Jack Paul 
The scale of fake job applications is becoming a serious problem
I think we’re seeing something pretty concerning in hiring right now. According to Gartner, by 2028, maybe one in four candidate profiles could be fake. That’s a staggering number when you really think about it. The current hiring system wasn’t built for this level of artificial credibility.
What’s happening is that AI isn’t just helping people write better applications anymore. It’s creating entire synthetic identities. These fake profiles come with AI-generated headshots, fabricated work histories, and references that sound more polished than anything a real person would write. The problem is that our verification methods haven’t kept pace with this technology.
Remote work and crypto sectors face particular risks
For industries like crypto that operate remotely and move quickly, the risks are even higher. When someone can appear from nowhere, collect payments, and disappear behind a pseudonymous identity, the cost of a bad hire isn’t just wasted salary. It can become a security vulnerability. We’ve already seen treasury drains and grant exploits that started with fake identities, and that was before AI made creating those identities much easier.
Some people suggest better fraud detection tools or stricter background checks as solutions. But the traditional system is built on self-reported data, and that data is becoming increasingly unreliable. Resumes can be inflated, degrees can be purchased, and now AI can polish everything into something that looks legitimate.
Moving toward proof-based professional reputation
Perhaps the only real solution is shifting from self-reported claims to proof-based professional reputation. I don’t mean surveillance or exposing someone’s entire history. I mean creating systems where people can verify what they’ve actually done without oversharing.
This is where verifiable credentials and on-chain proof of contribution could matter. Imagine being able to privately confirm that someone worked where they claimed, completed a course, or contributed to a project without relying on potentially fake screenshots or rehearsed references. Zero-knowledge proofs could make this possible—proof without revealing unnecessary information.
The market implications of verifiable reputation
If this transition happens, the hiring landscape could change significantly. Platforms that rely on volume-based matching might become less relevant as companies move toward systems that filter based on verified capability. Compensation structures could shift too, with high-trust contributors potentially commanding better rates without needing intermediaries.
On the other hand, the cost of faking your way into an industry would increase dramatically. That’s kind of the point, really. The AI-generated application is just a symptom of a deeper problem: we’ve allowed unverifiable claims to become the foundation of hiring.
If Gartner’s prediction holds true, companies won’t just be overwhelmed by fake applications. They might stop trusting the hiring system entirely. And when trust disappears, opportunities disappear with it. The future of hiring might not require more polished language or better screening tools. It might require actual proof of what people have done.