Accountability Requires Identity: AI Agents & the Future of Digital Trust

Jan 28, 2026

Evin McMullen, CEO and co-founder of Billions Network, builds a mobile-first identity layer to verify humans and AI while preserving privacy. She discusses proving humanity with zero-knowledge proofs. She covers agent identity and accountability, balancing privacy with convenience, regulatory collaborations, and risks of agent swarms.

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INSIGHT

Identity For Humans And Agents

Identity must cover both humans and AI agents to scale trust online.
Evin McMullen says verifying agents prevents unidentified machines from dominating interactions.

ADVICE

Use Zero Knowledge For Privacy

Use zero-knowledge proofs to enforce compliance without revealing private data.
Evin McMullen recommends client-side proving so users keep control of their information.

INSIGHT

Open Standards Enable Tamper-Proof Proofs

Open standards and signed government data enable interoperable, tamper-proof proofs.
Billions uses client-side proving so proofs are generated without centralized servers.

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Evin McMullen, co-founder and CEO of Billions Network, explores how identity for agents is going to unlock the next era of the Internet. She shares outcomes from collaborations with regulatory bodies and major companies (like HSBC and TikTok), along with their use of Zero Knowledge Proofs in proving you're human without giving up privacy.

Key Takeaways:

How Billions Network plans to save the Internet, starting first with scaling trust (while balancing convenience and privacy)
The critical importance of identity verification in an increasingly AI-dominated digital landscape, and the biggest challenges to solving for this
The risks for humanity if we don't achieve decentralized identity before AI and agents becomes ubiquitous

Guest Bio: Evin McMullen is the CEO and co-founder of Billions Network, the first universal human and AI network. Billions Network is pioneering a mobile-first identity layer that verifies both humans and AI agents—proving uniqueness, KYC/AML status, location, age, or even machine reputation, all while preserving user privacy. Evin's previous work includes early blockchain development for retail and enterprise, and serving as CEO and founder of the verifiable data platform Disco.xy. She is a cofounder of DAO Jones and inkDAO, and an advisor to Boys Club. She is a graduate of Yale University.

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