Worldcoin Shifts Focus To Asia And Latin America Amid European Challenges

According to Cointelegraph, Worldcoin, the digital identity project co-founded by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, is redirecting its efforts from Europe to prioritize adoption in Asia and other regions. Fabian Bodensteiner, managing director of Worldcoin Europe and a founding team member, stated that the project is concentrating on markets where governments are more receptive to emerging technologies. Speaking at the Sifted Summit, Bodensteiner highlighted that European markets are not a primary focus for Worldcoin due to limited resources and the need to prioritize regions with greater business opportunities. He emphasized that countries in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region, such as Japan and Malaysia, and Latin American jurisdictions like Argentina, show more promise in terms of technology adoption. Worldcoin is collaborating with several prominent game publishers in APAC to integrate its technology into their platforms. In Malaysia, the project aims to make its services accessible to consumers and local businesses, working with entities like Mimos Bhd and MyEG Services Bhd to explain the concept of its digital passport, World ID. Despite the shift in focus, Worldcoin continues its operations in Europe, where it has faced regulatory challenges. Launched in July 2023, the project uses iris biometrics developed by Tools for Humanity. Shortly after its launch, the Bavarian State Office for Data Protection Supervision (BayLDA) initiated a probe into Worldcoin over concerns about biometric data collection. A regulatory decision on Worldcoin’s operations in Europe is expected later in October. Authorities in Spain and Portugal also temporarily suspended Worldcoin operations in 2024 due to concerns about processing sensitive data. However, the project successfully launched operations in Poland in September and began World ID verifications in Austria in July. Despite these difficulties, Worldcoin remains committed to engaging with European regulators. Bodensteiner stated, “We want to make it work here, we don’t just want to leave Europe and dodge things.”