Worldcoin Paid Hong Kong Onboarders $60, But Paid Test Subjects in Indonesia $15

Worldcoin has garnered hundreds of users in Hong Kong despite concerns surrounding its iris-scanning method of crypto distribution.

ChatGPT creator Sam Altman’s cryptocurrency venture, Worldcoin, is stirring up more controversy as it reveals stark discrepancies in user payouts, according to a South China Morning Post report.

Hong Kong users of the novel iris-scanning crypto project are receiving rewards approximately four times higher than the subjects in countries where Worldcoin conducted testing.

Worldcoin, which made headlines in 2021, utilizes a unique iris-scanning protocol for user registration for a “proof-of-humanity.” The firm claims that this method is crucial for validating a user’s unique identity in the age of artificial intelligence, where differentiating between bots and humans is increasingly challenging.

As part of Worldcoin’s global roll-out across 35 cities in 20 countries, the project reached Hong Kong. Here, individuals undergo a facial and iris scan via a device known as the Orb to establish their World ID and receive an initial allotment of 25 WDC.

These tokens are valued at approximately $60, based on recent market prices.

However, an MIT Technology Review study noted that Indonesian participants received a fraction of the payout Hong Kong users have been receiving. While internet literacy as a whole — let alone crypto adoption — is low in countries like Indonesia, test subjects interviewed in the MIT report were given a mere $15 for their biometric data. After all: