Worldcoin Launches World ID 2.0 with Tiered Authentication and Major Integrations

The latest version of Worldcoin’s identity platform World ID 2.0 comes with the addition of Apps, a new way to build and use integrations to verify your online accounts using World ID. Thanks to the upgrade, users will be able to explore various apps available on the new Worldcoin App Store, including the new integrations with Reddit, Discord, Shopify, Minecraft, messaging app Telegram, and e-commerce platform Mercado Libre.

World ID 2.0 introduces Apps, a new way to build & use integrations to verify your online accounts using World ID. pic.twitter.com/7fquMnjYZ1

— Worldcoin (@worldcoin) December 19, 2023

World ID 2.0 will have three “Levels” that provide access to a broader range of use cases such as “World ID Orb+” with face authentication. The lowest is the “World ID device level”, a digital ID based on verification with a mobile device. “World ID Orb” brings an added level of “assurance of humanity and uniqueness” as it makes use of the biometric scans taken with Worldcoin’s proprietary retina scanners. Orb+ is the highest level and uses facial authentication provided by selfie biometrics.

The second generation protocol also comes with “a series of core upgrades – such as the ability to return to an Orb to reset your World ID if it ever gets lost – that cement World ID as the most secure, private, and inclusive proof of humanity.” In addition, users will be able to delete Orb-verified World IDs in-app. The platform also has a Wallet Bridge that allows digital wallets to communicate with World ID apps.

World ID Apps allow users to verify accounts and apply a verification status similar to the blue checkmark used on some social media platforms. They also have the option of turning on sign-in through World ID.

“For added privacy, World ID Apps only have access to a disposable number calculated from your World ID. This means they can provide a consistent experience, but cannot use it to link you to other apps where you used your World ID,” the company assured users in a blog post.

World ID uses Zero-Knowledge Proof cryptography, with version 1.0 being lauded for its privacy level by Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin. According to the post, “World ID 1.0 already represents 87% of the most common type of ZKPs in the Ethereum ecosystem.”

The platform was launched earlier this year with the goal of solidifying “proof of personhood” – which is becoming increasingly essential with the emergence and rapid adoption of artificial intelligence. The uniqueness of each user’s biometrics helps distinguish real users from bots. While there have been concerns about the safety of users’ biometric data, Worldcoin creator Tools for Humanity contends that the scans are only for initial verification and are not stored. So far, almost 5 million individuals have registered for Worldcoin’s World IDs.