394. Patrick Moynihan. Identity, Trust, Control.
Patrick Moynihan
January 15, 2026
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In this episode, Patrick Moynihan, a 20-year entrepreneur and president and co-founder of Tracer Labs, shares how his company is developing Trust ID, a portable, user-owned digital identity that aims to transform how consent, privacy, and attribution are handled across the internet.
What began as an idea for a referral tracking engine evolved into a broader vision: solving the friction of constant cookie pop-ups, the uncertainty of attribution, and the lack of user control in today’s online ecosystem.
The conversation underscores a pivotal shift: moving away from platform-controlled data toward a model where individuals truly own their digital identities, while brands gain cleaner insights and more trustworthy attribution. Trust ID could mark the beginning of a new standard for privacy, consent, and digital trust.
Some discussion points include:
The problem with today’s internet: Cookie consent banners create unnecessary friction, while bots distort attribution signals and inflate costs for brands.
Trust ID’s solution: A permanent, user-owned digital identity that works across platforms, letting people control and revoke consent on a per-site basis, while also embedding a digital wallet.
Blockchain backbone: Built on a customized Besu Hyperledger chain, the system offers enterprise-grade security, though the blockchain itself remains invisible to the user.
Benefits for brands: Trust ID reduces data liability by shifting ownership to the user, cleans up messy CRMs, and allows more accurate attribution without reliance on third-party cookies.
Consumer empowerment: Users can monetize their own zero- and first-party data by sharing information directly with trusted brands, while maintaining privacy.
Scalability and adoption: From large enterprises to small businesses, implementation requires minimal effort—often just a snippet of code—and demand is growing rapidly.
Future potential: Plans include enabling parents to create protected IDs for children and developing verified digital agents capable of autonomous transactions.
Patrick Moynihan, President and Co-Founder of Tracer Labs, Inc., is revolutionizing the internet with Trust ID, a trusted digital identity and quantum-ready wallet empowering 6 billion users. Tackling fraud and friction, he drives Tracer’s vision to establish a user-owned identity layer, drawing on his expertise in scaling tech ventures and shaping policy to guide the platform from concept to reality. As a dynamic leader, he oversees strategy and growth, fostering innovation to address the web’s broken state—where data silos, fake traffic, and compliance challenges hinder progress. With a knack for thriving in chaos, honed as the youngest of 12 and father of five, Patrick motivates his team to solve the internet’s biggest problems, as showcased at trustid.life.
Tracer Labs, Inc. is a pioneering technology company dedicated to revolutionizing the internet by building the universal trust layer through its innovative Trust ID platform. Founded by a powerhouse team with extensive experience from leading tech giants like IBM, Microsoft, and Meta, Tracer Labs aims to empower 6 billion internet users with a permanent, portable digital identity and wallet. With a mission to create the world’s largest and most trusted network for verified digital identity, the company leverages cutting-edge technology, including 3 patents pending and a Trust ID trademark, alongside strategic partnerships with industry leaders. Targeting a $11.4T market opportunity, Tracer Labs is poised for rapid growth, driven by a scalable SaaS model and native infrastructure for Solana Labs.
Trust ID, developed by Tracer Labs, Inc., is a groundbreaking solution designed to serve as the identity layer for the internet. It provides 6 billion internet users with a trusted, portable digital identity and wallet for life, eliminating the friction of re-verification and enhancing authenticity in AI-mediated interactions. Addressing the broken state of the internet—marked by $100B in wasted ad spend and $567B in lost sales annually—Trust ID offers a federated identity network that boosts conversion rates by 500x, ensures 100% uptime since 2022, and unlocks a $11.4T opportunity across digital advertising, P2P payments, and agentic commerce. With undeniable momentum from contracts with major brands and a focus on privacy compliance, Trust ID is set to redefine trust and personalization online.
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Patrick Moynihan
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