 | |
| Denominations | |
|---|---|
| Code | WLD |
| Development | |
| White paper | whitepaper |
| Developer(s) | Tools for Humanity |
| Website | |
| Website | world |
World Network, originally Worldcoin, is a for-profit cryptocurrency project that uses iris biometrics developed by San Francisco- and Berlin-based Tools for Humanity. Founded in 2019 by OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman, Max Novendstern, and Alex Blania, it has accumulated $250 million in funding from venture capital firms Andreessen Horowitz and Khosla Ventures, as well as from Reid Hoffman.[1][2][3][4]
Worldcoin's business is to provide a reliable way to authenticate humans online, which it calls World ID. It attempts to recruit new users to join its network by getting their iris scanned using Worldcoin's orb-shaped iris scanner in return for some WLD tokens. This has caused privacy concerns in multiple countries.
- ^ Mascellino, Alessandro (February 13, 2023). "Iris biometrics crypto project Worldcoin reportedly looks for $120M investment | Biometric Update". www.biometricupdate.com. Archived from the original on April 18, 2023. Retrieved April 14, 2023.
- ^ Nieva, Richard; Sethi, Aman (April 21, 2022). "Worldcoin Promised Free Crypto If They Scanned Their Eyeballs With "The Orb." Now They Feel Robbed". BuzzFeed News. Archived from the original on November 17, 2023. Retrieved May 27, 2023.
- ^ Guo, Eileen; Renaldi, Adi (April 6, 2022). "Deception, exploited workers, and cash handouts: How Worldcoin recruited its first half a million test users". MIT Technology Review. Archived from the original on April 6, 2022. Retrieved May 27, 2023.
- ^ "You Can Get This Free Crypto—If the 'Orb' Scans Your Eye". Wired. October 21, 2021. Archived from the original on June 29, 2023.