In a puzzling turn of events, Kenya and Worldcoin, the innovative cryptocurrency project led by Sam Altman, find themselves embroiled in a dispute over the suspension of services within Kenyan borders. The East African nation claims to have shut down Worldcoin’s eyeball-scanning services due to regulatory concerns, while Worldcoin contends that it voluntarily suspended operations in response to overwhelming demand.
A coalition of Kenyan agencies released a joint statement asserting that Worldcoin must halt its data collection activities in the country pending further investigation into the project’s biometric data practices. The move comes as other nations, including Germany, France, and the United Kingdom, raise similar concerns about Worldcoin’s data collection and storage methods.
Contradicting Kenya’s version of events, Worldcoin released a statement clarifying its perspective. The company highlighted the staggering demand for its cryptocurrency in Kenya, where “tens of thousands of individuals” queued up for Worldcoin’s unique iris-scanning service since its recent launch. According to Worldcoin, the suspension of services was a proactive measure taken to manage the substantial crowd volume and ensure a seamless user experience.
“Verification services have been temporarily paused out of an abundance of caution and in an effort to mitigate crowd volume,” the company’s emailed statement explained.
The heart of the matter lies in the burgeoning interest from Kenyan citizens, who eagerly exchanged their iris scans for 25 bespoke Worldcoin tokens, each currently valued at approximately $2.30 cents. The willingness of Kenyans to undergo a 90-second eyeball scan in exchange for the equivalent of around $57 American dollars underscores the potential significance of Worldcoin’s offering, particularly in less developed regions like Kenya.
Despite the ongoing dispute, Worldcoin has assured its users that their tokens remain accessible within the company’s digital wallet. This means that the reported 350,000 individuals who signed up for the service can still access the funds they earned through their iris scans.
While the details remain murky and both parties present conflicting narratives, it is evident that concerns surrounding Worldcoin’s data collection and storage practices have prompted a clash between the cryptocurrency project and the Kenyan government. As this intriguing saga unfolds, observers are left to ponder the implications of biometric data usage in the rapidly evolving world of digital currencies.
