Superchain is growing more and more. So let’s say hello to World Chain - new member of Superchain.

It’s interesting that Worldcoin user transactions currently represent about 44% of OP Mainnet’s activity, making it the largest application on the network.

Let's find out more about.

What is World Chain?

Project Worldcoin, behind the development is the startup Tools for Humanity, co-founded by Sam Altman from OpenAI (the company that created the ChatGPT chatbot) announced own second layer (L2) blockchain called World Chain.

The new network will be built using the Optimism Toolkit (OP Stack). This will ensure compatibility with applications in the Ethereum ecosystem. World Chain will use World ID identity verification technology based on a scanned iris of the eye.

Note: This is not the first attempt to create a biometric identification system using blockchain. A group of developers in the TON network ecosystem called TON Society on April 8 announced on partnership with the developers of AI solutions HumanCode for the implementation of biometric identification in the Telegram messenger.

What is the aim of the World Chain? To give priority to human users over bots.

Worldcoin Foundation described the upcoming World Chain as an innovation aimed at improving the user experience with blockchain technology by allocating block space and gas limits specifically for verified human users. This human-centric design is designed to improve scalability and efficiency, especially for everyday applications.

https://twitter.com/worldcoin/status/1780611997396095157?t=aO3Ur58PXl8CrdTwbzcxvw&s=19

The foundation says World Chain is targeting a broad audience, with preparations to support up to 1 billion people using infrastructure built on Optimism's OP stack. In blog, the fund emphasized that the platform is designed to eliminate common inefficiencies in blockchain systems, which are exacerbated by transactions managed by bots.

It is estimated that bots make up up to 80% of all blockchain activity, which leads to network congestion and increased fees. World Chain's integration with World ID supposedly allows users to verify their identities anonymously using zero-knowledge proofs, providing priority service and gas without sacrificing privacy.

This mechanism is expected to streamline transaction processes and evenly distribute the load created by bots and significant users, with initial funding from the Worldcoin Foundation. The initiative also includes support for developers through Worldcoin Community Grants and collaborative efforts led by the Worldcoin Foundation.

«We expect a quick developer preview of World Chain and a full launch closer to summer,” the foundation said.

Everyone will be able to send transactions to World Chain, but those created by verified people will be given priority for faster confirmation. Those users who have already submitted biometrics to Worldcoin operators and received a World ID will receive priority for transaction processing.

Verified addresses will also receive some free gas. In addition to ETH, which will remain the main token, fees can be paid using WLD.

The World ID identity verification system and its native WLD token will remain “neutral.” This means that they will be separate from the World Chain blockchain and will be free to be implemented and used on other networks.

Why OP Stack?

After many migrations within the Ethereum Ecosystem, Worldcoin can finally find its new permanent home in a place that can scale.

Starting with Ethereum Rollups, shortly before Worldcoin’s release from beta in July 2023, Worldcoin decided that Ethereum Rollups have matured enough and to migrate to OP Mainnet, at that time  including around 2 Million Worldcoin users. The launch of the Worldcoin project in July 2023, however, quickly showed many areas in the overall L2 infrastructure stack that could benefit from improvement (including OP mainnet itself, relayer infrastructure, RPC providers, World App infrastructure). While Worldcoin was the first major application launching on an Ethereum L2 (and remains the largest to this day), it became clear that the L2 ecosystem was still in an early stage for major applications.

WorldCoin team firmly believe L2s should be the place for experimentation and innovation, and that they can significantly contribute to this mission. Committed to making a meaningful contribution, they decided to join the Superchain effort and launch World Chain, a dedicated L2.

Bringing the entire world onchain presents a monumental task, exceeding the capacity of any single entity. World Chain team recognize that collaboration is key. That’s why they are excited to be part of the Superchain alongside Optimism, Coinbase, and the wider Ethereum ecosystem.

Some problems

But the Worldcoin platform has faced a ban on operations since its launch. Its activities have already been banned in India, Brazil, France, Germany, South Korea and several other countries. In Kenya and Hong Kong, the offices of project operators were raided and closed. Regulators are concerned about the collection of citizens' biometric data, which they consider illegal. In response to criticism, the company introduced a Personal Custody feature that allows users to store their biometric data on their devices.

To reduce the amount of negativity, according to a recent CNF report, Worldcoin introduced the “unverify” feature», aimed at giving users more control over their personal data. Developed in response to increased regulatory scrutiny, this feature allows users to actively manage the privacy of their data.

More detailes about new blockchain you can find in the official blog:

https://worldcoin.org/blog/announcements/introducing-world-chain

It will be very interesting to follow the development of this project, stay tuned and stay optimistic.