"First Public Company Bets Big on Human Verification for AI Future"

Eightco Holdings Inc. has finalized a $270 million private placement, marking the first instance of a public company adopting Worldcoin (WLD) as a primary treasury reserve asset. The funding was led by MOZAYYX, with participation from notable institutional investors including BitMine Immersion (BMNR), which contributed $20 million, alongside World Foundation, Discovery Capital Management, GAMA, FalconX, Kraken, Pantera, GSR, Coinfund, Occam Crest, Diametric, Brevan Howard, and Wedbush. The proceeds will be used to acquire and hold WLD, with cash and Ethereum (ETH) serving as secondary reserves.

The transaction also led to a significant rebranding and structural shift for the company. Effective September 11, 2025, Eightco Holdings will trade under the new ticker symbol "ORBS" on Nasdaq, replacing "OCTO." Dan Ives, a prominent technology and AI analyst, has been appointed as Chairman of the Board. Ives emphasized the strategic importance of "Proof of Human" (PoH) technology in ensuring trust and verification in an AI-driven future. His appointment brings credibility to the company's pivot, aligning it with broader trends in digital identity and authentication.

Worldcoin's proprietary Orb technology, which utilizes iris-scanning for identity verification, forms the backbone of this strategy. The Orbs create a zero-knowledge (ZK) PoH mechanism that does not store biometric data on the blockchain, offering a privacy-preserving solution for verifying human users. This approach addresses a growing challenge in the digital economy: ensuring that online identities are genuinely human without compromising personal data. The company's move reflects a strategic bet on the long-term utility of WLD as AI and digital interactions become more prevalent.

The market has responded positively to the news. Eightco's stock surged over 3,000% on the day of the announcement, closing at $45.08. Worldcoin's price also rose sharply, increasing by 25% in the wake of the transaction. Analysts suggest that the investment in WLD represents a bold, high-risk, high-reward strategy that could significantly benefit Eightco if the token gains widespread adoption. However, the concentration of the company's financial health in WLD exposes it to risks tied to the token's performance, regulatory changes, and broader market volatility.

Institutional backing for Worldcoin has expanded beyond Eightco. The University of Engineering and Technology in Peru (UTEC) recently joined Worldcoin's anonymised multi-party computation (AMPC) network, strengthening the project's decentralized verification architecture. Additionally, the company reported over 530,000 new users verified in seven days, pushing its total to 33.5 million. These developments indicate growing traction for the project despite initial regulatory and privacy concerns.

The broader implications of Eightco's strategy highlight a shift in corporate treasury management. While companies like MicroStrategy have previously adopted Bitcoin as a reserve asset, Eightco is the first to prioritize a token designed for human verification in an AI-centric world. This move underscores the evolving role of blockchain in addressing real-world challenges such as digital identity and authentication. If successful, it could position Eightco as a key player in shaping the next generation of online trust and economic exchange.