blockworks.co
Worldcoin, the crypto project co-created by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, announced that it’s expanding to Singapore.
“After the successful launch of World ID 2.0 and the open sourcing of the Worldcoin iris recognition pipeline in mid December, World ID verifications are now available in Singapore via the Orb, the project’s custom hardware device.”
People in Singapore can now access the project’s Orb, the iris-scanning device, in five locations.
In addition to Singapore, World ID verifications are now available in Sevilla and Bilbao.
“In South America, access to World ID verifications in Chile has recently expanded to Concepcion, Curico and Viña del Mar (joining Santiago), and Argentina just set a new national record with over 10K verifications in a single day. Across the Pacific in Japan, the city of Fukuoka on Kyushu Island joins new locations in Tokyo available for proof of personhood verification via World ID,” a blog post announcing the expansion said.
However, the company paused its services in India, France and Brazil, according to a report from TechCrunch.
“World App continues to experience broad adoption in India where thousands download the app each week. Orb-verified proof of personhood services have been temporarily scaled back as the protocol works to develop and roll out a bespoke, safe and orderly process that sufficiently meets the demand for World ID in India,” the Worldcoin Foundation told Blockworks.
Sources close to Worldcoin told Blockworks that the project hopes to relaunch in India in 2024.
Earlier in December, the company announced World ID 2.0, expanding on its “proof of personhood.”
The upgrade will bring “Apps, Levels, and a series of core improvements” to the protocol launched earlier this year.
The apps, according to a post announcing the upgrade earlier this month, work on certain services that allow for World ID integration, including Reddit, Discord, Shopify, among others.
The project has faced criticism since its launch, with reports in August claiming that German regulators have been eyeing the project since 2022. French officials questioned the legality of collecting biometric data following its launch.
Back in July, Blockworks opinion editor Molly Jane Zuckerman documented her experience of getting her iris biometrics scanned.