Why Worldcoin Users Were Unable To Claim Ksh3,000 For A Few Hours

Users of the controversial cryptocurrency project, Worldcoin, were on Monday, August 7 unable to claim their grants on the platform for a few hours. This is because its app went down with the company attributing its downtime to high traffic.

Grants are one-time crypto payments for anyone who joins the Worldcoin network. Users who managed to get their grants processed reported getting 10 WLDs from Worldcoin.

One WLD is currently valued at $2.07 (Ksh386), meaning 10 WLDs were attributed to $20.7, converted to approximately Ksh2,964.24 according to current exchange rates.

A screenshot of Worldcoin's app experiencing downtime issues as of August 7, 2023. /TECH MORAN

Some users who had however tried to access the project’s World App received ‘Can’t fetch data’ and ‘Returning shortly’ messages along with the notification; “World App is experiencing higher than usual traffic. It will return shortly, please try again later.”

"World App is experiencing higher than usual traffic, if you face any issues please try again later. Thank you for your patience," stated the project’s customer support account on X (formerly Twitter).

On Worldcoin's website, the cryptocurrency firm urged users to expect delays in responses as it was working to address the issue.

“We are currently experiencing a high volume of support tickets. Please expect a delay in responses as we do our best to address your issues.

"It is best if you do not submit multiple tickets at this time. We greatly appreciate your patience,” read the notice before some users reported the restoration of normal operations on the app.

Worldcoin is owned by the US generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) company OpenAI. Users download the World App, the company’s World ID-compatible app, developed and operated by TFH.

The app enables payment, purchases and transfers globally using digital assets and fiat-backed stablecoins. Once downloaded, they can visit an Orb, the startup’s eyeball-scanning verification device, to receive their World ID.

The firm saw a controversial uptake, with over 350,000 Kenyans having scanned their eyeballs through the Orb located in different malls across the country in exchange for 25 free cryptocurrency tokens known as WLD after the process, valued at Ksh8,256.

The turnout sparked mixed reactions across the country before the government moved to suspend Worldcoin operations in Kenya over safety concerns until relevant agencies certify the absence of any security risks.

Meanwhile, police raided one of Worldcoin's warehouses in Nairobi and carted away documents over the weekend. The officers went to the offices along Mombasa Road armed with a search warrant and left with machines they believed stored data gathered by the firm.

The team took the data to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) headquarters for analysis.

Data Commissioner Immaculate Kassait defended her office and said Tools for Humanity (TFH), the parent company of Worldcoin, failed to disclose its true intentions during registration.