Police pursue Worldcoin Crypto data collection organisers

It uses a combination of cryptocurrency and biometric registration to create a new kind of global identity service.

Worldcoin
Image: courtesy

Detectives are looking for the people who organized a data collection exercise at a fee in Nairobi.

The officers went to City Hall on Wednesday to seek information on who booked spaces at KICC grounds and Quickmart outlets to enable the organisers to collect the data.

This was contrary to advice from the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner for Kenyans not to give their information.

Detectives from Nairobi Area and DCI headquarters want to understand the motive behind the exercise.

They have teamed up with those from Data Protection Commissioner in the probe and expect to record statements from the organisers of the exercise.

“We want to know why they are doing this and who allowed them,” said an official at the Data Protection office.

Thousands turned up for a chance to earn Worldcoin Cryptocurrency tokens on Tuesday. In return, they willingly eyed an orb and had their eye biometrics scanned.

The mostly youthful Kenyans scanned their eyeballs in exchange for Sh7,000 and signed up for the Worldcoin cryptocurrency in what has become an internet buzz this week in Nairobi.

Police arrived and dispersed the people who had queued up at KICC, citing security concerns as the main reason for stopping the process, which has been going on for days.

Many Kenyans threw caution to the wind and lined up for the “free money” which has been provided by the founders of Worldcoin.

Users of Worldcoin, which went live on July 24, receive free tokens known as WLD, for proving humanity by having their eyes scanned by devices placed in specific locations across about 35 nations worldwide.

The currency is led by US-based techpreneur Sam Altman.

Those who receive the tokens may transfer them to recognised cryptocurrency exchanges and use them to purchase other cryptocurrencies, which can then be withdrawn via liquidity providers on those platforms or sold to other users, generating cash. 

The value of each Worldcoin token at the end of the first day of introduction was $2.1 (Sh299).

Those who scan their iris on a Worldcoin shiny orb receive 25 World-coin tokens, which are worth around $54.

It uses a combination of cryptocurrency and biometric registration to create a new kind of global identity service.

It aims to create a global financial network and identity by showing proof of personhood.

Currently, it is readily available in cities like Nairobi, Hong Kong, Lisbon, Mexico City, New York, Sao Paulo, Seoul, Singapore and Paris.