Worldcoin hits single day sign-up record in Argentina despite local investigation

Worldcoin, an identity-focused crypto project co-created by Sam Altman, said demand for its World ID service in Argentina remains strong, with sign-ups hit a single day record in August — despite an ongoing probe into the project's handling of data by Argentine authorities. 

In a blog post published today, Worldcoin said that roughly 9,500 Argentinians verified their World ID in a single day. “That’s one verified human in Argentina every 9 seconds,” it said. 

The Worldcoin project, officially launched on July 24, encourages users to prove their identity online by signing up for a World ID via an iris scan. 

It has deployed its “orbs” in four cities in Argentina — Buenos Aires, Mar del Plata, Cordoba and Mendoza, according to the blog post.

Ongoing investigations

The record numbers comes as Argentine authorities continue to investigate the project over data privacy. 

Earlier this month, Argentina’s Public Information Access Agency said it will "thoroughly analyze" the processes and practices used in relation to the collection, storage and use of personal data. The agency added that it plans to take unspecified measures to address any problem identified. 

Kenya — a market in which Worldcoin has already signed up hundreds of thousands of customers — suspended Worldcoin earlier this month. The Block previously reported that Worldcoin had signed up more than a quarter of a million people in Nairobi, Kenya’s capital city, as of December 2022.