A guide to the Worldcoin Foundation’s first grants program to advance the Worldcoin Tech Tree, including info and links to applications.

Eligibility for Worldcoin (WLD) tokens is restricted based on geography, age, and other factors. WLD are not intended to be available to U.S. residents. For details, go to: www.worldcoin.org/tos. Crypto products can be highly risky. Important User Information can be found at www.worldcoin.org/risks.

The above content speaks only as of the date indicated. Further, it is subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions, and so may be incorrect and may change without notice. A full disclaimer can be found in our Terms of Use and Important User Information can be found on our Risks page.

Worldcoin Community Grants Program Wave0 launches

Outlining a path to a permissionless protocol owned and governed by all of humanity.

The goal of the Worldcoin project is to ingrain humanness and financial equitability in the global digital infrastructure. Grand challenges in the next decade are global income inequality, governance of existential risks and distinguishing humans from artificial intelligence. Humanity needs a protocol to solve these challenges. Worldcoin aims to be this protocol.

To succeed, Worldcoin must grow beyond its current community, to be built, owned and governed by all the people. You can join the community and help make the protocol robust by:

- joining the Community Grants Program
- reading the Worldcoin Whitepaper
- reviewing the Worldcoin Tech Tree

To become part of the global digital infrastructure, Worldcoin must be as robust, widespread and neutral as the internet itself. Any lesser standard is insufficient to effectively address the grand challenges. This has been a priority from day one, and much has already been achieved. To understand the challenges and opportunities associated with advancing Worldcoin, the goal itself needs to be defined more concretely.

Outlining a path to a permissionless protocol owned and governed by all of humanity

Advancing Decentralization

Answers to some of the most frequently asked questions relating to privacy and the Worldcoin project.

The above content speaks only as of the date indicated. Further, it is subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions, and so may be incorrect and may change without notice. A full disclaimer can be found in our Terms of Use and Important User Information can be found on our Risks page.

Worldcoin Privacy FAQs

World ID verifications have jumped from under a million to more than 2.5 million in less than 11 months.

Interest in World ID continues to grow as Iberia passes 500K verifications

Learn about Worldcoin grants and the role they play in increasing access to global financial services. 

The above content speaks only as of the date indicated. Further, it is subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions, and so may be incorrect and may change without notice. A full disclaimer can be found in our Terms of Use and Important User Information can be found on our Risks page.

How grants connect to the Worldcoin mission and global adoption of World ID 

Tools for Humanity and Ramp have announced an off-ramp agreement to help give World App holders more financial options.

Off-ramp agreement with Ramp increases World App users’ financial options

Proof of personhood offers significant benefits in a world where up to 90% of all content online will soon be generated by AI.

The benefits of proof of personhood by the numbers

Recent Worldcoin meetups in Hong Kong, Seoul, Singapore and Tokyo are helping pave the way for expanded World ID verifications in Asia.

Learnings from Asia in advance of new Worldcoin launches

Starting in November, World App will be available in additional languages and localized currencies as monthly active users top 1 million.

World App releases localized languages and currencies to meet global growth

According to recent data shared by TFH, World App is now one of the most downloaded and transacted-on crypto wallets in the world.

World App tops 4 million downloads as active users more than double worldwide

There is currently no global mechanism for people to digitally verify their humanness and uniqueness. Worldcoin wants to change that.

Why Worldcoin doesn’t want to know who you are, just that you’re unique

The Worldcoin project is increasing World ID access in Germany as the need for proof of personhood becomes more evident worldwide. 

Worldcoin increases access to cutting edge proof of personhood tech in Germany

Since the launch of the WLD token, more than 800K new and existing Orb-verified users have claimed around 34M WLD in free user grants.

An update: Circulating supply evolution and renewal of market maker loan agreements

The update introduces a new state bridge architecture that saves gas and enables anyone to create World ID bridges for any EVM compatible chain.

New state bridge update enables permissionless integration with World ID

If the Worldcoin project is successful, it could improve many digital interactions that are currently not possible on a global scale.

Five important potential applications of Worldcoin

More than 200K people have verified their World ID in Chile as demand grows following the Worldcoin project launch in July.

World ID sign-ups in Chile exceed 1% of the population

The update combines techniques such as batching and compression to eliminate a substantial portion of L1 gas fees.

New World App update slashes load on Optimism by two thirds

Iris codes help make it possible for biometrics to be used to securely verify an individual’s uniqueness while preserving privacy.

What is an iris code, and how does it preserve privacy?

If you haven’t verified your World ID yet, you can still reserve WLD token grants and redeem them by visiting an Orb within 12 months.

How to reserve and redeem WLD tokens

The teams contributing to Worldcoin are hitting the road to meet with regulators and other members of the growing international community.

International engagement scales to meet global interest in Worldcoin

In August, 9.5K Argentinians verified their World ID in a single day, equivalent to one verified human in Argentina every 9 seconds.

Demand for World ID leads to single day sign-up record in crypto-forward Argentina

Answers to important questions about the intentions behind Worldcoin, the project’s compliance with local laws and more.

Eligibility for Worldcoin (WLD) tokens is restricted based on geography, age, and other factors. WLD are not intended to be available to U.S. residents. For details, go to: www.worldcoin.org/tos. Crypto products can be highly risky. Important User Information can be found at www.worldcoin.org/risks.

Regulatory compliance, personal privacy and equitable access with Worldcoin

Learn about zero-knowledge proofs, Semaphore and how they help the World ID protocol enable anonymous actions.

Intro to zero-knowledge proofs, Semaphore and their application in World ID

The Worldcoin community is building a more human economic system, and developers can start building here.

How to build with Worldcoin

Following the Worldcoin project’s launch, new data is highlighting both the growth of the Worldcoin community and the global demand for World ID.

Launch week sets records for Worldcoin community, World ID sign-ups

Starting in April 2023, two separate security assessments were conducted on the Worldcoin protocol. Learn about the results. 

Worldcoin protocol security audit reports

Worldcoin aims to increase economic opportunity and enable global democratic processes in the Age of AI.

†Crypto products can be highly risky and their regulatory treatment is unsettled in many jurisdictions. There may be no regulatory recourse for any loss from transactions in WLD. Any value ascribed to WLD may change quickly and may be lost in its entirety. Further, the technologies comprising Worldcoin, including the WLD token, are experimental in nature. There is no guarantee that the network will operate as planned. For more information, visit www.worldcoin.org/risks. 

* Nothing herein constitutes an offer to sell, or the solicitation of an offer to buy, Worldcoin tokens (WLD). Nor does this content constitute investment advice. Holding, buying, or selling WLD may not be permitted where you live, and it is your responsibility to comply with all applicable laws. Worldcoin (WLD) tokens are not intended to be available to residents of the United States or certain other restricted territories. More details can be found at www.worldcoin.org/tos.

‡ World Assets Ltd. is solely responsible for the documentation located at whitepaper.worldcoin.org. The documentation has not been reviewed or approved by any competent authority in the BVI, the EU, or elsewhere. 

Worldcoin project launches

The Worldcoin project is launching 1.5K Orbs in more than 35 cities worldwide, greatly increasing global access to World ID.

The above content speaks only as of the date indicated.  Further, it is subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions, and so may be incorrect and may change without notice. A full disclaimer can be found in our Terms of Use and Important User Information can be found on our Risks page.

Worldcoin begins rollout of 1.5K Orbs to meet global demand for World ID

Introducing Worldcoin: A letter from Alex Blania and Sam Altman

Starting today, the World ID SDK is publicly available to developers everywhere, giving builders a powerful solution for protecting against bots.

The wait is over: Worldcoin’s World ID SDK now publicly available

Key pieces of the Worldcoin technology stack have been migrated to OP Mainnet, and user migration is underway.

Worldcoin completes migration to OP Mainnet

All about World App: What is it, what can you do with it and what makes it different from other digital wallets? 

World App FAQs

Worldcoin has hit another milestone, passing 2 million World ID sign-ups in less than half the time it took to reach the first million.

Worldcoin passes 2 million World ID sign-ups as demand increases

The integration of World ID reinforces Talent Protocol’s commitment to ensuring a bot-free, human-first community.

Talent Protocol becomes first web3 platform to integrate World ID in Europe

Worldcoin is expanding World ID access to another major Spanish city and joins two of Spain’s leading tech associations.

Worldcoin expands World ID access in Spain in response to AI boom

Worldcoin has expanded World ID access to include the EU’s largest economy, Germany, as adoption of AI increases worldwide.

The above content speaks only as of the date indicated. Further, it is subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions, and so may be incorrect and may change without notice. A full Disclaimer can be found in our Terms of Use.

Worldcoin launches World ID sign-ups in EU’s largest economy, Germany

The integration brings together millions of verified World ID holders with tens of thousands of apps that use Auth0.

“Sign in with Worldcoin” is now available on Okta’s Auth0 Marketplace

What are iris biometrics, how do they work and what’s the difference between using them for 1-to-1 authentication vs. 1-to-N verification?

A look at iris biometrics: From Optic ID to World ID

TFH co-founders Sam Altman and Alex Blania sat down in Seoul to discuss and answer questions about the Worldcoin project.

Key takeaways from Worldcoin’s Seoul meet up with
Sam Altman
and Alex Blania

What is the Orb? How is it used? Is it secure? Find answers to all of your most frequently asked questions about the Orb here.

The Orb FAQs

Iris recognition inference system

The three symbols that make up the Worldcoin logo combine to convey a simple message: the global economy belongs to everyone.

The story behind the new Worldcoin logo

What is World ID? How is it issued? Is it linked to biometric data? Find the answers to the most common World ID FAQs here.

World ID FAQs

The World App ecosystem is made up of open protocols and APIs combined into a seamless and easy to use app. 

* Worldcoin tokens are not intended to be available to individuals or companies who are residents of, or are located, incorporated or have a registered agent in, the United States or other restricted territories.

Composability on World App:
The protocols powering Worldcoin’s first wallet

Learn how to download and use World App, as well as how to sign up for your verified World ID.

How to sign up for World ID and use World App

As a first step, World ID will be available on OP Mainnet, followed by World App. 

Worldcoin commits to Optimism’s Superchain vision ahead of mainnet launch

World App is the first Worldcoin wallet, designed to bring digital identity and global finance to everyone.

World App, the first wallet for the Worldcoin ecosystem, is launching today. It’s designed to be friendly, and it supports private digital identity and a new financial system. You can use it to authenticate with World ID to prove you’re a real person, get your Worldcoin tokens and send digital money anywhere.

After extensive development and beta testing in a limited number of countries, we’re excited to share Phase I of World App and to make it globally available for the first time. Over time, it will evolve into a toolkit to empower individuals in the Age of AI, enabling the usage of proof of personhood, the equitable global distribution of digital currencies and ultimately a path to AI-funded UBI.

Worldcoin-app-web-globe-animation.mp4

The first Worldcoin wallet, designed to bring digital identity & global finance to all.

Introducing
World App

The Orb is going on a world tour to help more people sign up for World ID. Find out where to find one.

The Worldcoin Orb is going on tour globally.
Here’s where to find one

When it came to designing the Orb for Worldcoin, the team at TFH had one goal in mind: It must be simple enough to speak to everyone.

Designing the Orb:
The universal value of simplicity

Find out what happened when the Orb made its first visit to the Japanese capital.

Hackathon recap:
The Worldcoin Orb visits Japan

Iris feature extraction with 2D Gabor wavelets

As AI advances, the ability to identify human-created online content is becoming a necessity. That’s where PoP comes in.

Proof of personhood:
What it is and why it’s needed

Worldcoin is coming to ETHGlobal Tokyo, the first in a series of collaborative events with ETHGlobal to take place throughout 2023.

Worldcoin and ETHGlobal:
The road to Tokyo

From their higher entropy to their inclusiveness, privacy-preserving iris biometrics are the key to proving personhood at a global scale.

All about entropy:
Why irises beat faces and fingerprints for proving personhood

A path to an open and permissionless identity protocol.

The Worldcoin project is initiating an open and permissionless identity protocol called World ID. It empowers individuals to verify their humanness online while maintaining their anonymity through zero-knowledge proofs. Advancements in AI make it difficult to distinguish between AI and humans on the internet, highlighting a need for authentic human recognition and verification. To help address this, individuals can receive a future-proof unique human credential through a secure biometric device in a privacy-preserving manner. Importantly, this enables a path to AI-funded non-state UBI and the equitable global distribution of digital currencies. The project's early contributors have developed initial versions of a hardware device, a mobile client, and a deployment mechanism—all of which will gradually become decentralized. World ID will ultimately enable the protocol to be governed by the people, ensuring that the protocol benefits everyone.

"participants in the study could only distinguish between human or AI text with 50-52% accuracy, about the same random chance as a coin flip."; https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2208839120

https://cyberlaw.stanford.edu/sites/default/files/FilteringOutTheBotsUnique2017NetNeutralityComments1024Update.pdf

Facial geometry mapping and audio style transfer facilitate digital impersonation via audio and video deep fakes. Notably, in 2022, Vitali Klitschko, the mayor of Kyiv, was impersonated by a deep fake. The attacker managed to conduct video conferences with several mayors of European capitals for up to 15 minutes. Some of the attacks were only uncovered days after the call. 

Democratic voting (one person one vote), quadratic voting, square root voting or any other weighting that requires the notion of a unique person see https://vitalik.ca/general/2021/08/16/voting3.html. Note that this is unlikely to replace the need to nevertheless prove relationships for certain applications.

Note that this doesn’t prevent users from creating a limited number of alternative accounts. Any platform could still allow several, but limited amounts of accounts to be created.

https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4105763

Note that the FPR (false positive rate of 1:N comparison against everyone who is enrolled) which can be approximated as N*FMR (false match rate for each individual 1:1 comparison) increases with the number of enrolled individuals. Therefore a false match rate of far beyond one in one billion is required to get to a global scale.

https://www.robots.ox.ac.uk/~az/lectures/est/iris.pdf

Although minor aging effects can be observed, they are negligible and considerably less significant compared to the variability within the image capture process (source). Employing optimized hardware and software can improve image capture consistency.

Humanness
in the Age of AI

Biometric performance at a billion person scale

World ID is a new privacy-first protocol that brings global proof of personhood to the internet.

Introducing World ID and SDK

Important information about some of the most common myths and misconceptions about the Worldcoin protocol.

Debunking the most common myths about Worldcoin

More than 120K people have signed up for Worldcoin in Portugal in advance of the mainnet launch scheduled for H1, 2023.

In Portugal, Worldcoin sign-ups surpass 1% of the population

An introduction to zero-knowledge machine learning (ZKML)

Take a first look at the decentralization measures underway at Worldcoin in the areas of governance, engineering and operations.

A primer on decentralization at Worldcoin

Privacy at Worldcoin: A Technical Deep Dive - Part I

Worldcoin is an open source protocol, or system, created to help give everyone access to the global economy. Here’s how it works.

What is Worldcoin, and how does it work?

Worldcoin Operators are a vital part of the Worldcoin ecosystem. But what exactly are they, and how can you become one? 

This content is provided for informational purposes only and should not be relied on as legal, business, investment, or tax advice. The content speaks only as of the date indicated. Any projections, estimates, forecasts, targets and/or opinions expressed in these materials are subject to change without notice. Certain information contained in here may have been obtained from third-party sources. While taken from sources believed to be reliable, Worldcoin has not independently verified such information and makes no representations as to its accuracy.

What is a Worldcoin Operator, and how can I become one?

The Orb is a biometric imaging device that privately and securely verifies an individual’s unique personhood. Here’s what that means.

Understanding the Orb and why Worldcoin uses biometrics

After years of R&D, we’re opening up the Orb to explain how it works and releasing corresponding hardware engineering files.

Explanatory Note: Tools for Humanity (TFH) led the initial research and development of the Worldcoin protocol, including the Orb. This year, prior to the launch of the decentralized network, the non-profit Worldcoin Foundation is taking over responsibility for facilitating participation in, and the continued development of, the protocol. The Worldcoin Foundation will continue to support and grow the Worldcoin community until it becomes self-sufficient, while TFH will support the Foundation, including by manufacturing and shipping Orbs. Currently in beta, Worldcoin expects to launch in the first half of 2023.

Opening the Orb: 
A look inside Worldcoin’s biometric imaging device

The first million sign-ups is an important milestone in Worldcoin’s mission to provide universal access to the global economy.

Worldcoin Tokens are not intended to be available to people or companies who are residents of, or are located, incorporated or have a registered agent in, the United States or other restricted territories. More details can be found in our Terms of Use.

Worldcoin has passed 1 million sign-ups.
Here’s what’s next

We believe that privacy is a fundamental human right. Learn about our state of the art privacy protections today and what’s ahead.

Solving for privacy:
Our approach to keeping information safe

Why Worldcoin Is Contributing to EIP-4844 development

Privacy-Preserving Proof-of-Personhood Protocol

Akarsh Sanghi, Alex Blania, Christian Brendel, Chris Waclawek, Dan Girshovich, Luis Wenus, Misha Wilcockson, Philipp Sippl, Philipp Strack, Remco Bloemen, Sam Altman, Sandro Herbig, Shravan Nageswaran, Sven Seuken, Shuby Deshpande, Tiago Sada, and the rest of the Worldcoin Team

scroll-video.mp4

anim12-final6.mov

An Internet for Humans: Proof-of-Personhood Explained

Who Watches the Watchmen? A Review of Subjective Approaches for Sybil-resistance in Proof of Personhood Protocols

Hard Problems in Cryptocurrency: Five Years Later

Digital identification: A key to inclusive growth

Counting the uncounted: 1.1 billion people without IDs

CAPTCHA: Using Hard AI Problems For Security

Using Human Cognitive Limitations to Enable New Systems

Probing the Uniqueness and Randomness of IrisCodes: Results From 200 Billion Iris Pair Comparisons

Roll_up / roll_back snark side chain ~17000 tps

Credible Neutrality As A Guiding Principle

How the Launch Works

Introducing Worldcoin

The thinking, ideas, and technology behind a more human economic system.

The Worldcoin Blog

Worldcoin Community Grants Program Wave0 launches

Worldcoin Community Grants Program Wave0 launches

Advancing Decentralization

Advancing Decentralization

Worldcoin Privacy FAQs

Worldcoin Privacy FAQs

Interest in World ID continues to grow as Iberia passes 500K verifications

Interest in World ID continues to grow as Iberia passes 500K verifications

How grants connect to the Worldcoin mission and global adoption of World ID

How grants connect to the Worldcoin mission and global adoption of World ID

Off-ramp agreement with Ramp increases World App users’ financial options

Off-ramp agreement with Ramp increases World App users’ financial options

The benefits of proof of personhood by the numbers

The benefits of proof of personhood by the numbers

Learnings from Asia in advance of new Worldcoin launches

Learnings from Asia in advance of new Worldcoin launches

World App releases localized languages and currencies to meet global growth

World App releases localized languages and currencies to meet global growth

World App tops 4 million downloads as active users more than double worldwide

World App tops 4 million downloads as active users more than double worldwide

Why Worldcoin doesn’t want to know who you are, just that you’re unique

Why Worldcoin doesn’t want to know who you are, just that you’re unique

Worldcoin increases access to cutting edge proof of personhood tech in Germany

Worldcoin increases access to cutting edge proof of personhood tech in Germany

Subscribe to the Worldcoin newsletter