CEO says next version will resemble 'Apple products'
It's been a while More than 180 days after Worldcoin went public, its futuristic-looking Orb device is undergoing upgrades, Tools for Humanity CEO and co-founder Alex Blania exclusively tells TechCrunch.
“There's a new orb coming out, and the next iteration will be completely different,” Branier said during a fireside chat at Wednesday's StrictlyVC event. He joined the company about four years ago and said the initial design of the Orb predated his arrival.
The next Orb will be released in the first half of this year and will feature alternative colors and shape elements to make it look “more friendly,” Branier said. Overall, it will feel good. [more] The tuning is down and it resembles an “Apple product,” he added.
Tools for Humanity is the company that created Worldcoin, a cryptocurrency project co-founded by Blania, Sam Altman, and Max Novendstern. To date, it has raised approximately $250 million from investors including a16z and Bain Capital Crypto.
The startup is best known in venture capital and crypto circles for its eyebrow-raising Orb device, which scans people's irises and assigns them a “World ID” that gives users access to Worldcoin's applications and digital passports. I am. The verification process is intended to prove a person's identity and prevent someone from creating multiple accounts.
Branier joked that many people in the U.S. are “obsessed” with the orb's design, and in fairness, that's not surprising. His main device is a 5-pound, bowling-ball-sized chromatic device that makes him look like he belongs in a science fiction movie. People “either hate it or love it,” he added.
Some may be skeptical of that, but during the StrictlyVC event in downtown San Francisco, “dozens” of attendees tried their hand at World ID, according to a Tools for Humanity employee who was at the event's booth. In exchange, he had his iris scanned. The employee added that “field testing” of the new orb had also been conducted.
Worldcoin's Orb at StrictlyVC Event
During beta testing, the project focused on recruitment in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Nairobi, Kenya. Lisbon, Portugal. and Bangalore, India. As a result, it faced a backlash from critics who claimed it was targeting developing countries. Separately, WorldCoin went on a mini-world tour last year visiting major cities such as Tokyo, Miami, New York City, and San Francisco to expand its presence.
According to WorldCoin's website, more than 190,000 new accounts have been created in the past seven days, for a total of approximately 3.13 million people to sign up for WorldCoin.
“The thesis is very simple: We're racing to billions of users as quickly as possible,” Branier said.