Sam Altman’s Worldcoin project is facing a shortage of orbs, which are biometric imaging devices used for iris scans in return for tokens. The orbs are intended to prevent multiple accounts or identities within the Worldcoin system. The CEO of Tools for Humanity, the developer behind Worldcoin, Alex Blania, is working on expanding silver orb production to meet the high demand. Currently, there are between 300 and 500 orbs available. The World App, which enables access to Worldcoins, has 10 million users across 160 countries and processes over seven transactions per second.
The orbs used by Worldcoin are made in a German factory and feature advanced sensors to prevent counterfeit “World IDs.” Initially, the plan was for the orbs to travel globally for iris scans, but unexpectedly, people have been queuing up to have their eyes scanned in exchange for Worldcoins. This has posed logistical challenges, requiring increased security and crowd control teams. There have been unexpected queues for eye scans with many individuals eager to participate in the Worldcoin system.
Worldcoin has encountered sign-up restrictions in certain countries due to regulatory and privacy concerns. US individuals are unable to use, purchase, or access the coins, and orb-verification services have been temporarily halted in India, Brazil, and France. Last week, Worldcoin introduced a new blockchain on the Ethereum protocol named “World Chain” to bring all humans unchained. The developer preview of World Chain is set to be released soon, with the full launch expected later this year. Worldcoin’s user transactions currently account for about 44% of activity on Optimism, an Ethereum Layer-2 scaling solution, making it the largest application on the network.
The rapid uptake of Worldcoin has led to expansion efforts to meet the growing demand for orbs and access to the Worldcoin system. With 10 million users already on the World App, Worldcoin has established itself as a significant player in the cryptocurrency space. The development of the World Chain blockchain on the Ethereum protocol aims to provide a dedicated network for Worldcoin users. Despite facing challenges such as unexpected queues for eye scans and sign-up restrictions in certain countries, Worldcoin remains committed to its goal of enrolling every individual globally into its financial system. The project’s growth and impact on the Ethereum network demonstrate its potential to bring about significant change in the crypto industry.
