Newsletter No. 4 — (De)Codify the Future
Codified Trust: The World Case and the Battle for Digital Identity
By Dario Rodrigues
“To code is to legislate. The difference is that algorithms do not always go through democratic scrutiny.” — Dario Rodrigues
In recent days, the Worldcoin project—backed by Sam Altman—has once again captured global attention. The Worldcoin (WLD) token rose by about 50%, while the publicly listed company Eightco Holdings surged more than 3,000% after announcing a private raise of hundreds of millions of dollars to invest in WLD as a reserve asset.
📈 These numbers draw attention. But the real issue is not financial: we are witnessing the practical emergence of distributed trust.
🎥 World project video
📄 My academic article in Procedia Computer Science (ScienceDirect)
What is at stake?
World symbolizes the shift toward a model where distributed trust moves from concept to practice.
More than debating risks, we must recognize the opportunity: to codify trust in an open, verifiable, and shared ledger, accessible to all.
This is about transforming digital trust into a shared benefit, reducing reliance on centralized authorities and opaque intermediaries.
Why it matters now
In the previous edition of this newsletter, I emphasized that “trust allows society to function in peace.”
World shows how trust can now be inscribed into code at a global scale.
This is not just a theoretical debate—it is unfolding in the present. And the risks of not innovating are greater than those of moving forward: exclusion, opacity, and asymmetries of power would remain.
The guiding thread
I have argued that digital trust must be built on decentralization, transparency, and ethics embedded in the technological architecture itself.
Now, with World, this vision becomes both timely and urgent.
Conclusion
The future of digital trust will not be decided only in markets or by algorithms — it will be decided by the ethical values we choose to codify.
🌍 The challenge is clear: to transform digital trust into a common good through distribution and transparency.
The future of trust is being codified now.