In the ever-expanding crypto and Web3 realm, the innovative state bridge technology from Worldcoin (WLD) allows developers to seamlessly connect their innovations with the World ID protocol and EVM-compatible chains, pushing Web3 toward a more interconnected and inclusive future.
Summary
Improving crypto accessibility and Web3: Worldcoin’s (WLD) new state bridge with World ID
Web3, the decentralized future of the Internet, continues to evolve rapidly, offering many advantages and opportunities. However, accessibility and integration have been persistent challenges.
Worldcoin, a cutting-edge global identity protocol, recently took a significant step to address these challenges by implementing a new State Bridge.
This move forward opens the door for developers to seamlessly integrate their solutions with the World ID protocol and EVM-compatible blockchains, revolutionizing the Web3 landscape.
In the realm of blockchain technology, state bridges are crucial mechanisms to enable interoperability between different blockchains.
They facilitate the seamless transfer of data between chains, breaking down silos that can hinder the growth of the Web3 ecosystem.Â
For Worldcoin, state bridges play a key role in sharing the current state of World ID contracts with other chains. This allows developers to leverage the power of proof of personhood in Layer 2 solutions, sidechains and beyond.
The World ID protocol and its Merkle tree structure
At the heart of Worldcoin’s innovation is the World ID protocol, represented as a Merkle tree on the Ethereum blockchain. In this structure, each leaf of the tree represents a unique identity.Â
The root of the Merkle tree plays a crucial role in generating and validating zero-knowledge proofs (ZK proofs). These proofs form the foundation of a privacy-preserving identity primitive whose applications cover a wide range of use cases.
For example, Worldcoin’s WLD grants are requested on Optimism through World App, a World ID-compatible mobile application. When a user downloads the World App, a new secure wallet is created and distributed on the Optimism network.Â
Eligible grants can be claimed by generating a ZKP (Zero-Knowledge Proof), which is verified when the “claim()” function of the RecurringGrantDrop contract is called on Optimism.
State Bridges facilitate the transfer of the last Merkle root to Optimism, ensuring that OpWorldID can validate proofs without problems.
The evolution of the state bridge architecture
Previously, Worldcoin’s State Bridge architecture had some limitations. It was closely tied to the WorldIdIdentityManager and required authorized access to initiate root propagation. It also propagated roots to all supported chains whenever new identities were entered, resulting in gas inefficiency.
The updated state bridge architecture introduces a modular, permission-free, and gas-efficient design.
Root propagation is now decoupled from identity insertion, allowing more efficient insertion of new identities. This separation has made state bridge propagation permit-free, allowing anyone to propagate roots without restriction.
Individual state bridges are also separated, allowing more frequent propagation of roots on specific chains as needed.
This architectural change allows developers to deploy their state bridges for chains not yet supported by Worldcoin, enabling personality testing on any EVM-compatible chain.
With the updated state bridge architecture, World ID can be linked to any EVM-compatible chain. Several methods, such as Optimism’s CrossDomainMessenger, Scroll’s ScrollMessenger, and Arbitrum’s Inbox, facilitate communication between layer 1 and layer 2.
Another method is to take advantage of storage evidence. Another approach is to leverage storage proofs, with protocols such as Axiom and Herodotus.
The target chain must be EVM compatible and support EVM Pairing (ECC) and keccak256 precompiled.
When deploying state bridge contracts on both Layer 1 and Layer 2, you need a program that periodically calls the “propagateRoot()” function to send the last root to the receiver contract on the destination chain.
In addition, you should be able to retrieve inclusion proofs to create Semaphore proofs that will be validated within the Layer 2 contract.
Worldcoin is actively developing tools, including a state-bridge-service and a tree-availability-service, to support root bridging and the creation of inclusion proofs for any EVM-compatible chain.
These tools are expected to be made available in the coming weeks, further enhancing Web3 accessibility.
Security assessments and commitment to quality
The security and quality of protocol-related updates are of paramount importance. Worldcoin and its collaborators work closely with audit vendors to ensure the robustness of their protocol releases.
Engagements with audit firms such as Least Authority and Nethermind have been key to assessing the off-chain and on-chain components of the protocol, including the use of blockchain, cryptography, and smart contract technologies. These measures are aimed at ensuring the integrity of the protocol and protecting users’ assets.
Bottom line: web3, crypto, Worldcoin and the world ID protocol
Worldcoin’s new state bridge marks a significant advance in improving the accessibility and integration of Web3 solutions. By opening up the ability for developers to create their own state bridges, Worldcoin contributes to the broader Web3 ecosystem.
The evolving Web3 landscape is becoming increasingly inclusive and interconnected, with state bridges acting as crucial gateways to a decentralized future.
For those interested in learning more about Worldcoin developments, the Worldcoin protocol whitepaper offers a detailed description of the project. The future of Web3 is promising, and Worldcoin is at the forefront of shaping that future.
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