Worldcoin is shaping up to be a viable solution to digital identity

I have to admit that I’m fascinated by Worldcoin, a project about which I have written several times, which has just announced the launch of its passport format World ID 2.0, which can be integrated into applications such as Minecraft, Reddit, Telegram, Shopify or Mercado Libre, and used to prove that that the holder is a unique person, rather than a bot, providing privileged treatment or a better experience than accounts that don’t use it. On Telegram, for example, I can use it to prove my identity when I join a group, and all indications are that we’re going to see more and more of it in other apps very soon.

For example, an account verified with World ID can get a checkmark if the app sees fit, or be enabled as a login method for a more seamless experience. Apps that use World ID to reliably verify the identity of their users will only have access to a disposable number calculated from the World ID, which means they can provide a consistent experience tied to that unique identity, but cannot use it to link you to other apps where you have used that means of identification.

In addition, World ID 2.0 introduces levels of verification: from the minimum, which is obtained by simply downloading the app and installing it on a device (which only verifies the uniqueness of the device, rather than the…