Worldcoin: Proof of Personhood or Just a Glinting Distraction?

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Right then. Worldcoin. It’s a scheme, fundamentally. But not, you understand, a bad scheme. More a… hopeful one. A bet, you see, that the internet is rapidly becoming overrun by things that aren’t quite… people.1 It proposes a solution: proof of personhood, or PoP as the initiates call it. Essentially, it’s a way to shout, “I am flesh and blood!” into the digital void, and hope something listens before the bots start charging rent.2

The question, naturally, isn’t whether the problem exists – anyone who’s tried to buy concert tickets lately knows the answer to that – but whether Worldcoin is the answer. Is it a shrewd investment, a potential moonshot, or simply a particularly shiny distraction in a market full of them?

The Optimist’s Orb

The idea, stripped of the marketing fluff, is simple enough. Worldcoin employs these… devices. Orbs, they call them.3 They scan your iris – a perfectly reasonable thing to do, if you ignore the inherent creepiness of having your ocular data captured by a company promising salvation from the robot uprising – and generate a unique credential. This credential, in theory, proves you are, indeed, a human being and not a cleverly disguised algorithm attempting to corner the market on digital kittens.

The investment thesis, as the Guild of Alchemists and Venture Capitalists would have it, is that proving your humanity will become as commonplace as logging in with a password. Developers, desperate to weed out the bots, will integrate PoP into their systems, and Worldcoin, being one of the first to offer a solution, stands to benefit. Every identity verification will require a small payment in WLD, some of which will be “burned” (a wonderfully dramatic term for digitally destroyed) and some retained by the protocol. Thus, a virtuous cycle is created. Or, at least, that’s the hope.

For existing holders, then, a degree of patience is required. If you believe in the core idea, that proving your humanity will become a necessity, holding on might be the best course of action. Buying now, before the market fully grasps the implications, could yield substantial returns. Although, of course, it could also yield precisely nothing. Investing is, after all, a gamble dressed up in spreadsheets.

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The Case for Skepticism (and a Healthy Dose of Paranoia)

However, for most investors, even those with a penchant for risk, a cautious approach is probably wise. The adoption path is… challenging. Asking people to have their eyes scanned, even for a good cause, is a big ask. It’s the sort of thing that usually involves a slightly sinister doctor and a lot of paperwork. And then there are the regulators.4

Spain’s data protection authority, for example, ordered a halt to Worldcoin’s data collection in March 2024. Hong Kong followed suit in May. Other jurisdictions are sniffing around, understandably concerned about a company collecting biometric data on a global scale. It’s the sort of thing that tends to raise eyebrows, even in the Unseen University of Coders.

Until the project can navigate these regulatory hurdles and address the public’s understandable concerns, it remains a risky proposition. And that’s before we even get to the inherent volatility of cryptocurrencies. Businesses are unlikely to embrace a payment method that could lose half its value overnight, no matter how secure the underlying technology. It’s a bit like building a castle on quicksand.

So, is Worldcoin a visionary solution to a pressing problem, or just another bubble waiting to burst? The answer, as always, is complicated. It’s a fascinating project, certainly. But whether it’s a worthwhile investment remains to be seen. Perhaps the most sensible course of action is to watch from a safe distance, with a wry smile and a healthy dose of skepticism.

1

The proliferation of bots is a serious issue. They’re everywhere, disrupting markets, spreading misinformation, and generally making life more difficult for everyone. It’s enough to make a sensible person consider taking up hermitage.

2

The concept of “proof of personhood” is intriguing. It raises fundamental questions about what it means to be human in the digital age. And, of course, it opens up a whole can of worms regarding privacy and data security.

3

These Orbs are rather unsettling devices. They resemble miniature alien probes, and their unwavering gaze is enough to make even the most seasoned investor feel slightly uncomfortable.

4

Regulators, bless their bureaucratic hearts, are often a step behind the curve when it comes to new technologies. They’re like medieval knights trying to fight dragons with lances and shields. It’s a valiant effort, but often futile.

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2026-01-25 20:32