Worldcoin Open-Sources Core Orb Technology, Fostering Trust, Collaboration

Worldcoin Foundation, the organization behind the digital asset protocol developed by OpenAI co-founder Sam Altman, announced the open-sourcing of "core components" of its Orb technology. This move aims to foster trust and collaborative development by allowing anyone to examine the code for its Orb eye scanners. Worldcoin believes open sourcing encourages transparency, verifiability, and fosters developer communities to advance technology.

Worldcoin Open-Sources Core Components of its Orb Technology, Fostering Trust and Collaboration

London, United Kingdom - June 30, 2023 - Worldcoin Foundation, the organization behind the digital asset protocol developed by OpenAI co-founder and CEO Sam Altman, has announced that it is open-sourcing "core components" of its Orb technology. This move is intended to enhance trust, transparency, and collaborative development of the platform.

"Open sourcing typically helps to foster trust, transparency, and verifiability while also encouraging developer communities to further advance a technology," a Worldcoin spokesperson told Decrypt. "This builds on the open sourcing of the iris code last late last year and opening up of the hardware nearly a year ago."

Worldcoin: A Crypto Project Focused on Global Identification

Worldcoin, a crypto project separate from OpenAI, aims to establish a global identification standard known as "personhood" to combat bots. It was launched in January 2023 by Altman and Alex Blania under the banner of Tools for Humanity. In July, Worldcoin launched its WLD token on the Optimism mainnet.

Worldcoin's Orb device scans the irises of users to create a unique "fingerprint" called the IrisCode. This IrisCode is stored on Worldcoin's blockchain and forms the basis of a WorldID linked to the user.

Controversy and Concerns Surrounding Eye-Scanning Technology

Worldcoin's eye-scanning technology has faced some controversy, as the company offers its WLD token in exchange for users allowing their biometric data to be scanned by the Orb. Concerns about security were raised by Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin, who warned that "if even one Orb manufacturer is malicious or hacked, it can generate an unlimited number of fake iris scan hashes and give them World IDs."

Worldcoin has emphasized user privacy as a top priority. "Privacy and security have always been top priorities when building the Orb," the company stated in its announcement. "Further audits are underway and, combined with open sourcing, reflect the Foundation's aim to maintain a continuously high level of transparency around privacy and security."

Orb Integration in Esports to Combat Cheating

In February, blockchain-based esports platform Community Gaming announced plans to use Worldcoin's WorldID to identify users and prevent cheating. Community Gaming clarified that the Worldcoin Orb is not necessary for the company's WorldID integration.

Market Reaction and Future Outlook

Following the news of the Orb open-source release, Worldcoin's WLD cryptocurrency experienced a rise of nearly 4% to $8.40. However, the cryptocurrency market has been experiencing significant volatility in recent days, with fluctuations as large as 10% in the past 24 hours.

The open-sourcing of the Orb technology and the ongoing commitment to privacy and security may bolster confidence in Worldcoin's mission to establish a global identification standard based on "personhood." By inviting the developer community to collaborate on the project, Worldcoin aims to foster transparency, innovation, and trust in its platform.