Worldcoin (WLD)

Proof of personhood. Digital identity for the AI era.

What is Worldcoin?

Worldcoin is a digital identity and cryptocurrency project that aims to create a global system for proving you are a unique human — not a bot, not a duplicate account, just you. In a world where AI makes it increasingly difficult to distinguish humans from machines online, Worldcoin offers "proof of personhood" using iris biometrics.

Users verify their identity by scanning their iris at a Worldcoin Orb — a silver sphere that captures a unique iris pattern and creates a cryptographic proof of uniqueness without storing the actual biometric data. Verified users receive a World ID and free WLD tokens. The project has verified millions of people across dozens of countries.

WLD is the token distributed to verified participants and used within the World App ecosystem. The project envisions a future where proof of personhood is essential for accessing AI services, receiving universal basic income, or participating in democratic processes online.

How Worldcoin Works

Worldcoin uses a device called the Orb to scan your iris — the colored part of your eye, which is unique to every human. The Orb converts your iris pattern into a mathematical code (an iris hash), verifies it has never been seen before, and issues you a World ID. Crucially, the Orb does not store your iris image — only the hash is kept, and it cannot be reverse-engineered back to your biometrics. Think of it as a passport office that checks your identity and stamps your passport, then shreds the photos. WLD tokens are distributed to verified humans as a form of digital universal basic income.

Worldcoin Ecosystem

World ID — privacy-preserving proof of personhood
World App — wallet and identity platform for verified humans
WLD token distribution to verified participants
Integration with apps that need human-only verification
World Chain — dedicated L2 for human-verified transactions

Team & Development

Worldcoin was co-founded by Sam Altman (CEO of OpenAI), Alex Blania (CEO of Tools for Humanity), and Max Novendstern in 2019. Tools for Humanity is the company developing the technology. The connection to OpenAI's leader makes Worldcoin one of the most high-profile crypto projects, though it is technically a separate venture. The project has faced both excitement and regulatory scrutiny around the world.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to scan my iris?

Yes, to get a verified World ID and receive WLD tokens, you need to visit an Orb and scan your iris. The Orb creates a mathematical hash of your iris pattern — it does not store the actual biometric image. You can also buy WLD tokens without verifying.

Is Worldcoin safe for privacy?

Worldcoin uses zero-knowledge proofs to verify uniqueness without revealing identity. The iris image is processed locally on the Orb and deleted. However, the project has faced regulatory scrutiny in several countries regarding biometric data handling. Do your own research on the privacy implications.

Where do I store WLD?

WLD is available on Ethereum (ERC-20) and Optimism. The World App is the primary wallet. MetaMask and Ledger also support WLD on Ethereum.

Can I sell or swap WLD?

Yes. Swaps supports selling WLD for fiat and swapping it for other tokens.

Buy Worldcoin on Swaps

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