Worldcoin,theSamAltman-backeddigitalidentityinitiative,announcedamajorrebrandasWorldandunveiledambitiousplanstogrowitsuserbaseto1billionpeopleduringakeynoteaddressonOct.17.
Thekeynote,ledbyco-foundersAltmanandAlexBlania,markedasignificantshiftintheproject’strajectoryafteritannouncedaseriesofkeyupdatesdesignedtodriveglobaladoptionofitsdecentralizedidentityplatform.
TheupdatesincludedthelaunchofWorldChain,anEthereum-securedLayer2blockchain,andtheunveilingofanewversionoftheproject’sbiometricOrbdevices.
Acceleratinggrowth
TherebrandinghighlightsWorldNetwork’sevolvingmission,transitioningfromitsoriginalidentityverificationmodeltoabroader,moredecentralizednetwork.
With15millionuserscurrently,including7millionverifiedthroughitsOrbtechnology,theplatformhassetitssightsondramaticallyincreasingthatnumberasitlookstoonboardabillionverifiedhumanusers.
Blania,whoisalsotheCEOofToolsforHumanity,notedthattheprojectisnowfocusedonscalabilityanddecentralization.Hesaid:
“Today,wearetakingthenextbigstepinourmission—scalingtheWorldNetworktoreach1billionusers.”
World’snewversionoftheOrb,whichscansauser’siristoverifytheiridentity,iscentraltotheproject’sambitiontogrowitsglobalfootprint.BlaniasaidWorldwilltripleitsproductioncapacityandexpandintonewcountries,includingflagshiplocationsinBuenosAiresandMexicoCity.
TheupdatedOrbswillbemadeavailableinpublicspacessuchascafesandwillevenbedeliverableondemand,partofawiderefforttomakeverificationmoreaccessible.TherolloutofthesenewOrbsisexpectedbyspring2025.
WorldChainanddigitalidentity
Alongsidetheexpansionofitsbiometriccapabilities,WorldofficiallylaunchedWorldChain,aLayer2blockchainbuiltontheEthereumnetwork.
Theblockchainisdesignedtosupportmillionsofusers.Onitsfirstday,theprojectclaimed15millionregistrationsglobally.Accordingtothecompany,thismakesWorldChainoneofthelargesthumanverificationblockchainsinexistence.
TheWorldApp,acentralcomponentoftheproject,isbeingupdatedtoVersion3.0.ThisupdatewillallowuserstomanagetheirWorldIDcredentialsandaccessotherservices,suchasWorldPay,adecentralizedpaymentsystem,andWorldChat,amessagingtool.
TheappwillalsointroducegamesandamessagingsystemcalledWorldChattofurtherengageusersandonboardmoreparticipants.Altman,whoalsoleadsOpenAI,saidWorldaimstobe“theanonymoushumanlayerfortheinternet,”helpingpeopledistinguishthemselvesfromAIactors.
HefurtheremphasizedthegrowingimportanceofhumanidentityverificationasAIcontinuestoadvance.AccordingtotheOpenAICEO:
“AsAIbecomesmoreintegratedintoourlives,havingatrustedhumanverificationlayeriscritical.”
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