“7,000 yen for an iris scan?” My experience trying Worldcoin despite my suspicions
If someone told you that you could get 7,000 yen for free, you would normally be suspicious.
I was the same way.
Cryptocurrency.
Iris scan.
Sam Altman.
There are just too many suspicious keywords.
But to give you the conclusion, I did it.
The story of when I first did it
Two years ago
At the time, there were only two or three Orbs in Tokyo.
Reservations were mandatory.
There were staff members at the venue.
You have to scan your iris while being stared at right in front of you.
Honestly, it was a bit awkward.
Even so, the reason I did it was simple:
I thought, 'If I can get tokens for free, it's worth a try.'
The story of a friend who did it recently
A friend of mine did it a week ago.
There was an Orb in their neighborhood, and
the scan was finished in one or two minutes.
There was no one next to them. It was very quick.
It was a completely different experience from mine.
The project is definitely expanding.
What is Worldcoin?
Worldcoin
Sam Altman
OpenAI
Worldcoin is
a system to prove that "you are truly human."
As AI evolves,
it is becoming harder to distinguish between humans and bots online.
In that context,
it is a project attempting to build a "human proof infrastructure" first.
The token ($WLD) is like a participation reward for that.
Why can they give away as much as 7,000 yen?
In Japan, point-earning activities usually range from a few hundred to 2,000 yen.
So why can they offer this much?
This is how I see it.
User acquisition cost.
They are distributing tokens instead of spending on advertising.
They aren't just giving away free money;
it is an investment for infrastructure expansion.
When you think of it that way, your perspective changes a bit.
The actual process
Iris scan with an Orb (about 2 minutes)
Claimable in the app after 24 hours
Press the button to receive
The price fluctuates.
When I received mine, it was worth about 7,000 yen.
You can check if there is an Orb nearby using the official app.
I'll leave the link I used here just in case.
(It is a referral link, so please proceed with that understanding)
👉 https://worldcoin.org/join/0XXXEXW
First, I think you should check if there is an orb near your home, office, or places you frequent, and if there is, you should try registering.
↓ Scroll down to find a map, zoom in, and look for it.
orbFind a location
Are there any risks?
I cannot say there are none.
・Resistance to iris data collection
・Fluctuations in token price
・Future regulations
It is not "risk-free just because it's free."
If you don't understand it, I think you don't have to do it.
How I view it
This is not just a simple way to make some pocket money.
In the AI era,
how do we handle "being human"?
As part of that experiment,
tokens are being used as an incentive.
The structure is quite interesting.
That's why I did it.
Summary
・It is true that you can receive the equivalent of 7,000 yen
・The price fluctuates
・The essence is proof-of-personhood infrastructure
・The risk is not zero
Cryptocurrency is often called suspicious.
But whether it is suspicious or not
can be judged if you know how it works.
That is what I think.
*Source for images in the article and thumbnail: Worldcoin / OpenAI Official (Press Assets)
*The article reflects prices as of March 3, 2026. Also, distribution amounts and other details may change or end.