The Worldcoin Foundation revealed on April 16 its plan to introduce a proprietary Layer-2 network on Ethereum named World Chain, touting it as a "new blockchain tailored for human use." The launch of World Chain is slated for later this summer, with further details yet to be disclosed.

World Chain is positioned as an open, permissionless network with community governance, allowing users to submit transactions without needing a verified World ID. Nevertheless, priority will be given to transactions from verified users, and their transactions will be anonymized using zero-knowledge proof technology.

Worldcoin intends to grant verified users a complimentary gas allowance through a WLD token claim every two weeks, although users can opt to pay for gas in ETH. Following the initial fee sponsorship, World Chain plans to cover gas costs for casual users using fees from bots and power users.

With Worldcoin's substantial share of network activity, accounting for approximately 44%, sometimes even 80%, on OP Mainnet, scalability is a primary focus. As it aims to serve a billion people, a hundredfold increase from its current user base of 10 million, Worldcoin views transitioning to a dedicated network as essential.

To address existing network costs, Worldcoin aims to promptly and significantly raise the Layer-2 block gas limit. In combating AI-driven abuse, Worldcoin underscores the importance of verification or "Proof of Personhood" amid advancements in artificial intelligence.

However, Worldcoin's approach, particularly its reliance on biometric data, has sparked regulatory concerns in several regions, prompting the company to emphasize its compliance with legal standards and enhance transparency and data handling procedures, including by open-sourcing parts of its project.