Worldcoin Launches Dev Preview for Digital ID Blockchain

Worldcoin has officially launched the developer preview of its World Chain blockchain, setting an important milestone as it seeks to build a global digital identity platform.

The aim is to give developers an opportunity to play around with the blockchain and provide feedback ahead of the launch of the World Chain mainnet later this summer. A mainnet is the fully operational and live version of a blockchain network, in which real transactions occur and have actual value.

The blockchain-based digital ID system is closely tied to Worldcoin’s cryptocurrency project, which issues tokens to users who register their iris biometrics in order to prove that they are unique human beings, and not bots. Worldcoin has been enrolling users around the world, with the biometric onboarding facilitated by iris-scanning devices called “Orbs”.

Actual interactions on the World Chain are meant to be carried out through the World ID app, which currently has over 10 million users in total.

In terms of what that will look like, Worldcoin explained in a blog post that “World Chain will provide a platform for developers to offer users in Europe, Latin America, Asia, Africa and beyond access to a variety of applications that can improve their lives,” including “interesting use cases around stablecoin finance, international remittances, commerce and ways to take advantage of a proof of humanness for users in these regions especially.”

Tools for Humanity, which built the World App and is a key contributor to the Worldcoin project, recently announced the appointment of key executives to oversee parts of the digital ID platform. Among them are former Apple, Meta, and Tesla executive Rich Heley, who will be in charge of the Orbs as Chief Device Officer, and former Google executive Ajay Patel, who has been named Head of World ID.

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July 9, 2024 – by Alex Perala