Key Insights
- Malaysia signs MoU with Worldcoin Foundation and Tools for Humanity to implement iris scanning technology for human verification.
- The partnership explores local manufacturing of iris scanning “orbs” and potential integration of Worldcoin’s blockchain with Malaysia’s infrastructure.
- This move follows a meeting between Malaysian officials and Worldcoin co-founders, including OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, in April.
KUALA LUMPUR (MarketsXplora) – Malaysia has taken a bold step into the future of digital identity verification by partnering with Worldcoin Foundation and Tools for Humanity, the organizations behind the controversial Worldcoin project.
In a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed on Friday, the Malaysian government, through its applied research arm MIMOS Berhad, agreed to explore the implementation of Worldcoin’s iris scanning technology for human verification purposes.
The agreement paves the way for Malaysians to access “individual humanness verifications” using cutting-edge iris imaging technology developed by Tools for Humanity. This technology forms the cornerstone of the Worldcoin project, which aims to distinguish between human and non-human actors in the digital realm.
Worldcoin’s approach involves assigning unique “World IDs” to individuals who undergo an iris scan, with participants receiving cryptocurrency rewards in the form of WLD tokens.
While the project has faced scrutiny over privacy concerns, it has also garnered support from several nations, with Austria recently joining the list of interested parties.
As part of the collaboration, both entities will explore local manufacturing opportunities for the “orbs” – the devices used to conduct iris scans. Additionally, they will investigate potential integration between Worldcoin’s World Chain protocol and Malaysia’s existing blockchain infrastructure.
The MoU follows a high-profile meeting in April between Malaysian officials and Worldcoin’s co-founders, including OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Alex Blania.
Worldcoin Foundation has committed to ensuring its technology remains open-source and freely available, potentially allaying some concerns about data accessibility and transparency.
Industry observers note that while this MoU signals a mutual interest in collaboration, such agreements are not legally binding. The development nonetheless marks a significant step in Malaysia’s exploration of advanced digital identity solutions.
As nations grapple with the challenges of the digital age, Malaysia’s embrace of Worldcoin technology could set a precedent for future partnerships between governments and blockchain-based identity projects.