Worldcoin Project Faces Orb Shortage: High Demand for Iris Scans
The Worldcoin project, spearheaded by Sam Altman, is facing a shortage of orbs, the biometric imaging devices used for iris scans in exchange for tokens. These orbs are crucial for securely verifying a person’s identity within the Worldcoin system and preventing multiple accounts or identities.
According to Alex Blania, CEO of Tools for Humanity, the developer behind Worldcoin, the startup is ramping up silver orb production to meet the high demand. Currently, there are only between 300 and 500 orbs available, highlighting the rapid uptake of Worldcoin since its introduction less than a year ago in July.
The World App, which grants access to Worldcoins, boasts 10 million users across 160 countries and processes over seven transactions per second, making it one of the top crypto wallets globally. The orbs, manufactured in an undisclosed German factory, may seem unassuming but feature advanced sensors to prevent counterfeit “World IDs” and ensure each digital identity is linked to a genuine individual.
However, the unexpected queues for eye scans have posed logistical challenges for Worldcoin. People are lining up to have their eyes scanned in exchange for Worldcoins, leading to the need for increased security and crowd control measures. Additionally, sign-ups for Worldcoin are restricted in certain countries due to regulatory and privacy concerns, with services temporarily halted in India, Brazil, and France.
Last week, Worldcoin unveiled a new blockchain on the Ethereum protocol called World Chain, with a developer preview set to be released soon. The project’s user transactions account for 44% of the activity on Optimism, an Ethereum Layer-2 scaling solution, establishing it as the largest application on the network.
As Worldcoin continues to grow its community and expand its offerings, the team is preparing for a full launch later this year on a dedicated network. Stay tuned for more updates on this innovative project reshaping the world of cryptocurrency.
