The cryptocurrency project by Sam Altman that scans irises introduces a new Orb and a new denomination.

Worldcoin, the cryptocurrency and human identity network co-founded by Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, has changed its name to World. This rebranding comes alongside an update to its eye-scanning device, the Orb, which aims to address a hypothetical need: to verify that a person is human “in the age of AI.” Those who register in the system receive a World ID, allowing them to securely and anonymously demonstrate their humanity online, as well as receive a share of the associated cryptocurrency token, WLD.

The new Orb features a streamlined design that uses 30 percent fewer components than its previous version, which is expected to make production easier and cheaper. Additionally, it is equipped with Jetson, Nvidia’s robotics and AI platform. Rich Heley, director of devices at Tools for Humanity—the organization behind the project—commented at an event that the improved design should help achieve the goal of making the Orb accessible to everyone. Heley emphasized the need for mass production, stating that the aim is to have “probably a thousand times more Orbs” than currently exist, situated in “more locations.”

World will also allow users to buy or rent their own eye-scanning device, so they can “start verifying unique humans” in their communities. Additionally, a new service called “Orb on demand” will be introduced, allowing users to request the device in a manner similar to ordering a pizza. The Orb will expand to more countries, including Costa Rica, Brazil, Indonesia, Australia, the United Arab Emirates, and Morocco.

While World’s identification services are available in the United States, its cryptocurrency token is not, as noted after a verification last summer. To date, World claims to have verified nearly 7 million “unique humans,” despite concerns about privacy related to the creation of a global biometric database in a private manner.

Last year, Kenya suspended World while investigating its data collection practices, though it later lifted the inquiry. Hong Kong requested a halt to all project operations due to privacy risks, while Portugal and Spain have also taken action against this initiative.