# ERC-5192: Minimal Soulbound NFTs Content type: Research Paper Summary: ERC-5192 introduces the concept of 'Soulbound' tokens to the Ethereum ecosystem by providing a minimal extension for non-transferable NFTs. Unlike standard ERC-721 tokens, which are designed for liquidity and transferability, Soulbound tokens are tied to a specific account or address, representing non-transferable credentials, memberships, or identities. This standard defines a simple boolean interface, 'locked', which prevents token movement, ensuring that the association between the 'soul' (th Key concepts: Tim Daubenschütz, soulbound, identity, erc-5192, ethereum, non-transferable, credentials
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ERC-5192: Minimal Soulbound NFTs

Tim Daubenschütz

Ethereum Improvement ProposalsJanuary 2022

Abstract

ERC-5192 introduces the concept of 'Soulbound' tokens to the Ethereum ecosystem by providing a minimal extension for non-transferable NFTs. Unlike standard ERC-721 tokens, which are designed for liquidity and transferability, Soulbound tokens are tied to a specific account or address, representing non-transferable credentials, memberships, or identities. This standard defines a simple boolean interface, 'locked', which prevents token movement, ensuring that the association between the 'soul' (the address) and the token remains permanent. This technical paper outlines the rationale for non-transferability, discussing applications such as educational certifications, voting power, and social reputation tracking. By providing a low-friction implementation, ERC-5192 enables developers to create identity-based applications that are secure, verifiable, and natively compatible with existing token infrastructure, effectively expanding the utility of blockchain beyond speculative financial assets.

Key Findings

  • 1Non-transferability is achieved through a simple and gas-efficient interface extension.
  • 2Soulbound tokens provide a basis for decentralized identity and reputation systems.
  • 3The standard is backwards-compatible with ERC-721 token standards.
  • 4It addresses the specific technical need for binding digital assets to a unique identity.

Topics

soulboundidentityerc-5192ethereumnon-transferablecredentials
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Citation

Tim Daubenschütz (2022). ERC-5192: Minimal Soulbound NFTs. Ethereum Improvement Proposals. https://eips.ethereum.org/EIPS/eip-5192

BibTeX

@misc{erc51922022,
  title = {ERC-5192: Minimal Soulbound NFTs},
  author = {Tim Daubenschütz},
  year = {2022},
  howpublished = {\url{https://eips.ethereum.org/EIPS/eip-5192}},
}

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