Worldcoin Rebrands to "World Network" or "World" while Introducing a Blockchain Mainnet

The rebrand reflects the project's broader vision to create "a network of real, verified humans" through its three pillars: World Chain, World ID, and Worldcoin.

Sam Altman's Worldcoin has officially rebranded to "World Network" or simply "World," marking the launch of its blockchain mainnet.

The project, now known as "World," boasts a broader vision to establish "a network of real, verified humans" through its three pillars: World Chain, World ID, and Worldcoin.

"As the scale of the project grows along with the importance of World ID’s proof of human protocol, the name 'Worldcoin' no longer encapsulates the mission of the project, to accelerate every human," World stated in a press release.

Among the highlights of the launch is World Chain, the Ethereum-secured Layer 2 blockchain network that has gone live on the mainnet. The launch is being supported by Optimism, Alchemy, Uniswap, Safe, Dune and Etherscan.

The company has also introduced a new iteration of its biometric "Orb" device, which now scans users' irises for verification. Built using Nvidia hardware, the orb is now said to be five times more powerful and efficient, despite being smaller and having fewer components.

Moreover, World will be deploying the new Orb in self-service kiosks. In addition, the company unveiled the World ID Credentials program, which allows users to verify their identity on the World app using NFC-enabled, government-issued passports, providing an alternative to the Orb device.

One of the key advancements that was unveiled at the event is World ID Deep Face, which claims to have "solved deepfakes." The software can reportedly identify whether videos featuring verified individuals are authentic or AI-generated, and it can be integrated into any app that supports video uploads or live streams.

It's also worth noting that World’s technology is designed to provide a secure and reliable method for verifying individual identities through a process known as proof-of-humanity. This protocol leverages advanced biometric and cryptographic techniques to ensure that each individual is uniquely identified and that their identity remains secure.

Last month, the Personal Information Protection Commission of South Korea, the national data protection authority, imposed a fine of KRW 1.1 billion on the Worldcoin Foundation and Tools For Humanity (TFH).

According to the agency, investigations began in February after users complained that the company may be engaging in biometric collection and offering users tokens in return.