Acryptoinvest.news: Minecraft, the globally popular sandbox game, is known for its strict stance on cryptocurrencies and NFTs. However, recently the situation took an unexpected turn. Despite a history of resistance to blockchain technology, Microsoft and Mojang, the game's developer and publisher, unexpectedly gave the green light to a new Worldcoin integration with Minecraft.
Worldcoin: identification through retinal scanning
Worldcoin, a project founded by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, is primarily known for its “Orb,” a device that scans the retina of the eye to create unique IrisCodes that are tracked on its blockchain.
The company recently made headlines for its Minecraft integration. As a result, players will soon be able to use World ID credentials for authentication, allowing server operators to verify users before granting certain in-game permissions.
A Worldcoin spokesperson stressed the importance of this feature to reduce “challenges” on the Internet and improve the gaming experience by distinguishing human players from bots.
Minecraft's Regressive Position on NFTs and Cryptocurrency
The Minecraft community was stunned in 2022 when the game announced an NFT ban, which was eventually implemented this year. The ban extended to the use of cryptocurrencies to reward players, forcing the server that previously paid out Bitcoin to disable the feature.
However, Minecraft's updated end user license agreement ( EULA ) offers more detailed guidance. It specifically prohibits play-to-earn features that include cryptocurrency payouts and the use of NFTs to create exclusivity for in-game items.
The licensing agreement states that mods that affect the game experience or create scarcity based on external conditions are unacceptable, specifically specifying mods that require NFT ownership to unlock in-game content.
Exclusion of Worldcoin token from integration
The Worldcoin integration, which focuses solely on World ID credentials without the need for in-game cryptocurrencies or tokens, appears to circumvent these limitations. When contacted for comment, a Minecraft spokesperson clarified that while companies have no role in the Worldcoin initiative, as long as it adheres to EULA guidelines, integration is “probably acceptable.”
Separating Worldcoin technology and its token is critical. A Worldcoin representative stressed that the World ID and the WLD token are different entities, with the latter not available in some regions, including the US. This difference allows Worldcoin to navigate Minecraft's rules for blockchain integration while maintaining the usefulness of World ID.