Latest news with #WLD
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Sam Altman's Worldcoin Raises $135M, WLD Token Surges 25%
WLD token jumped 25%, trading at $1.55, within 24 hours of the announcement on May 21. The funding will scale Orb distribution in the U.S. and fuel global demand for verifiable digital identity amid the rise of AI Worldcoin, the digital identity project co-founded by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, has raised $135 million through a direct sale of its WLD token, according to the Worldcoin Foundation. Within 24 hours of the May 21 announcement, the token surged 25%, reaching a three-month high of approximately $1.55—up from an earlier dip below $1.24, according to Beincrypto. Trading volume also spiked past $1 billion, reflecting strong market interest and renewed momentum. Don't Miss: Hasbro, MGM, and Skechers trust this AI marketing firm — Maker of the $60,000 foldable home has 3 factory buildings, 600+ houses built, and big plans to solve housing — World Assets Ltd., a subsidiary of the Worldcoin Foundation, conducted the token sale. According to the Worldcoin Foundation, the token sale involved a direct purchase of WLD tokens at market prices by Andreessen Horowitz, or a16z, and Bain Capital Crypto, with "no venture-style lockups or discounts." The foundation said the transaction added over 100 million tokens to the circulating supply. The foundation clarified that the sale was not structured as a typical venture round but as a direct purchase of liquid tokens at market price, with no discounts. Worldcoin uses a proof-of-personhood model, where users scan their irises via the Orb in exchange for airdropped WLD tokens. These tokens can then be used within Worldcoin's in-app ecosystem, according to a Worldcoin whitepaper. Trending: 'Scrolling To UBI' — Deloitte's #1 fastest-growing software company allows users to earn money on their phones. As of May, the project reported over 26 million users, with 12.5 million having completed Orb-based verification. According to the foundation, the funding supports the World's long-term mission to provide scalable human verification tools in the age of artificial general intelligence. The network is expected to become one of the first self-sustaining protocols, driven in part by protocol fees. To meet growing demand, Worldcoin is rapidly scaling its Orb infrastructure across the U.S., with deployments already underway in Atlanta, Austin, Los Angeles, Miami, Nashville, and San Francisco, CNBC reported. The company plans to distribute 7,500 Orbs across the country by the end of the year, offering access to biometric verification for over 180 million Americans. A flagship storefront has been launched in San Francisco, and a Texas-based facility will support nationwide Orb production and distribution, including placement in gas stations and convenience stores. Despite these expansion efforts, Worldcoin faces regulatory pushback in multiple regions. Authorities in Spain, Indonesia, and Kenya have raised concerns over data privacy and biometric compliance, with some halting or investigating the project, CNN Horowitz and Bain Capital Crypto were among the earliest backers of Worldcoin, having previously invested in Tools for Humanity—the company developing the project—during a $115 million round led by Blockchain Capital in May 2023, according to Crunchbase. Their latest $135 million token purchase at full market price—despite a 90% price decline over the past 14 months—was seen by some as a bold vote of confidence. "A16z and Bain just bought $135 million of Worldcoin (WLD) at the current market price... a price that is down 90% over the past 14 months. I'm not sure I've ever seen something like that," said Matt Hougan, chief investment officer at Bitwise Asset Management, in a post on X. Read Next: Invest where it hurts — and help millions heal:. Inspired by Uber and Airbnb – Deloitte's fastest-growing software company is transforming 7 billion smartphones into income-generating assets – Image: Shutterstock UNLOCKED: 5 NEW TRADES EVERY WEEK. Click now to get top trade ideas daily, plus unlimited access to cutting-edge tools and strategies to gain an edge in the markets. Get the latest stock analysis from Benzinga? APPLE (AAPL): Free Stock Analysis Report TESLA (TSLA): Free Stock Analysis Report This article Sam Altman's Worldcoin Raises $135M, WLD Token Surges 25% originally appeared on © 2025 Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
Fox News
3 days ago
- Health
- Fox News
Biometric iris scanning launches in US cities for digital identity
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, known for creating ChatGPT, has launched World, a project that uses an eye scan to prove you are a real person online. The idea is to help people stand out from bots and AI by creating a digital ID with a quick scan from a device called the Orb. While Altman says this technology keeps humans central as AI advances, it also raises serious concerns about privacy and the security of sensitive biometric data, with critics and regulators questioning how this information will be used and protected. World ID relies on a device called the Orb, a spherical scanner that captures a person's iris pattern to generate a unique IrisCode. It stores the code on a blockchain-based platform, ensuring that users can verify their identity without revealing personal details. Once scanned, individuals receive their World ID, which can be used for authentication across various platforms where the World ID protocol has been integrated, including Reddit, Telegram and Shopify. Additionally, those who sign up are rewarded with WLD cryptocurrency as an incentive. They get the equivalent of $40 worth of tokens, which they can spend, exchange or share with other World ID holders. World ID is currently available in Austin, Texas, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Nashville, Tennessee, Miami and San Francisco, with plans to expand further. The company aims to deploy 7,500 Orb devices across the U.S. by the end of the year, targeting 180 million users. While the technology promises enhanced security, the debate over its privacy implications continues to grow. World ID has ambitious goals, but despite this, the project has faced significant backlash. Many people worry that storing eye scan data in a worldwide database could put their personal information at risk. Adding to the controversy, critics point out the irony of Sam Altman, whose company, OpenAI, contributes to the very AI challenges World ID aims to solve, being at the helm of this project. Governments in Spain, Argentina, Kenya and Hong Kong have either suspended or investigated the project due to concerns over excessive data collection. Furthermore, cybersecurity experts warn that once biometric data is linked to an identity system, it becomes irreversible, raising fears of potential surveillance. World ID helps prove that people online are real humans and not AI bots, something that is on the rise. In this AI-driven world, it can be an essential security measure to ensure the internet is a safer and more trustworthy place. Since the system is integrated with blockchain technology, it can definitely provide secure authentication across multiple platforms. However, the storage of sensitive biometric data in a global database will always raise concerns for many. Do you think the benefits of blockchain-based iris scanning technology outweigh its privacy implications? Let us know by writing us at For more of my tech tips and security alerts, subscribe to my free CyberGuy Report Newsletter by heading to Follow Kurt on his social channels: Answers to the most-asked CyberGuy questions: New from Kurt: Copyright 2025 All rights reserved.
Business Mayor
5 days ago
- Business
- Business Mayor
Altcoins surge! XMR, AAVE, and WLD outperform as Bitcoin holds support
Bitcoin, at press time, was consolidating above $109,000, showing resilience within the upper Bollinger Band range. The RSI was at at 67.71 – hovering near overbought territory – A sign of strong bullish momentum without immediate signs of exhaustion. Meanwhile, the OBV remained flat – A sign of a pause in buying pressure, despite recent gains. Source: TradingView This steady range-trading in Bitcoin has opened the door for capital rotation into altcoins like XMR, AAVE, and WLD. With BTC holding support and volatility compressing across the board, traders might be increasingly willing to chase higher returns in riskier assets. Especially since Bitcoin serves as a stable anchor for the market. WLD breaks out, but… Worldcoin has climbed by over 35% in the past two weeks, consolidating above $1.43 with its bullish momentum still intact. The RSI was at 63.94 at press time, reflecting steady upward pressure without overbought signals. However, the CMF remained slightly negative, indicating a potential drop in sustained buying power. Source: TradingView This, after the broader privacy coin sector advanced by over 3%, pushing its combined valuation past $10 billion. While the sector-wide rally did offer some respite, WLD's muted on-chain flows do raise some questions about whether it can maintain its gains without stronger capital inflows. XMR hits overdrive, but is a cool-off coming? Monero surged to $411, mirroring the broader privacy coin rally that pushed the sector past a $10 billion valuation. However, its daily RSI soared to 81.86 – firmly in overbought territory – raising caution about a potential short-term correction. The MACD was bullish, with wide separation between signal lines, reinforcing the strength of the uptrend. Source: TradingView Still, the slight dip in daily volume hinted at waning momentum. While XMR has clearly benefited from the privacy coin narrative, traders may want to brace for consolidation or a retest unless fresh catalysts emerge to support sustained vertical price action. Read More Lido breaks out: Is $4 the next target for LDO? AAVE joins the rally, but signs hinted at exhaustion AAVE climbed to $267, extending gains from its mid-May breakout and riding the sector-wide upswing in privacy and DeFi-linked tokens. However, with the RSI at 71.57, the asset entered overbought territory – Often a precursor to short-term pullbacks. Source: TradingView Despite solid momentum and higher lows supporting the uptrend, the recent string of small-bodied candles alluded to indecision creeping in. With volume slightly falling too, bulls may need a fresh catalyst to sustain the climb. A brief consolidation phase could be healthy, especially after the nearly 80% rally seen over the past month.
Crypto Insight
6 days ago
- Business
- Crypto Insight
Is World's biometric ID model a threat to self-sovereignty?
The crypto industry is no stranger to controversy, yet few projects have drawn more scrutiny than Sam Altman's World, formerly known as Worldcoin. Promising to verify human uniqueness through iris scans and distribute its WLD token globally, World positions itself as a tool for financial inclusion. However, critics argue the project's biometric methods are invasive, overly centralized, and at odds with the ethos of decentralization and digital privacy. At the heart of the critique is the claim that biometric identity systems cannot be truly decentralized when they rely on proprietary hardware, closed authentication methods, and centralized control over data pipelines. 'Decentralization isn't just a technical architecture,' Shady El Damaty, co-founder of Holonym Foundation, told Cointelegraph. 'It's a philosophy that prioritizes user control, privacy, and self-sovereignty. World's biometric model is inherently at odds with this ethos.' El Damaty argued that despite using tools like multiparty computation (MPC) and zero-knowledge (ZK) proofs, World's reliance on custom hardware — the Orb — and centralized code deployment undermines the decentralization it claims to champion. 'This is by design to achieve their goals of uniquely identifying individual humans. This concentration of power risks creating a single point of failure and control, undermining the very promise of decentralization,' he said. When reached out for comment, a spokesperson for World pushed back against these claims. 'World does not use centralized biometric infrastructure,' they said, adding that the World App is non-custodial, meaning users remain in control of their digital assets and World IDs. The project said once the Orb generates an iris code, the 'iris photo will be sent as an end-to-end encrypted data bundle to your phone and will be immediately deleted from the Orb.' The iris code, they claimed, is processed with anonymizing multiparty computation so 'no personal data is stored.' Evin McMullen, co–founder of Privado ID and said that World's biometric model is not 'inherently incompatible' with decentralization but faces some challenges in implementation around data centralization, trust assumptions, and governance. A pattern of tech overreach? El Damaty also drew a parallel between OpenAI's large-scale scraping of 'unconsented user data' and World's collection of biometric information. He argued that both reflect a pattern of aggressive data acquisition framed as innovation, warning that such practices risk eroding privacy and normalizing surveillance under the banner of progress. 'The irony here is hard to miss,' El Damaty claimed. 'OpenAI built its foundation by scraping vast amounts of unconsented user data to train its models, and now Worldcoin is taking that same aggressive data acquisition approach into the realm of biometric identity.' In 2023, a class-action lawsuit filed in California accused OpenAI and Microsoft of scraping 300 billion words from the internet without consent, including personal data from millions of users, such as children. In 2024, a coalition of Canadian media outlets, including The Canadian Press and CBC, sued OpenAI for allegedly using their content without authorization to train ChatGPT, claiming copyright infringement. World, however, rejects this comparison, emphasizing that it is a separate entity from OpenAI. The company said that it neither sells nor stores personal data, citing its use of privacy-preserving technologies such as multiparty computation and zero-knowledge proofs. The scrutiny also extends to World's user onboarding. The project says it ensures informed consent through translated guides, an in-app Learn module, brochures, and a Help Center. However, critics remain skeptical. 'People in developing nations, who World… has mainly been targeting up until this point, are easier to bribe and often don't understand the risks involved with 'selling' this personal data,' El Damaty warned. 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. In the most recent setback, the company faced challenges in Indonesia after local regulators temporarily suspended its registration certificates on May 5. The risk of digital exclusion As biometric systems like World's gain traction, questions are emerging about its long-term implications. While the company promotes its model as inclusive, critics say the reliance on iris scans to unlock services could deepen global inequality. 'When biometric data becomes a prerequisite for accessing basic services, it effectively creates a two-tiered society,' said El Damaty. 'Those willing (or coerced) into giving up their most sensitive information gain access… while those who refuse… are excluded.' World maintained that its protocol does not require biometric enrollment for basic participation. 'You can still use an unverified World ID for some purposes even if you do not visit an Orb,' it said, adding that the system uses ZKPs to prevent linking actions back to any specific ID or biometric data. There are also concerns that World could become a surveillance tool — especially in authoritarian regimes — by centralizing biometric data in a way that may attract misuse by powerful actors. World dismisses these claims, asserting that its ID protocol is 'open source, permissionless,' and designed so even government applications cannot tie back a user's activity to their biometric data. The debate also extends to governance. While World says its protocol is moving toward greater decentralization — highlighting open-source contributions and the governance section of its white paper — critics argues that meaningful user ownership is still lacking. 'We need to build systems that allow individuals to prove their humanity without creating centralized repositories of biometric or personal data,' said El Damaty. 'This means embracing zero-knowledge proofs, decentralized governance, and open standards that empower individuals, not corporations.' The need for secure identity systems The urgency behind developing secure identity systems isn't without merit. As artificial intelligence grows more sophisticated, the lines between human and non-human actors online are blurring. 'Risks at the nexus of AI and identity are not limited to any one kind of government system or region,' Privado ID's McMullen said. She claimed that without reliable verification for both humans and AI agents, digital ecosystems face growing threats—from misinformation and fraud to national security vulnerabilities. 'This is a national security nightmare, where unaccountable, unverifiable non-human actors may now be able to engage with global systems and networks, and legacy systems are not built for these types of verification and contextual logic,' McMullen added. Source:
Arabian Post
6 days ago
- Business
- Arabian Post
Worldcoin Token Climbs Amidst Strategic Expansion and Investor Confidence
Worldcoin's native token, WLD, experienced a significant surge in value, climbing over 10% following a substantial $135 million fundraising round led by prominent venture capital firms Andreessen Horowitz and Bain Capital Crypto. This influx of capital underscores growing investor confidence in the project's vision of establishing a global, decentralised identity verification system. The fundraising success coincides with Worldcoin's strategic expansion into new markets. Notably, the introduction of its World ID verification system in Poland has garnered attention. Residents in Warsaw can now utilise the project's 'Orb' biometric device to verify their identities, a move aimed at enhancing digital interactions and privacy. This development aligns with Worldcoin's broader mission to differentiate humans from AI bots in the digital realm. Market analysts attribute the token's price surge to a combination of factors, including the successful fundraising, the expansion into Poland, and the broader adoption of Worldcoin's technologies. The token's trading volume also saw a notable increase, reflecting heightened investor interest. ADVERTISEMENT However, the project's rapid growth has not been without scrutiny. Regulatory bodies in various countries have raised concerns about privacy and data protection, leading to investigations and, in some cases, suspension of operations. Despite these challenges, Worldcoin continues to pursue its goal of creating a universal digital identity system, leveraging biometric technology and blockchain infrastructure.
