The Worldcoin system revolves around World ID , a privacy-preserving global identity network. World ID enables users to verify their humanity (“proof of personality”) online, while maintaining their privacy through zero-knowledge proofs .

To use the Worldcoin protocol, individuals must first download the World App , the first wallet application to support the creation of World IDs. People access a physical imaging device called an Orb to obtain their World ID Orb verification . Most Orbs are operated by a network of independent local businesses called Orb Operators . Orb uses multispectral sensors to verify humanity and uniqueness, and by default all images are deleted immediately on the device (without explicit consent to data hosting).

All Orb-verified World ID holders are entitled to claim free WLD tokens awarded periodically (WLD tokens are not available in the US; see the Worldcoin Token Economics section of the project whitepaper for details). This has the potential to make WLD the most widely distributed digital currency.

The WLD token is designed as a utility token with governance properties, empowering users by giving them a say in the future of the protocol. In addition to the traditional "one coin, one vote" governance mechanism, the introduction of World ID paves the way for the "one person, one vote" mechanism. These two mechanisms can also be combined to enable new forms of governance. Upon launch, the Worldcoin Foundation will solicit proposals and work with the community on how the World ID and WLD tokens should interact within the Worldcoin governance model (see the project's white paper for details on governance and decentralization) .

The community of users will determine the utility of the token, but besides governance, some other use cases may emerge. For example, a user may decide to use WLD Tokens to pay for certain actions within the World App or other wallet applications, to make other payments, or to express their approval of certain initiatives or causes.

WLD is an ERC-20 token on Ethereum. Individuals will receive user rewards on the Optimism mainnet. Therefore, most WLD transactions will likely be conducted on the Optimism network.