WorldCoin no longer provides Orb verification services in India, Brazil and France

Worldcoin is no longer offering Orb verification services in India, Brazil, and France, just months after the crypto startup rolled out its helmet-mounted eye-scanning device to those markets. Tools for Humanity, the foundation that oversees the development of Worldcoin, said in a statement that it had expanded Orb to many markets this year, but "for a limited time."

However, WorldCoin’s sudden retreat came as a surprise. World Bitcoin had opened pop-up locations in many parts of India to allow new users to join the platform and attracted many people queuing up to register and receive free tokens. For months, crypto startup founders in India have been complaining about the regulatory hurdles Worldcoin faces in the market.

Lily Gordon, a spokesperson for Tools for Humanity, said that Worldcoin remains committed to "working with global partners to ensure that it meets regulatory requirements and provides safe, reliable and transparent services for verified humans."

The Orb is a 5-pound ball that scans a person's eyeballs and verifies their identity. The verification system is similar to India's Aadhaar, which uses biometric data to verify citizens' identities. As early as July 2022, Worldcoin posted on X (formerly Twitter) pointing out this similarity.

"The multi-city tour kicks off in Tokyo in April 2023, marking the first time that people in many parts of North America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia will be able to experience Orb." Lily Gordon, a spokesperson for Tools for Humanity, revealed in an email earlier this month: "The tour ended in late summer, and while the agreement was being launched, Orb was also previewed in multiple cities around the world."

Worldcoin, co-founded by Sam Altman, began promoting its services globally in July this year, aiming to help build a reliable solution to "distinguish between humans and artificial intelligence online", enable "global democratic processes", and "significantly increase economic opportunities."

The startup has raised about $250 million in total, with backers including Andreessen Horowitz, Khosla Ventures and Reid Hoffman. Individuals can download the company's protocol-compatible wallet software, WorldApp, and access the company's helmet-mounted eye-scanning verification device, Orb, to obtain a WorldID.