Worldcoin probe in Kenya dropped

In a significant development for the cryptocurrency industry, Kenyan authorities have dropped their probe into Worldcoin, the ambitious cryptocurrency project by Tools for Humanity.

This decision paves the way for Worldcoin’s potential return to Kenya, where its operations were previously suspended due to regulatory concerns.

Worldcoin’s Suspension and Reinstatement Efforts

Worldcoin’s operations in Kenya were suspended in August 2023 amid claims of lack of proper documentation and concerns over data privacy and security. The project’s verification process involved scanning individuals’ eyeballs through an “Orb” device in exchange for a digital identity called “World ID” and free cryptocurrency tokens.

Also Read: Kenya emerges as the global leader in interest for Worldcoin cryptocurrency, scoring 100 on Google Trends

Following the suspension, the company’s CEO, Alex Blania, announced that Worldcoin and Tools For Humanity (TFH) were pausing World ID verifications in Kenya while working with local regulators to address their concerns.

“TFH has paused World ID verifications in Kenya as we continue to work with local regulators to address their questions. We apologize to everyone in Kenya for the delay,” Blania said in an August 3 post on X (formerly Twitter). “World ID is built for privacy. We look forward to resuming operations while continuing global rollout.”

Conditions for Continued Operations

While the dropped probe clears a significant hurdle for Worldcoin’s return to Kenya, the DCI has advised the company to consider proper business registration, licensing, and coordination with relevant authorities.

Also Read:

These include the Registrar of Business registry, the Office of the Data Protection Commission (ODPC), and the Communication Authority of Kenya (CAK).

The DCI also recommended intensive vetting and legal contracting of all third-party vendors within the country.

Worldcoin’s Ambitions and Challenges

The Worldcoin project, which rolled out globally on June 24, 2023, aims to create a decentralized global currency. However, its ambitious plans were met with privacy concerns and questions about the security of the biometric data collected from Kenyans.