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Civic

Civic CVC

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About

What Is Civic (CVC)?

Civic is a blockchain-based identity management solution that gives individuals and businesses the tools they need to control and protect personal identity information.

The platform is designed to change the way we think about identity verification by giving users more control over their personal data, while allowing them to access a wide range of services without needing to fork over excessive amounts of personal information.

Civic's identity verification solution uses distributed ledger technology to authorize identity usage in real time, and is used to sparingly share information with Civic partners after authorization by the user.

Unlike some other identity management services, Civic users store all their sensitive data on their mobile device. Users are able to authorize the sharing of specific personal data by providing a biometric signature through the Civic app.

The Civic ecosystem is enabled by a unique utility token known as the Civic token (CVC), which is used for the settlement of identity-related transactions between Civic participants — such as between a customer and service provider.

Users can earn CVC tokens for completing a variety of tasks, such as signing up for a service through the platform or introducing new users, while validators can earn CVCs for validating documents for service providers.

Civic was launched in 2018, following a sell-out initial coin offering (ICO) the year prior.

Who Are the Founders of Civic?

Civic was co-founded in 2015 by Vinny Lingham and Jonathan Smith.

Vinny Lingham is a serial entrepreneur who appeared on Shark Tank South Africa in 2016, and has co-founded several prominent firms, including a South Africa-based investment fund known as Newtown Partners and Gyft — a Google ventures-backed digital card platform. Lingham is Civic’s CEO.

Jonathan Smith is the current CTO of the platform and has more than 15 years of experience in the banking industry. Prior to his role at Civic, Smith held various managerial roles at prominent firms, including Deloitte MCS Limited and HSH Nordbank, and was the global head of Platforms at Genpact Headstrong Capital Markets.

In addition to the founders, the Civic team includes a host of highly successful individuals, including COO Chris Hart, who has two decades of experience in senior finance, and previously held the role of CFO at Guidebook and Nextag.

The official Civic LinkedIn page currently lists 38 employees, many of which are based in the San Francisco Bay Area.

What Makes Civic Unique?

Civic is built to make it easy for users to verify their identity with service providers, while still retaining full control over their personal information.

It allows businesses to onboard users faster using its AI-powered verification system, which when combined with human review helps businesses cut down on fraud and stay compliant with AML regulations and OFAC rules.

As of December 2020, Civic has two main products: the Civic wallet and Health Key.

The Civic wallet is a mobile cryptocurrency wallet that can be used to store a handful of popular cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), and USD Coin (USDC). The app doubles as a digital identity management solution, and benefits from a $1 million Bitcoin insurance plan provided by Coincover.

Health Key is Civic’s newest product. This is an app that allows employers to securely verify the health status of employees, to ensure they are healthy enough to return to the workplace after an infection with COVID19 — such as if they test positive for antibodies or have been vaccinated. This is achieved without compromising the privacy of the employee.

How Many Civic (CVC) Coins Are There in Circulation?

As of late December 2020, there are exactly 670 million CVC tokens in circulation, representing 67% of the maximum 1 billion CVC total supply. The current circulating supply can be found in the right data panel.

As per the Civic token sale website, a total of 1 billion CVC were minted, of which 33% were sold in the token sale; 33% is retained by Civic; 33% is allocated for incentives and rewards; and the remaining 1% was used to cover token sale costs.

As of December 2020, the 330 million tokens allocated to Civic remains untouched. It is currently being held in a multi-signature Ethereum wallet, which can be tracked here.

How Is the Civic Network Secured?

As an ERC-20 token, CVC is backed by the Ethereum blockchain — which is widely regarded to be of the most decentralized and secure proof-of-work (POW) networks in current usage.

Over time, Ethereum will gradually transition to proof-of-stake (POS) with the roll-out of Ethereum 2.0. Once complete, the CVC token and associated transactions will be secured by a network of validator nodes.

Digital identities secured through the Civic app are protected by the user’s own device, which customers use to control access to their data.

Where Can You Buy Civic (CVC)?

The CVC token is highly liquid and can be traded on dozens of exchange platforms, including Binance, Coinbase Pro and Huobi Global. It is most commonly traded against Tether (USDT), the Korean won (KRW) and Bitcoin (BTC).

For a full list of exchanges, check the market pairs section. To learn more about purchasing cryptocurrencies like CVC with fiat, check out our comprehensive guide.

AI Analysis

Analyzed on March 2, 2026

What is the Civic (CVC) cryptocurrency good for? What are its main use cases?

The Civic (CVC) cryptocurrency is designed to enhance identity verification, security, and privacy in digital transactions. It powers the Civic ecosystem, which focuses on secure identity management and fraud prevention. Here are its main use cases:

1. Identity Verification & KYC (Know Your Customer)

  • Civic provides a decentralized identity verification system that allows users to securely share verified personal information (e.g., age, address, employment status) with businesses without exposing sensitive data.
  • Businesses (e.g., banks, exchanges, e-commerce platforms) can use Civic to reduce fraud and streamline KYC processes while improving user privacy.

2. Secure Authentication

  • Civic enables biometric authentication (e.g., fingerprint, facial recognition) for secure logins, reducing reliance on passwords.
  • Users can control their identity data and choose when to share it, enhancing privacy.

3. Fraud Prevention

  • By verifying identities on-chain, Civic helps prevent synthetic identity fraud, account takeovers, and phishing attacks.
  • Businesses can reduce chargebacks and fraudulent transactions by ensuring users are who they claim to be.

4. Tokenized Identity for Web3 & DeFi

  • Civic’s Identity Verification Service (IVS) allows users to prove their identity for DeFi platforms, NFT marketplaces, and other Web3 applications without exposing personal details.
  • This helps comply with regulations (e.g., AML/KYC) while maintaining decentralization.

5. Rewards & Incentives

  • Users can earn CVC tokens by participating in identity verification processes or referring others.
  • Businesses can reward users for completing secure transactions or providing verified data.

6. Cross-Border & Financial Services

  • Civic’s identity solutions can be used for cross-border payments, lending, and remittances, ensuring compliance while reducing fraud risks.

Why Use Civic (CVC)?

  • Privacy-Focused: Users retain control over their data.
  • Fraud Reduction: Businesses benefit from verified identities.
  • Web3 Integration: Supports decentralized identity for blockchain applications.
  • Regulatory Compliance: Helps companies meet KYC/AML requirements.

Conclusion

Civic (CVC) is primarily useful for secure identity verification, fraud prevention, and privacy-preserving authentication in both traditional finance and Web3 ecosystems. Its decentralized approach makes it a valuable tool for businesses and users looking to balance security with privacy.

Would you like more details on how Civic works technically?

Answered by mistral-small-latest (mistral)

What blockchain does Civic use? Is it its own blockchain or built on top of another?

Civic is a blockchain-based identity verification platform that primarily operates on Ethereum and Polygon (a Layer 2 scaling solution for Ethereum). However, Civic also has its own blockchain called Civic Chain, which is a private, permissioned blockchain designed for enterprise use cases.

Key Details:

  1. Ethereum & Polygon (Public Blockchain):

    • Civic uses Ethereum and Polygon for its decentralized identity (DID) solutions, such as Civic Pass, which allows users to verify their identity and share credentials securely.
    • The CVC token (Civic’s native cryptocurrency) is an ERC-20 token on Ethereum and can also be used on Polygon for lower transaction fees.

  2. Civic Chain (Private/Permissioned Blockchain):

    • Civic Chain is a private, enterprise-focused blockchain designed for secure identity verification and compliance.
    • It is not a public blockchain and is used by businesses and institutions that require controlled access and high security.

Summary:

  • Public Blockchain: Ethereum & Polygon (for decentralized identity solutions).
  • Private Blockchain: Civic Chain (for enterprise identity verification).

Civic leverages both public and private blockchain infrastructure to cater to different use cases, ensuring flexibility and security.

Answered by mistral-small-latest (mistral)

Is Civic programmable? Does it support smart contracts or decentralized applications?

Yes, Civic is programmable and supports smart contracts and decentralized applications (dApps), but with some important distinctions compared to traditional blockchain platforms like Ethereum or Solana.

Key Features of Civic's Programmability:

  1. Smart Contracts on Civic Pass

    • Civic's Pass Protocol (a decentralized identity and authentication system) allows for programmable identity verification and access control via smart contracts.
    • Developers can build identity-based smart contracts that require verified credentials (e.g., KYC, age verification) before executing transactions.

  2. Civic’s Blockchain (CVC Token & Ecosystem)

    • The CVC token (Civic’s native cryptocurrency) operates on Ethereum (as an ERC-20 token) and other blockchains, meaning it can interact with Ethereum’s smart contract ecosystem.
    • Civic has also explored Layer 2 solutions (like Polygon) for faster and cheaper transactions.

  3. Decentralized Identity (DID) & dApps

    • Civic’s Pass Protocol enables dApps to integrate decentralized identity verification (e.g., for DeFi, gaming, or Web3 services).
    • Developers can build identity-aware dApps that require verified credentials before granting access.

Limitations:

  • Unlike Ethereum or Solana, Civic does not have its own general-purpose smart contract platform (like EVM or Solana’s runtime).
  • Instead, it focuses on identity verification as a service (IDaaS) and integrates with existing blockchains for smart contracts.

Use Cases for Civic’s Programmability:

  • KYC/AML Compliance for DeFi platforms.
  • Age Verification for Web3 gaming or NFT marketplaces.
  • Identity-Based Access Control for enterprise applications.

Conclusion:

Civic is programmable but primarily in the context of decentralized identity and authentication. If you're looking for a full smart contract platform, you might need to integrate Civic’s identity solutions with another blockchain (like Ethereum or Polygon).

Would you like help with a specific use case?

Answered by mistral-small-latest (mistral)

How fast are Civic transactions? What is the typical confirmation time and throughput (transactions per second)?

The speed of Civic (CVC) transactions depends on the blockchain network it operates on. Civic primarily uses the Ethereum (ETH) network for its token (CVC), but it has also integrated with other blockchains like Polygon (MATIC) for faster and cheaper transactions.

1. Ethereum (ETH) Network (CVC Token)

  • Confirmation Time:
    • ~15 seconds per block (but multiple confirmations are often required for security).
    • Typical transaction finality: 5–30 minutes (depending on network congestion and gas fees).
  • Throughput (Transactions per Second - TPS):
    • ~15–30 TPS (before Ethereum's upgrades like EIP-1559 and PoS).
    • Post-Merge (PoS): Slightly improved, but still limited by gas fees and congestion.

2. Polygon (MATIC) Network (CVC on Polygon)

  • Confirmation Time:
    • ~2–3 seconds per block (much faster than Ethereum).
    • Finality: ~10–30 seconds (depending on network conditions).
  • Throughput (TPS):
    • ~7,000 TPS (theoretical max, but real-world usage is lower).

3. Civic’s Own Identity Verification System (Not Blockchain-Based)

  • Speed: Near-instant (since it’s an off-chain identity verification service).

Comparison Summary

Network Avg. Confirmation Time Max TPS (Theoretical) Real-World TPS
Ethereum 5–30 minutes ~30 TPS ~10–15 TPS
Polygon ~10–30 seconds ~7,000 TPS ~1,000–3,000 TPS

Conclusion

  • If CVC is transacted on Ethereum, expect slower confirmations (5–30 mins) and lower throughput (~15 TPS).
  • If CVC is transacted on Polygon, expect near-instant confirmations (~10–30 sec) and much higher throughput (~7,000 TPS).

For the fastest and cheapest transactions, Polygon is the preferred network for Civic (CVC) users.

Answered by mistral-small-latest (mistral)

How much data can I store on the Civic blockchain? Does it support on-chain data storage?

The Civic blockchain (now known as Civic Protocol) is a decentralized identity and data management platform built on Ethereum. It primarily focuses on identity verification, secure data sharing, and compliance rather than general-purpose data storage.

On-Chain Data Storage on Civic

  1. Limited On-Chain Storage

    • Like most Ethereum-based systems, Civic relies on smart contracts for identity verification and data sharing.
    • On-chain storage is expensive and limited due to Ethereum's gas fees and block size constraints.
    • Only small, critical data (e.g., identity hashes, verification proofs) is stored on-chain.

  2. Off-Chain Storage with On-Chain References

    • Most user data (e.g., personal documents, credentials) is stored off-chain (e.g., IPFS, decentralized storage solutions).
    • The blockchain stores hashes or references to these off-chain files for verification.

  3. Data Capacity

    • On-chain: A few KB per transaction (due to gas costs).
    • Off-chain (via IPFS/Arweave): Potentially unlimited, but depends on the storage provider.

Comparison with Other Blockchains

  • Ethereum (Civic’s Base Layer): ~15-20 KB per block (not ideal for large data).
  • Filecoin/IPFS: Better for large-scale decentralized storage.
  • Arweave: Permanent storage with one-time fees.

Conclusion

Civic is not designed for bulk data storage but rather for secure identity and credential management. If you need large-scale on-chain storage, consider alternatives like Filecoin, IPFS, or Arweave with blockchain-based verification.

Would you like recommendations for decentralized storage solutions that work well with Civic?

Answered by mistral-small-latest (mistral)

Contact Us About Civic

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