Worldcoin’s latest hardware, the Orb Mini, aimed at enabling portable human verification, has been met with ridicule across Crypto Twitter.

Launched with the slogan “It goes where you go,” the device has instead triggered dystopian comparisons and widespread mockery for its unsettling implications and unclear use case.

“The thing about humans is they can tell when a human is in front of them,” Alicia Katz from decentralized finance (DeFi) lending platform Euler Finance wrote on X.

“When something is slightly off, they can experience the uncanny valley, an uncomfortable feeling similar to when your date tries to scan your eyeball,” she added.

Another user quipped, “Is this so you can register your friends?” likening the device to a sci-fi prop rather than a serious identity solution.

Source: Alicia Katz

The Orb Mini is a portable iris-scanning device that creates a unique World ID for users stored on the blockchain. Resembling a smartphone with visible eye sensors, it’s a smaller, more accessible version of Worldcoin’s original Orb.

Unveiled at the “At Last” event in San Francisco on April 30, the device is part of a broader push by Tools for Humanity, which also plans to roll out 7,500 Orb units across the US by year-end.

Related: Sam Altman’s eye-scanning crypto project World launches in US

Crypto users question Orb Mini’s practicality

Several prominent voices raised concerns over security, ethics, and basic practicality.

“What real-life problem does this solve?” one user asked, while others mocked its vulnerability to spoofing, with one tweet suggesting the device “could be fooled by a half-decent AI render of a human.”

In the same thread, one user sarcastically recommended a “rectal probe” for more secure identity checks, claiming, “Every human’s anal print is unique.”

Critics also slammed the device’s social implications. Swan Bitcoin CEO Cory Klippsten called the Orb Mini a “creepy dystopia-shilling” tool, suggesting the product reflects insecurity among its creators rather than solving any real trust issue.

Source: Cory Klippsten

Related: Brazil’s data watchdog upholds ban on World crypto payments

Worldcoin faces resistance

Worldcoin’s push to make biometric identity tools mainstream continues to face resistance, especially as privacy advocates raise questions about decentralization, surveillance, and bodily autonomy.

On May 5, the company, backed by Sam Altman’s Tools for Humanity, faced challenges in Indonesia after local regulators temporarily suspended its registration certificates.

Several global regulators have pushed back on World’s operations since its launch in July 2023, with governments like Germany, Kenya and Brazil expressing concerns over potential risks to the security of users’ biometric data.

Magazine: Bitcoin eyes ‘crazy numbers,’ JD Vance set for Bitcoin talk: Hodler’s Digest, May 4 – 10

Hackers drained over $2.15 million from Mobius Token ($MBU) smart contracts on the BNB Chain in a targeted exploit detected early May 11, according to security firm Cyvers Alerts.

The attacker deployed the contract from address 0xb32a53… at 07:31:38 UTC and initiated the exploit at 07:33:56 UTC, draining funds from the victim wallet 0xb5252f…

Cyvers confirmed to Cointelegraph that the attacker used contract 0x631adf… to execute a series of malicious transactions. The smart contract drained 28.5 million MBU tokens and converted them into stablecoins, resulting in a net loss of $2,152,219.99 for the victim.

In total, the attacker stole 28.5 million MBU tokens and converted them to $2.15 million worth of USDT.

Cyvers labeled the exploit as “critical” and noted the attacker’s use of suspicious contract code and abnormal transaction patterns.

The attacker’s wallet remains active and has retained the stolen funds as of publication. Mobius Token’s team has not yet released an official statement.

“Two minutes prior to the exploit, our system identified a deployment of a malicious smart contract that eventually targeted the Mobius Token smart contracts,” Cyvers wrote on X.

Source: Cyvers Alerts

Related: Bybit hacker launders 100% of stolen $1.4B crypto in 10 days

Crypto losses near $360 million in April 

In April 2025, blockchain security firm PeckShield reported that the space saw nearly $360 million in digital assets stolen across 18 hacking incidents. 

April’s losses show a 990% increase compared to March, when crypto lost to hacks totalled about $33 million. The largest chunk of the losses came from an unauthorized Bitcoin transfer. 

On April 28, blockchain investigator ZachXBT flagged a suspicious transfer of $330 million in BTC. The investigator later confirmed that the transfer was a social engineering attack targeting an elderly individual in the United States. 

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Altcoin markets are flashing early signs of a breakout, with several analysts calling for a potential surge over the next few months.

Crypto commentator Mister Crypto predicts the next 3 to 6 months could be “life-changing,” suggesting daily gains of up to 40% may soon become the norm.

In a May 11 post on X, he pointed to a chart from BlockchainCenter.net that shows whether the crypto market favors Bitcoin (BTC) or altcoins.

When the index is below 25, it’s considered “Bitcoin Season,” meaning Bitcoin is outperforming most altcoins. When it’s above 75, it’s “Altcoin Season,” meaning altcoins are doing better than Bitcoin.

Currently, the chart shows a breakout from a downward trend just below the 29 mark, suggesting a possible shift away from Bitcoin dominance. This breakout hints that altcoins may start gaining momentum, potentially entering a period where they outperform Bitcoin.

Source: Mister Crypto

Related: Chance of Bitcoin price highs above $110K in May increasing — Here’s why

This Altseason may be different

Others see the rally but warn it’s not the same as previous cycles. Analyst 2Lambroz agrees that the altseason may have arrived but says the dynamics have changed.

“People want to bid but lack belief in any strong narrative,” he wrote on X. He noted that unlike 2021, there’s no sign of retail investors entering the market. Traders are rotating capital faster, with little incentive to hold long-term positions.

Technical trader Moustache offered a more optimistic view. He shared a chart showing repeating altcoin accumulation phases followed by explosive growth. According to him, the current structure mirrors those of 2016 and 2020. “Altseason 2025 has officially begun,” he said.

However, skeptics remain. Commentator Rekt Fencer pointed out that most altcoins have been down 90% since December. A modest 10% bounce this week sparked exaggerated optimism, prompting him to mock the rally. “This is the ALTSEASON we’ve all been waiting for,” he joked.

Source: Rekt Fencer

Related: Bitcoin ‘more likely’ to hit $110K before $76.5K — Arthur Hayes

Crypto market rallies on global optimism

Crypto markets started the weekend with strong bullish momentum, driven by renewed investor confidence. Bitcoin surged to $104,900, just 4% below its all-time high after President Donald Trump announced positive developments in US-China trade talks.

The rally extended beyond Bitcoin, with Ether (ETH) posting one of its best daily performances in weeks. Memecoins also rebounded sharply, signaling renewed risk appetite across the broader altcoin market.

“Crypto rallied on a wave of global optimism,” Hank Huang, CEO of Kronos Research, told Cointelegraph. “Ceasefire talks between India and Pakistan eased regional tensions, while news on U.S.-China trade tariffs signaled renewed cooperation between major economies.”

Huang added that Ether’s strong rally added fuel, lifting altcoins across the board. “Bitcoin surged to $105K as investors returned to risk assets, clarity replaced uncertainty,” he noted.

Magazine: Bitcoin eyes ‘crazy numbers,’ JD Vance set for Bitcoin talk: Hodler’s Digest, May 4 – 10