Sam Altman’s Worldcoin Turns Attention to Asia, Easing Focus on Europe
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Sam Altman’s iris-scanning project Worldcoin is reportedly shifting its focus from Europe to Asia.
Fabian Bodensteiner, managing director of the project’s Europe subsidiary, said at a recent Sifted summit that the company is now focusing on markets where local companies and governments actively embrace new technologies.
He told the audience that Europe isn’t a major focus. Instead, the company sees a “larger dynamic” in other regions, driven by more substantial business prospects there.
Worldcoin didn’t return Cryptonews’ request for comment by press time.
The project aims to create a network to verify individuals online through a “proof of personhood” concept. By scanning irises, it gives users a digital identity, or World ID, confirming their uniqueness and allowing them to claim Worldcoin’s cryptocurrency, WLD, to support a fair global economy.
However, critics argue that Worldcoin’s iris scanning practice raises serious privacy concerns. They fear that collecting biometric data on such a large scale could lead to surveillance or data being sold to third parties, despite Worldcoin’s assurances about data security and protection.
Bodensteiner pointed to markets in the Asia-Pacific, like Japan and Malaysia, and in Latin America, such as Argentina, as more receptive to the technology. In the APAC region, Worldcoin is reportedly working with prominent game publishers to integrate Worldcoin’s technology into their platforms.
Meanwhile, several European countries, including Spain, France, Germany and Portugal, have launched investigations into Worldcoin. These probes focus on whether its practices
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