Worldcoin was launched in June in several test countries by Tools for Humanity, a non-profit organization co-founded by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. The decision to cancel the distribution of tokens through the Orb eyeball scanning device comes just a few months after the crypto startup entered the Brazilian, Indian, and French markets.
Tools for Humanity acknowledged that although Orb was successfully implemented in some countries, its availability in the local market was limited. The company emphasized that Worldcoin remains committed to complying with regulatory requirements and providing secure and transparent services.
However, the decision to cancel the Orb procedure has received mixed reactions. In India, there was a significant demand for registration and free token distribution, leading to long queues of people.
In France, the verification procedure using biometric data raised suspicions. France’s privacy watchdog (CNIL) previously questioned the legality of Worldcoin’s data collection methods.
Recent negotiations have taken place between the project leaders and the Kenyan government, which had previously banned the crypto project. Senior government sources have confirmed that an agreement has been reached, allowing the American firm to resume operations in compliance with new regulations.