Sam Altman's Worldcoin project officially launches in the U.S., offering $WLD tokens to users creating World IDs

Worldcoin's Orbs will be available for iris scans at physical "World Space" locations in the six launch cities, as well as in Razer stores.

Sam Altman's digital identity and cryptocurrency initiative, known as Worldcoin, has officially launched in six major U.S. cities.

The project, which uses spherical biometric devices called "Orbs" to scan users' irises and issue unique digital IDs, is now operating in Atlanta, Austin, Los Angeles, Miami, Nashville, and San Francisco.

At these locations, new users who complete an iris scan will receive 16 WLD tokens as an onboarding incentive. Those who previously downloaded and registered with the World App in the U.S. will receive a larger "pioneer grant" of 150 WLD tokens dropped into their wallet.

World aims to deploy 7,500 Orbs across the United States by the end of 2025. To support this expansion, the company is constructing a new manufacturing facility in Richardson, Texas, to produce Orbs domestically and reduce supply chain dependencies.

Several partnerships are also in place to expand the utility of World ID. A partnership with Visa will see a debit card released later this year that converts WLD tokens to fiat currency at checkout points. In the dating space, a partnership with Match Group will see age verification systems piloted on apps like Tinder.

World ID will be added as an account verification option, potentially reducing fake profiles and improving safety. Gaming company Razer has also partnered with World to integrate World ID for player identity verification and account security.

The company's flagship cryptocurrency, WLD, is currently available for trading on major exchanges such as Coinbase, Binance, and Huobi. It is a token used for governance, staking, and consumption in the Worldcoin economy.

The World App has also undergone major enhancements. Users can now access crypto-backed loans through Morpho, engage in decentralized prediction markets powered by Kalshi, and utilize the newly integrated Visa debit card.

The company announced these developments at a press event in San Francisco called "At Last," where Sam Altman, chairman of Tools for Humanity, appeared alongside CEO Alex Blania.

World's Orbs will be available for iris scans at physical "World Space" locations in the six launch cities, as well as in Razer stores. The company has updated the Orb's physical design and teased a smaller "orb mini" that resembles a smartphone.

To date, World's Orbs have verified 12 million humans from over 100 countries on its Ethereum-based World Chain. This makes it one of the largest crypto projects globally, despite facing regulatory challenges and probes in several countries.

The timing of the U.S. launch appears strategic. Adrian Ludwig, chief architect at Tools for Humanity, noted that regulatory changes influenced their decision to enter the U.S. market now.

Trump administration officials have taken a more favorable stance toward cryptocurrencies compared to the previous administration, opening up opportunities for projects like Worldcoin.

However, despite its growth, World continues to face criticism over its use of sensitive biometric data. Critics argue that even anonymized biometric information could be vulnerable to misuse or breaches.

Several countries, including Spain, Portugal, Hong Kong, South Korea, and France, have blocked, probed, or fined the project over security and privacy concerns.

In response, World maintains that it does not store raw biometric data and has implemented advanced cryptographic protections to secure users' personal identifiers. Ludwig emphasized that all biometric data collected is anonymous.

Regulatory challenges remain a hurdle, especially in the United States. WLD tokens are currently restricted in New York State due to unresolved legal and compliance issues.

Altman, who is also CEO of OpenAI, sees World as a solution to problems created by advanced AI. As AI becomes better at mimicking human interaction, tools to verify human identity become more crucial.

"It's a way to make sure humans remained central and special in a world where the internet had a lot of AI-driven content," Altman said at the launch event.

The company has raised about $200 million from venture capitalists including Andreessen Horowitz and Khosla Ventures, as well as from LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman and FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried.

Ludwig estimates that in "18 months or so we will begin to see the costs of operating the network begin to be offset by the fees that are generated by the network."

Until then, World remains unprofitable as it builds out its infrastructure and user base.