Sam Altman’s Eye-Scanning World Crypto Project Launches in U.S. Cities

To encourage signups, the project offers users cryptocurrency in the form of WLD tokens. New U.S. users who scan their irises with a World orb receive 16 WLD tokens as a sign-up reward. Additionally, early adopters, referred to as “pioneers,” are eligible for a retroactive grant of 150 tokens. These tokens can be stored in the World App and used for payments, investing, or other financial services.

World's app ecosystem is expanding rapidly to support the growth. The team has announced upcoming features, including crypto-backed loans, on-chain prediction markets, and a Visa debit card that will allow users to convert WLD tokens into fiat currency for everyday purchases.

The company has set its sights on a full-scale U.S. rollout with plans to deploy 7,500 orbs nationwide by the end of 2025. To support this expansion, a dedicated manufacturing facility is under construction in Richardson, Texas. Once operational, the facility will streamline orb production and distribution, reducing reliance on third-party manufacturers.

The U.S. launch follows previous pilot programs conducted in Europe, Asia, and Latin America, where hundreds of thousands of users registered for World IDs. The project currently claims over 4 million verified users globally.

While Altman’s vision is futuristic, the project has drawn significant criticism from privacy advocates, policymakers, and even some blockchain purists. Concerns center on the collection of sensitive biometric data and the potential for surveillance or misuse, especially given Altman's ties to OpenAI and the broader AI industry.

In response, World has emphasized that iris scans are not stored and that biometric data is converted into an encrypted code that cannot be reverse-engineered. The company maintains that the system is fully anonymous, and no personal information is linked to users’ World IDs beyond the unique cryptographic signature.

Beyond crypto, World is positioning its identity protocol for broader adoption across industries. Gaming hardware giant Razer is in talks to integrate World’s verification layer into its ecosystem to prevent bot-based exploits and cheating.

These integrations could turn World into a digital passport for the internet, a way to verify humanity in everything from e-commerce and AI model interactions to online voting and social media platforms.

One of the more visionary promises of World is its utility in combating AI-generated disinformation and impersonation. As deepfakes proliferate and generative AI tools mimic human behavior with increasing accuracy, Altman argues that a trusted “proof-of-personhood” protocol will be essential for future digital governance.

Despite skepticism, World continues to attract interest from both investors and technology leaders. Backed by Tools for Humanity, the project raised over $100 million in 2023 and has been endorsed by several venture capital firms.

Still, regulatory scrutiny may loom as U.S. lawmakers begin to examine biometric data practices more closely. With its national expansion just beginning, World will have to navigate not only logistical and technical hurdles but also the complex ethical landscape of identity in the digital age.