Original | Odaily Planet Daily (@OdailyChina)
The ideal of Web3 is decentralized trust, but in reality, trust is often fragile. Sign, a protocol centered on on-chain identity verification and token distribution, promises to bring transparency and security to the Web3 ecosystem. However, in early April, its token distribution platform TokenTable sparked controversy due to an incident involving the Wayfinder project ($PROMPT) — a protocol aimed at building trust, yet exploited by external participants due to social behavior vulnerabilities. This incident thrust Sign into the spotlight, becoming a testing ground for its technology and responsibility.
On April 24, Sign announced an upcoming snapshot, with the TGE (Token Generation Event) of its native token SIGN entering the countdown. TokenTable rebuilt community trust through transparent remedial measures and comprehensive compensation, while Sign took a more robust step towards the forefront of Web3 infrastructure. From on-chain signing tools to full-chain verification protocols, how does Sign grow amidst challenges? Can it reshape the rules in the realm of trust?
From EthSign to Sign: The Starting Point of On-Chain Trust
The story of Sign began in 2021 with EthSign, an on-chain document signing platform. Through EthSign, users can verify document consistency on the blockchain and complete signing, providing trusted support for scenarios such as smart contracts and asset ownership. In 2024, the team launched Sign Protocol, expanding its vision to a broader on-chain identity verification and token distribution infrastructure.
Sign Protocol aggregates on-chain credentials to provide transparent and traceable mechanisms for token airdrops, DAO governance, identity verification, and more. For example, it can ensure the legitimacy of identities in DAO voting or the fairness of airdrop distributions, precisely addressing the trust pain points of Web3. As of 2024, Sign has served over 200 projects, including Movement, Starknet, and ZetaChain, with an annual revenue of $15 million, showcasing its commercial potential and wide applicability. Sign's goal is to pave the way for Web2 users to enter Web3, creating standardized trust infrastructure.
Capital Endorsement: The Cornerstone of Industry Confidence
Sign's ambitions have attracted top-tier capital. In 2022, EthSign completed a $12 million seed round led by Sequoia Capital India and Mirana Ventures, with participation from Amber Group, Circle Ventures, HashKey Group, and others. In January 2025, Sign secured another $16 million in funding led by YZi Labs, with follow-on investments from Altos Ventures, HackVC, and others.
Binance founder CZ stated in an email that verification and distribution mechanisms are key to Web3 trust. This assessment not only highlights Sign's industry value but also earns it authoritative endorsement. The new funding will help Sign deepen collaborations with exchanges and government agencies, explore AI-driven verification applications, and promote the construction of the SIGN token ecosystem. The continued capital support reflects the market's confidence in Sign as a Web3 infrastructure.
Products and Challenges: Technical Tempering in the Incident
Sign's ecosystem is supported by two main pillars: TokenTable, an efficient token distribution platform, and Sign Protocol, a powerful on-chain verification framework. TokenTable has distributed over $2 billion in tokens for nearly 100 projects, addressing the complex demands of current airdrops. Airdrops are far from simple "click to claim"; they require seamless operations across multiple chains, handling millions of addresses, verifying composite identities of on-chain wallets and social identities, and meeting compliance requirements such as KYC and OFAC.
To tackle these challenges, TokenTable has integrated a series of technical solutions. It optimizes gas costs through off-chain computation and on-chain Merkle proofs, achieves high concurrent processing using distributed task pipelines and multi-layer caching, and customizes strategies for chains like EVM, Solana, and TON, such as optimizing sharded transactions for TON. The delegated claim mechanism allows project parties to cover gas fees, enhancing user experience, while multi-layer protections ensure defense against replay attacks and other threats, with compliance features like KYC and geographical restrictions further ensuring global applicability.
Despite this, the Wayfinder ($PROMPT) airdrop encountered setbacks on April 10. The incident stemmed from a Twitter identity signature verification system in collaboration with Kaito. An external participant exploited predictable social behaviors and a public rollout model, combined with MEV (Miner Extractable Value) strategies, to prematurely interact with the claim process, leading to a system pause. The incident affected 1,781 users, with 249 suffering losses due to transaction failures and 1,532 unable to claim due to contract suspension.
Fortunately, TokenTable's response was swift and decisive, promptly initiating a claims process. Although the Wayfinder incident posed a challenge, TokenTable is enhancing its resilience through anti-front-running mechanisms, consulting MEV experts, and committing to transparent audit disclosures, turning this incident into a catalyst for improvement.
Sign Protocol represents the core innovation of Sign. It ensures the transparency of token distribution and governance through full-chain credential verification, such as verifying DAO voting identities or enforcing airdrop rules. Its multi-chain compatibility and high security give it a unique advantage in Web3 infrastructure.
SIGN Token: The Engine Igniting the Ecosystem
The launch of the SIGN token marks a new phase for the Sign ecosystem. With a total supply of 10 billion tokens and an initial circulation of 12%, the tokens will be minted on the Ethereum mainnet and distributed across chains like BNB Chain and Base. The distribution plan balances community and long-term development: 40% for community incentives, 20% for early supporters, 10% for the team, 20% held by the foundation, and 10% for ecosystem expansion and public welfare. This design injects vitality into the ecosystem through community-oriented incentives.
SIGN will go live on Binance on April 28, covering trading pairs such as USDT, USDC, and BNB. TokenTable will be responsible for the airdrop distribution of SIGN, rewarding early community contributors through a mechanism based on SBT (Soulbound Tokens), with selection criteria including interaction quality, participation in Orange Dynasty events, content creation, and technical contributions. In response to community suggestions, Sign has canceled the airdrop reduction mechanism, increasing the frequency and total amount of distribution, demonstrating its commitment to users.
The Binance Alpha and HODLer programs will further expand airdrop coverage, with tokens distributed before trading.
Future and Challenges: The Journey of Trust Infrastructure
Sign's vision is to apply full-chain verification to broader scenarios, such as on-chain digital identity systems or public voting mechanisms, providing trusted certification for governments or designing compliant airdrops for DeFi projects. However, the Wayfinder incident revealed challenges in complex systems regarding behavioral vulnerabilities. TokenTable's fee model (fixed fee + tiered pricing) has also sparked community discussions, and the team plans to enhance transparency through public pricing. With the launch of the SIGN token, Sign stands at a new starting point. In the trust race of Web3, can it become the cornerstone connecting Web2 and Web3? The answer to this journey depends on the joint witness of technology, community, and time.
免责声明：本文章仅代表作者个人观点，不代表本平台的立场和观点。本文章仅供信息分享，不构成对任何人的任何投资建议。用户与作者之间的任何争议，与本平台无关。如网页中刊载的文章或图片涉及侵权，请提供相关的权利证明和身份证明发送邮件到support@aicoin.com，本平台相关工作人员将会进行核查。
