The World project marks a return to the U.S. market after regulatory challenges and suspensions in multiple countries
Sam Altman’s identity-focused crypto project, World, has launched in six major U.S. cities, marking its debut in the American market.
The rollout of the project, formerly known as Worldcoin, includes Atlanta, Austin, Los Angeles, Miami, Nashville, and San Francisco, where users can verify their identity through iris-scanning Orbs and access the platform’s crypto tools.
The company announced the launch on April 30, inviting users to confirm their humanity using its biometric verification device and unlock access to WLD tokens via the World App.
World returns home after global setbacks and regulatory delays
World was co-founded in 2019 by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and initially operated internationally under the name Worldcoin.
The project aims to create a secure and scalable system for proving personhood online using blockchain and biometric authentication.
It has grown to over 26 million users worldwide, including 12 million verified through its Orb devices.
The platform’s expansion worldwide has triggered scrutiny abroad. Regulators in multiple countries raised concerns over the collection and storage of biometric data.
Spain and Portugal suspended World’s operations in 2024, citing privacy risks, lack of transparency, and questions around informed consent.
Similarly, the company previously avoided the U.S. market due to regulatory uncertainty around distributing its WLD token.
That hesitation appears to have shifted amid a more favorable policy landscape under President Donald Trump’s crypto-friendly administration.
Visa and Tinder lead early adoption of World ID in the U.S.
Alongside the U.S. rollout, World announced new strategic partnerships aimed at expanding its utility.
Visa has teamed up with the company to release a World-branded Visa card later this year, enabling Orb-verified users to make payments using WLD tokens.
Match Group, owner of Tinder, Hinge, and other dating apps, plans to pilot World ID to help verify users on its platforms.
Other partners include Kalshi, a regulated prediction market platform, and Morpho, a decentralized lending protocol.
World ID 2.0 is also now supported on major services, including Minecraft, Reddit, Telegram, Shopify, and Discord.
Through the World App, verified users can access a growing suite of features in finance, social media, and online authentication.
