The Worldcoin Foundation has made significant announcements today, stating that the Worldcoin project has successfully migrated to the OP Mainnet protocol. Additionally, they have revealed ambitious plans to expand Orb sign-ups for World ID in over 35 cities across 20 countries worldwide. To complement these developments, the World ID SDK has been released. Furthermore, the Foundation’s subsidiary, World Assets Ltd., has minted and made available the Worldcoin token (WLD) to all eligible beta participants, and it is now fully operational for transactions on the blockchain.
Tools for Humanity (TFH), a technology company building on the Worldcoin network, also today introduced a new release of World App, the first protocol-compatible wallet that currently allows individuals to reserve their share of the WLD digital currency, where laws allow.
“In the age of AI, the need for proof of personhood is no longer a topic of serious debate; instead, the critical question is whether or not the proof of personhood solutions we have can be privacy-first, decentralized and maximally inclusive,” said Worldcoin project co-founder and TFH CEO, Alex Blania, speaking from Berlin, Germany. “Through its unique technology, Worldcoin aims to provide anyone in the world, regardless of background, geography or income, access to the growing digital and global economy in a privacy preserving and decentralized way. These protocol-level aims align closely with ours for World App.”
It is estimated that 4.4. billion people worldwide lack a legal, digitally-verifiable identity. As a result, participation in the global economy and access to critical services like government aid, financial services and healthcare are drastically limited. Sam Altman, Alex Blania and Max Novendstern conceived of the Worldcoin project with the ambition of equitably increasing economic participation and improving access to essential services in a way that’s privacy-preserving, decentralized, open source and centered around humanness.
Wangechi Mwangi, Worldcoin Market Manager, East Africa noted,” “We are thrilled to launch the Worldcoin protocol today, with 35+ cities and 20 countries as early adopters. Through its unique technology, Worldcoin aims to provide anyone in the world, regardless of background, geography or income, access to the growing digital and global economy in a privacy preserving and decentralized way. A connected mobile money infrastructure has been transformational to Kenya’s economic growth, giving an indication of the immense potential of a globally connected financial and identity network in the age of AI. Today marks a significant step forward along the path towards a more human internet and shared global economy.”
The Worldcoin protocol’s decentralized identity and financial network was designed to unlock and equitably distribute the potentially massive economic implications of AI. If successful, the project could drastically increase economic opportunity, scale a reliable approach for distinguishing humans from AI online while preserving privacy, enabling global democratic processes and eventually providing a potential foundation for AI-funded universal basic income (UBI). The protocol currently consists of:
- World ID, a privacy-preserving digital identity designed to help solve important, identity-based challenges, including proving an individual’s unique personhood
- Worldcoin token (WLD), the first digital currency to be freely distributed to people just
for being a unique human* World App, the first World ID-compatible app, developed and operated by Tools for Humanity, that enables payment, purchases and transfers globally using digital assets and fiat-backed stablecoins