Currently in beta, the Worldcoin protocol is intended to be the world’s largest identity and financial public network, open to everyone regardless of their country, background or economic status. Read more about the protocol in the “What is Worldcoin?” blog.
How it works:
To sign up for World ID, follow these three steps:
Worldcoin Operators are currently onboarding in additional locations. Please continue to check back regularly in the World App if a Worldcoin Operator is not immediately available near you.
The Orb is an imaging device that verifies you are a real and unique person who has not previously received a World ID. It is necessary because it is the only secure way of reliably determining uniqueness and personhood while also preserving privacy. Additional information about the Orb can be found on the Worldcoin blog here.
The Orb checks that an individual is real and is unique, and has not previously received a World ID. It does this by capturing and processing images of an individual and their unique iris pattern. Since no two people have the same iris pattern and these patterns are very hard to fake, the Orb can accurately tell people apart from one another without having to collect any other information about them—not even their name. More details about the Orb and why biometrics are needed to prove uniqueness and humanness are outlined in a post on the Worldcoin blog here.
No. The Orb complies with the specifications set forth in the international standard which includes eye safety (IEC-62741). The technology the Orb uses to verify uniqueness and personhood is open to the public for review and input. The Worldcoin community (including the Worldcoin Foundation) will continue working to ensure safety and privacy are at the center of all advancements.
No. Once launched, WLD will be available to anyone located in a place where WLD is available.*
*Worldcoin tokens are not intended to be available to people in the United States or other restricted territories. More details can be found in the Worldcoin Terms of Use.
Worldcoin Operators are individuals who operate Orbs all around the world and can earn Worldcoin or fiat currency by introducing Worldcoin to their communities and helping people securely sign up for World ID via the Orb. The Operators are not employees of the Worldcoin Foundation or Tools for Humanity, and run their operations independently while being expected to follow a strict Code of Conduct that emphasizes complying with laws and protecting the public. Learn more about Worldcoin Operators and how to become one from this post on the Worldcoin blog.
Easily identifiable by their branded clothing, Worldcoin Operator team members can be seen throughout the community. These individuals facilitate the World ID sign-up process by helping users download the World App, assisting in account set up, verifying individuals for uniqueness via the Orb and providing educational resources regarding digital currencies. Worldcoin also provides 24/7 support to users through an online help center and live customer support agents.
Download the App to locate a Worldcoin Operator near you.
Worldcoin Operators are currently onboarding in additional locations. Please continue to check back regularly in the World App if a Worldcoin Operator is not immediately available near you.
Visit the Worldcoin Operator application here and apply!
Worldcoin Operators are currently available in a limited number of locations, but Worldcoin plans to offer additional locations in the future.
Worldcoin is expected to launch during the first half of 2023. The exact launch date will be determined by the leadership of the Worldcoin Foundation, which is charged with supporting the protocol and growing the Worldcoin community until the community becomes self-sufficient. The launch date will be set based on when the network and early applications can launch responsibly, in a way that is best for users and the long-term mission of the public utility.
“Launch” is the moment when the Worldcoin protocol goes “live,” leaving beta and entering a production-grade state. This means that users can use the protocol to do things like transmit and store value on the network and participate in applications running on the network.
No personal data must be shared for a user to download the World App.
Individuals who want to receive a World ID are not required to share their name, phone number, email address, or home address. Images collected by the Orb are used to generate a unique iris code. By default these images are immediately deleted once the iris code is created, unless the user opts in to Data Custody. Opting into Data Custody will decrease the probability and frequency of the user’s need to reverify their World ID as the iris code algorithms change. The World ID sign up process is only intended to verify an individual’s uniqueness - i.e., that they have not previously signed up and received a World ID.
Worldcoin users may choose to share additional data, but this is never required. As an example, a user may provide their email address to sign up for the Worldcoin newsletter.
Importantly, the Worldcoin Foundation and its initial contributor Tools for Humanity do not, and never will, sell anyone’s personal data, including biometric data.
To learn more about the Worldcoin approach to data collection, handling and privacy, visit the protocol’s privacy page here or the Worldcoin blog.
The Worldcoin Foundation and its contributor Tools for Humanity do not and never will share any personal data (including biometric data) with anyone who is not working on or assisting with the Worldcoin project. Read more about Worldcoin’s commitments to privacy in the Privacy Notice and the Worldcoin blog.
No. The Worldcoin Foundation and its contributor Tools for Humanity never have and never will sell any personal data. Read more about the Worldcoin approach to data collection, handling and privacy in the Privacy Notice and the Worldcoin blog.
Yes, any personal data shared with Worldcoin is encrypted in transit and at rest. Read more about the Worldcoin approach to data collection, handling and privacy in the Worldcoin Privacy Notice.
Worldcoin is fully compliant with all laws and regulations governing biometric data collection and data transfer, including Europe’s General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”). Worldcoin never collects any biometric data from any user without that user’s explicit consent. Worldcoin’s Biometric Data Consent Form clearly describes its purposes in this area.
Further, minors are not allowed to participate in the project. More details can be found in the Worldcoin Terms of Use.
In the European Union, Tools for Humanity is under the supervision of the Bavarian State Office for Data Protection Supervision (Bayerisches Landesamt für Datenschutz). Read more about the Worldcoin approach to data collection, handling and privacy in the Privacy Notice and the Worldcoin blog.
Worldcoin is not a Virtual Asset Service Provider (“VASP”) or another similar classification. When a user downloads the World App and is verified as a unique person at an Orb, they are provided with two separate virtual tools: (1) a World ID, a privacy-preserving digital identity, and (2) a self-custodial wallet. Check out this blog for more information on self-custodial vs. custodial wallets. As a self-custodial wallet provider, Worldcoin does not provide exchange services and does not hold custody of any crypto assets or funds.
Worldcoin is built on the Ethereum blockchain utilizing both layer 1 and layer 2 technologies for efficiency. On September 15, 2022 the Ethereum blockchain underwent “the merge,” a transition that reduced the energy used in operating the Ethereum blockchain by more than 99.95% overnight. For more information on the merge, please see Ethereum’s blog.
Worldcoin is a decentralized open source protocol supported by a global community of developers, economists and technologists committed to expanding participation in, and access to, the global digital economy. It is intended to become a public network, with ownership by everyone.
The Worldcoin Foundation is the initial steward of the protocol, and will support and grow the Worldcoin community until it becomes self-sufficient. It will do this by facilitating decentralization of the project over time consistent with Worldcoin’s goals and mission-focused ethos.
Tools for Humanity (TFH) is a global technology company established to accelerate the transition towards a more just economic system. It led the initial development of Worldcoin and operates the World App, but it has no other affiliation with and is governed entirely independently of the Worldcoin Foundation. Over time, TFH will continue to develop important tools supporting Worldcoin and beyond. Tools for Humanity Corporation is a Delaware (U.S.) corporation headquartered in San Francisco, California. It has a wholly-owned subsidiary, Tools for Humanity GmbH based in Erlangen, Bavaria, Germany. TFH has offices in San Francisco, Erlangen, and Berlin.
Because Worldcoin is an open-source protocol, it is supported by a global community of developers, individuals, economists and technologists. Anyone can use their skills to contribute to Worldcoin, by engaging on the Worldcoin GitHub, becoming a Worldcoin Operator, or later pursuing a grant from the Worldcoin Foundation. Individuals interested in specifically working at the Worldcoin Foundation or joining contributor Tools for Humanity should visit the Worldcoin careers page for information regarding open positions.