Sam Altman’s World Raises $52.5M Through Crypto Token Sale

World, the online verification startup co-founded by OpenAI’s Sam Altman, raised $52.5 million through a crypto token sale to strategic investors. Participating investors joined a 12-month lockup sale of World’s WLD token, meaning buyers cannot sell or trade the tokens during that set period.

The company said the lockup reflects investors’ long-term commitment to World’s growth and utility. The sale gives the project fresh capital as it continues building around identity verification and crypto infrastructure.

The proceeds will go to the World Foundation, an exempted limited guarantee foundation based in the Cayman Islands. The foundation was created to steward the expansion of World’s network.

Pantera Capital led the sale, according to the report. Other participants included Eightco Holdings, Bain Capital Crypto, Susquehanna Crypto, Selini Capital, and others.

World is built around online verification and what it calls “proof of human” tools. Its central idea is that as bots and AI generate more online content, services may need better ways to confirm whether a real person is behind an account.

The company’s World ID is described as an anonymous digital marker that verifies a human rather than a bot or AI agent. To receive the highest level of verification, users must scan their eyes with an Orb, a metallic device that converts an iris into a distinct cryptographic identifier.

The project began as the more overtly crypto-focused Worldcoin, which is also the name of the crypto asset involved in the sale. Users can trade or hold the token through World’s app, which also functions as a custodial wallet.

World later rebranded amid broader backlash against the crypto industry. In April, it launched a new version of its app and announced partnerships with companies including Tinder, Zoom, and Docusign, while the report notes that World has also struggled to scale and convince consumers to care about its mission.