Worldcoin Announces the Launch of World Chain along with a Rebranding: Details

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Worldcoin, the digital identity project backed by Sam Altman, has rebranded itself as “World Network,” or simply “World.” Along with the rebranding, the project also announced the launch of World Chain, a Layer 2 blockchain network secured by Ethereum, now live on the mainnet. The launch is supported by notable partners like Optimism, Alchemy, Uniswap, Safe, Dune, and Etherscan.

As part of the rebranding announcement, the project explained that the new name better reflects its evolving mission. “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 our mission to accelerate every human,” the statement shared with PRIME said. With its three main components—World Chain, World ID, and Worldcoin—World is positioned as a network focused on real, verified humans, aiming to shape a future where humans remain central to AI development.

Originally launched in July 2023, Worldcoin introduced World ID, a digital identity tool that allows users to verify their humanity and identity both online and onchain. By submitting biometric data, such as an iris scan, users receive a digital passport and the cryptocurrency WLD. The World Network has already gathered over 10 million sign-ups across 160 countries.

Tools For Humanity, the company behind the project, was co-founded by Altman, who is also the CEO of OpenAI. World Network aims to play a critical role in distinguishing humans from AI bots as automation and artificial intelligence become more prevalent online.

‘Humans-Only’ Blockchain

World Chain is described as a “humans-only” blockchain, offering features like lower gas fees, access to useful decentralized applications (dApps), and eventually enabling users to have a voice in the governance of the chain itself. The blockchain is built using the OP Stack, with World Network stating that user transactions represent around 44% of the OP Mainnet’s activity, making it the largest application on the Optimism network.

As of now, WLD, the project’s cryptocurrency, is trading at $2.20, down 1.4% in the last 24 hours, according to data from PRIME. WLD has a market capitalization of $1.1 billion.