Worldcoin has announced the launch of “World Chain” – a new dedicated blockchain network intended to serve the needs of its rapidly growing human user base.
By prioritizing transactions from verified human users and providing them with free gas, World Chain aims to create a blockchain infrastructure that is tailored for real-world applications and everyday utility.
Worldcoin, which has already onboarded over 10 million users across 160 countries, has seen its protocol account for a staggering 44% of all activity on the Optimism Layer 2 network.
The company says the time has come to graduate to a dedicated blockchain that can handle the scale and growth rate of the Worldcoin community.
“World Chain is designed first and foremost to significantly increase capacity so new people can continue to join at scale, and existing users can enjoy faster, cheaper, and more reliable transactions,” the announcement reads.
A key feature of World Chain will be its ability to distinguish between transactions made by verified human users and those made by automated “bots.” Verified human addresses will be granted priority blockspace as well as a gas allowance, in an effort to minimize the friction for casual users and create an equitable ecosystem.
“By some estimates, as many as 80% of blockchain transactions are automated, and while many are for valid use cases, unproductive bots often lead to congested networks and high fees,” the announcement states. “World Chain will address this with World ID.”
In addition to Ethereum’s native ETH, World Chain will also allow users to easily pay fees using Worldcoin’s native WLD token. This will enable verified human users to directly utilize their bi-weekly WLD grants within the World Chain ecosystem.
The new blockchain is being developed with a focus on decentralized finance and identity applications tailored for everyday life, leveraging the Worldcoin protocol’s sybil resistance. The company envisions World Chain as a platform for developers to reach Worldcoin’s rapidly growing user base of “real-world” users.
“From day one more than 10 million people across 160 countries will be able to explore and use onchain apps through compatible wallets, starting with World App,” the announcement states.
Importantly, World Chain will be open-source, permissionless, and Ethereum-aligned, with the goal of being ultimately governed by the broader community. Developers supporting the Worldcoin protocol will continue to contribute directly to the Ethereum network, while also collaborating with other Layer 2 initiatives like Optimism and Base.
“For World Chain to succeed it must be built, owned and governed by all of humanity,” the announcement concludes.
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