Worldcoin, the cryptocurrency project by the American artificial intelligence company, is in talks with the Kenyan government to resume its operations in the country. The cryptocurrency project was suspended in Kenya on August 2 due to data security concerns, especially amidst a significant uptake in the capital city, Nairobi.
Government sources revealed that an agreement has been reached to allow Worldcoin to recommence operations under new guidelines. The highly placed source, who chose to remain anonymous, stated, “Operations are set to resume in early 2024. Worldcoin is working directly with regulators to meet Kenya’s requirements, particularly as the Assembly considers new regulations. Stipends will remain and will expand to locations across the country.”
Worldcoin, which globally rolled out on June 24, faced privacy concerns and questions about the security of biodata collected from Kenyans during its verification process. The project involved scanning individuals’ eyeballs through an Orb in exchange for a digital identity called World ID.
The Kenyan government suspended all activities associated with Worldcoin until relevant agencies could certify the absence of security risks. The concerns were amplified as new members were rewarded with 25 free cryptocurrency tokens (WLD) after verification.
Following the suspension, Alex Blania, Worldcoin’s CEO, mentioned the pause in World ID verifications in Kenya to address government concerns while expressing optimism about resuming operations in the country.
Kenya’s Interior Cabinet Secretary, Kithure Kindiki, stated in September that the government was conducting a forensic analysis of the hardware components used to collect data for the project, emphasising the need for compliance with the law.
Worldcoin has since been updated to World ID 2.0, making it easier to distinguish between bots and verified humans online. The new version supports integrations with platforms like Minecraft, Reddit, Telegram, Shopify, and Mercado Libre.