Sam Altman’s World Launches in the US with WLD Token Rewards

After years of global testing and controversy, World—a biometric identity project backed by Sam Altman—is officially launching in the United States, according to an April 30 announcement. 

Starting Thursday, the company will operate flagship sign-up centers in six major cities: Austin, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Nashville, Miami, and San Francisco.

At these locations, individuals can get their irises scanned using a metallic orb-like device in exchange for free $WLD tokens, the project’s native cryptocurrency. The goal is to build a decentralized identity system that proves a person is real—and human—without storing their personal data.

How Does World Work?

Worldcoin was co-founded in 2019 by Sam Altman, best known as the CEO of OpenAI, and has evolved into one of the most talked-about experiments in the crypto and identity space.

Here’s the basic process:

1. A person walks up to an Orb, a spherical biometric scanner.
2. It scans the person’s iris and face in under 30 seconds.
3. The scan generates a unique IrisCode—a digital signature verifying that this is a real, unique human being.
4. Once verified, the user receives $WLD tokens and a World ID.

The World ID can then be used to sign in to various platforms like Reddit, Minecraft, Discord, Shopify, and Telegram, functioning as a kind of passport for the internet.

Strategic Partnerships: Visa and Tinder Join In

At a San Francisco launch event, World unveiled two major partnerships aimed at expanding its reach:

• Visa will launch a World Visa card later this year, available only to users who have verified their identity via an iris scan.
• Match Group, the parent company of Tinder, will test World ID for age verification in Japan, potentially making online dating safer and more trustworthy.

Although Sam Altman attended the launch, World representatives confirmed that there are no current plans to integrate with OpenAI. 

Regulatory Caution Delayed U.S. Entry

When World launched globally in July 2023, the U.S. was notably excluded due to regulatory uncertainty. Altman and Tools for Humanity CEO Alex Blania wrote that they hoped the U.S. would eventually clarify its stance to allow more people to access both World ID and WLD tokens.

Under the new U.S. administration, crypto regulations have loosened. Agencies like the SEC and CFTC have stepped back from aggressive crypto enforcement. The DOJ even disbanded its crypto crimes unit. Major cases against firms like Coinbase, Ripple, and Uniswap have been dropped.

This regulatory shift has invited other companies like OKX and Nexo to re-enter the American market. World is now joining that return wave.

A Vision for Online Identity

World’s mission goes beyond just giving away crypto. It wants to build a global proof-of-personhood system. 

As AI-generated content floods the web and deepfakes grow more sophisticated, Altman believes biometric ID could protect the internet’s core integrity. A World ID could become a digital passport, helping verify age, prevent fraud, and secure access to financial and social services.

The Road Ahead

World has attracted hundreds of millions of dollars in venture capital and is clearly aiming for mass adoption. But whether Americans will trade an eye scan for tokens remains to be seen.

If successful, the launch could mark a turning point not just for the project, but for decentralized identity, crypto accessibility, and how we prove personhood in the AI era.

Altman’s team is betting that digital identity and digital currency can go hand in hand—and that people will accept the tradeoff of biometric data for online security and economic incentive.