A bold vision: Empowering global identity and wealth
At the beginning of 2023, a project called 'Worldcoin' quietly emerged in the tech circle. Its founder, Sam Altman, who is also the CEO of OpenAI, proposed an intriguing vision:
Providing a globally unique digital identity for everyone and achieving fair wealth distribution through it.
He believes that with the rapid development of artificial intelligence, more and more jobs will be replaced by machines. To address this future, a new economic model should be explored, in which Universal Basic Income (UBI) could be key. To achieve this, a reliable, global identity system is needed, one that can protect privacy while verifying authenticity.
The first step to making dreams come true: The birth of Worldcoin
The foundation of Worldcoin is a hardware scanner called 'Orb.' This device can scan users' irises and convert them into a string of encrypted data to generate unique digital identities. To attract users, the team launched a global program to receive 'Worldcoin' tokens for free.
In just a few months, the Worldcoin team's footprint has spread across Africa, Latin America, Southeast Asia, and gained a large number of registered users in many resource-scarce areas. Sam's team hopes that this approach will not only help more people integrate into the digital economy but also gradually establish a global trusted identity network.
Huge controversies and doubts
However, the promotion of Worldcoin has not been smooth sailing. Many privacy protection organizations have questioned the iris scanning technology, believing it could lead to the misuse of personal biometric data.
What if this data is stolen by hackers?
Who will supervise the operational process of Worldcoin?
Media and experts have engaged in intense debates about the project's 'privacy protection' and 'fairness.' Meanwhile, some regional governments have also expressed concerns about this global identity system, fearing it could threaten national sovereignty.
Towards global expansion
In response to skepticism, the Worldcoin team made significant adjustments. They promised that data storage would be fully decentralized, and all users' iris information would only be encrypted into 'irreversible digital codes.' Additionally, they began collaborating with multiple governments and NGOs to ensure the project's legality and transparency.
At the same time, the ecosystem of Worldcoin tokens is gradually expanding. It can not only be used for transfers and payments but also for global identity verification, logging into decentralized social platforms, and distributing rights in smart contracts. These practical applications make more people believe that this is not just a 'concept of the future,' but a real innovation.
Dreams in action
By the end of 2024, Worldcoin has covered over 80 countries, with registered users surpassing 500 million. Many people living below the poverty line now have the opportunity to enter the digital economy for the first time by receiving Worldcoin tokens. In a small village in Africa, villagers use Worldcoin to buy and sell crops, while in remote areas of India, young people use it to purchase study materials online.
However, this is just the beginning. Sam stated that his goal is not merely to create a cryptocurrency but to establish a global consensus economic order.
In a globalized world, we need to find new ways to distribute the benefits of technology to everyone.
The intertwining of technology and humanity
Although controversies remain and technical challenges continue to arise, the story of Worldcoin is just beginning. Its success or failure will not only affect the blockchain field but could also determine how we face the challenges of the artificial intelligence and automation era.