Alex Blania, CEO of Tools for Humanity shared that Worldcoin is focused on distributing iris-scanning Orbs to expand its project and increase its usefulness.
Worldcoin devices everywhere
Worldcoin was co-founded by Blania and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, to provide World IDs to individuals who scan their irises using an Orb device.
This process serves as proof of humanity and is designed to protect people from potential negative effects of artificial intelligence.
Worldcoin has over 6.5 million verified World IDs across more than 160 countries, or at least, according to their website.
This mass distribution is an important factor, as it not only helps in building a user base but also in establishing trust and utility for the service.
Worldcoin’s new network, the World Chain
Speaking at the Korea Blockchain Week 2024 event in Seoul, Blania mentioned that Worldcoin will soon reveal exciting updates about its next-generation Orb device, which will include changes to how these devices operate.
He hinted that these adjustments could have a big impact on the project’s effectiveness. Worldcoin is in discussions with players in South Korea’s gaming industry for possible partnerships.
The project is also preparing to launch its own Layer-2 network, called World Chain, and has partnered with blockchain development firms like Hyperlane and Moralis to enhance user experience on the new mainnet.
Worldcoin’s regulatory challenges, and user criticism
Their ambitions are huge, but Worldcoin faces regulatory challenges in various regions, including Colombia, Spain, and South Korea, where concerns have been raised about the collection of iris data and the conncted privacy issues, both from authorities and the crypto community.
In May, Hong Kong authorities ordered Worldcoin to stop its local operations.
Damien Kieran, the Chief Privacy Officer at Tools for Humanity, stated that the technology used by Worldcoin is advanced in terms of privacy protection, but it requires extensive education for regulators.
Kieran also noted that the company is working with these authorities to clarify their practices and make necessary adjustments.
Earlier this year, Worldcoin introduced updates that give users more control over their scanned iris data, which may help address some of these regulatory concerns.
