Sam Altman’s cryptocurrency and digital identity project, Worldcoin—now operating under the name “World”—has officially launched in the U.S. Backed by the OpenAI CEO, the initiative uses iris-scanning technology to authenticate individuals as unique humans. Upon verification, users receive a “World ID” and, in some regions, the project’s native token, WLD.
The U.S. rollout includes “World Spaces” in six cities: Atlanta, Austin, Los Angeles, Miami, Nashville, and San Francisco. These locations house the Orb, a specialized device that scans irises to create a unique IrisCode.
U.S. users who pre-registered for the World App have already received an airdrop of 150 WLD tokens.
World’s expansion comes with high-profile partnerships. A collaboration with Visa will bring the “World Visa Card” later this year, allowing WLD and other cryptocurrencies to be used wherever Visa is accepted.
Tinder, through a pilot in Japan, will use World ID for age verification, while Razer plans to adopt it for more secure gaming experiences.
World aims to build a global “proof-of-humanity” infrastructure that differentiates humans from AI and bots online. It asserts strong privacy safeguards, deleting original biometric data and employing zero-knowledge proofs to keep users in control.
Despite facing privacy-related scrutiny abroad, the project maintains its system is secure and user-centric. With this U.S. debut, World takes a major step toward establishing digital trust and utility for its identity and token ecosystem.
Finally, as the World tackles online identity with iris scans and blockchain, aiming to boost trust and inclusion. But its biometric methods and crypto rewards raise privacy concerns. Its future hinges on balancing bold innovation with ethical oversight.
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