Worldcoin, a startup founded by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, is advancing its “human-centric” approach to the Web3 space with the introduction of its new blockchain network, World Chain. On April 17, Worldcoin unveiled World Chain, an initiative that aims to prioritize human users, enhance efficiency, and promote real-world utility in Web3 applications.
Worldcoin has recently celebrated a significant milestone, surpassing 10 million World IDs created and 75 million completed transactions. This achievement highlights the rapid expansion of the project. The dedicated network has been specifically designed to scale alongside the broader Ethereum network as a layer 2 solution to meet the project’s requirements.
In a discussion with Cointelegraph, Tiago Sada, the head of operations at Worldcoin, shed light on the project’s intentions with its network and how it plans to place humans at the center. Sada explained that while World Chain would technically function similarly to other layer 2 solutions on Ethereum, its distinguishing factor is its focus on prioritizing humans over bots. Bot activity often leads to congestion on blockchains.
Sada elaborated on the typical scenario where every account competes for block space, with bots usually outbidding humans due to their speed. This results in networks becoming saturated with transactions for bots, leaving limited space for humans to participate. World Chain addresses this issue by favoring transactions completed by verified World ID holders.
Furthermore, Sada outlined how verified users will receive a free gas allowance, reducing friction for newcomers. The protocol aims to achieve a balance where bots and power users cover gas fees for casual users. The Worldcoin Foundation will provide an “allowance” to verified humans, making their monthly transactions gas-free.
The network aligns with Ethereum and collaborates with projects like Optimism and Base. Worldcoin is anticipating a full launch in the summer, preceded by a developer preview in the near future.
This announcement follows a series of changes implemented by the project, including strengthening privacy checks to enhance user data protection. Additionally, Worldcoin now restricts platform access to individuals over 18 years old and allows for the permanent deletion of a user’s iris code.
On March 22, Worldcoin made its orb software open-source and introduced a new “personal custody” privacy feature. These actions were taken in response to scrutiny from governments worldwide regarding privacy practices, resulting in temporary bans on operations in countries such as Portugal, Kenya, and Spain.
In response to the scrutiny, Sada stated that it is a natural process for a new protocol that is scaling at Worldcoin’s pace to face government intervention. He emphasized that it is the government’s responsibility to ensure the project’s claims are accurate, and he views this scrutiny as completely normal.
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