Worldcoin Announces Development Roadmap and $5 Million Grants Program for Eye-Scanning Ecosystem, but Decentralization Remains a Steep Challenge

Worldcoin, a project backed by Sam Altman, has announced a development roadmap that includes a $5 million grants program to support developers in its eye-scanning ecosystem. The project aims to decentralize, which is a core promise of crypto, and has created the Worldcoin Foundation to serve as a non-profit steward of the project. However, the costly process of Worldcoin presents a key challenge to decentralization, and concerns around privacy due to the capture of biometric data require a high degree of due diligence. Worldcoin is also grappling with accusations of centralization, and has chosen not to launch its token in the U.S. for fear of running afoul of the Securities and Exchange Commission.