | Coming soon | Yes (external connect + SIWE) |
| Token meaning | Proof of control (neutral verifier) | Authenticated in this app (session) |
| Also verifies phone / email / domain | Live today | No |
| Pricing model | Per-proof | Per-MAU |
| Free tier | 300 proofs/month | ≤499 MAU (50K signatures, $1M volume) |
| Owner | Independent | Stripe (acquired 2025) |
Pricing
Pricing model
Proof Holdings
Per-proof: €0.0079, 300 free/month
Privy
Per-MAU: free ≤499, then $299/mo (500–2,499), $499/mo (2,500–9,999)
Key custody & liability
Proof Holdings
None — Proof never holds or shards a key
Privy
Runs the wallet key infrastructure (MPC, TEEs)
What the token means
Proof Holdings
Control of wallet X, from a neutral verifier
Privy
A session authenticated inside your Privy app
Embedding wallets for new users
Proof Holdings
Not what Proof does
Privy
Best-in-class onboarding from email/social
Provisioning vs proof-of-control
Privy's headline product is creating wallets: from an email or social login it provisions a self-custodial embedded wallet, sharding the key across TEEs so the user never manages a seed phrase. It's excellent at that, which is why Stripe bought it. It also supports connecting external wallets and SIWE, but the reason teams reach for Privy is onboarding users into wallets.
Proof Holdings does the opposite job. It doesn't create, hold, or shard a key — ever. It verifies that a user controls a wallet they already own and returns a proof of that control. No key infrastructure means no custody surface and no key-management liability. If you need to give users wallets, that's Privy. If you need to prove someone controls one, that's Proof — with wallet verification coming soon and the same model already live for phone, email, and domain.
A neutral proof vs an app session
Here's a point most comparisons get wrong: Privy's token is cryptographically verifiable (ES256 JWT). The real difference isn't "verifiable vs not" — it's what the token *means* and who it's for. Privy's token is scoped to your app; it says "this user authenticated in this Privy application." Its verification key is fetched per-app.
Proof's token is a neutral attestation: it says "control of wallet X was proven," issued by a verifier that isn't your app, verifiable offline with a published key — the kind of thing you can hand to a counterparty or an auditor. And Proof's model spans assets: the same proof format covers phone, email, and domain today, wallet soon. Privy is the tool for standing up wallets; Proof is the tool for portable, neutral proof of control.
When to use Privy
- You want to onboard users into embedded wallets from email or social login
- You want a managed wallet with key sharding so users never see a seed phrase
- You're building a consumer crypto app and wallet UX is the product
- You want broad chain support baked into a wallet-provisioning SDK
- Per-MAU pricing fits your active-user economics
When to use Proof Holdings
- You want to verify a wallet the user already owns, not create one
- You don't want to run — or trust — any wallet key infrastructure
- You want a neutral proof of control, not an app-scoped session token
- You want one verification primitive across wallet, phone, email, and domain
- You'd rather pay per verification than per monthly active user
- You want zero custody surface and no key-management liability
Frequently Asked Questions
Ready to try Proof Holdings?
300 free proofs per month. No credit card required.
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