Worldcoin keeps turning with Austria deployment and World Chain developer preview

Worldcoin has launched its iris biometrics-based identity verification scheme in Austria, says a company blog post, bringing the total number of countries in which the firm currently operates to 12.

As of July 31, Austrians can visit one of several locations in Vienna to have their irises scanned in exchange for a World ID digital identity. Enrolment, which is limited to those 18 or older, is completed through a spherical scanning device known as the Orb, new iterations of which Worldcoin recently teased in a tweet on ex-Twitter. (Lavender gloss, anyone?)

The company’s blog post says that “Austria joins neighboring Germany in offering important proof of humanness technology in Europe, amid continued interest and growth in other countries around the world.”

6,327,691 people worldwide have signed up for the Worldcoin network and obtained a World ID. Meanwhile, the firm owned by parent company Tools for Humanity continues to expand its digital identity ecosystem, dispersing a fresh wave of grants to startups working on extensions of its tech.

In tandem with the launch of its developer preview for the new World Chain blockchain, Worldcoin has also announced a new association with analytics firm Elliptic, which is integrating World Chain into its suite of compliance and risk management tools. Per a blog post announcing the integration, it will enable Elliptic’s “Holistic Technology” to efficiently detect and mitigate high-risk activities for organizations through robust AML measures.

“I’m thrilled to partner with Worldcoin and integrate our innovative anti-money laundering platform,” says Lukasz Kujawa, VP of Engineering of Elliptic. “By combining Elliptic’s robust intelligence and cross-chain analysis with World ID’s secure humanness verification, we’re taking a major step forward in proactively preventing money laundering in the crypto space.”

For all its progress in pushing its proof-of-personhood scheme, Worldcoin continues to face opposition and penalties in countries and regions that are unhappy with its terms of service, most recently in Argentina.

Article Topics

Austria  |  biometrics  |  digital ID  |  identity verification  |  iris biometrics  |  World  |  World Chain  |  World ID Orb