World Expands Iris-Scanning Tech to Six U.S. Cities, Partners with Visa, Match Group, Razer

World, formerly known as Worldcoin, has officially launched in six major U.S. cities, marking a significant expansion of its iris-scanning technology and cryptocurrency rewards program. The cities include Atlanta, Austin, Los Angeles, Miami, Nashville, and San Francisco. This launch follows the project's establishment in approximately 20 countries worldwide, with the goal of providing a reliable method for distinguishing humans from AI in an increasingly digital world.

New users who complete an iris scan at a World Orb location will receive 16 WLD tokens as an onboarding incentive. Early adopters who previously downloaded and registered with the World App in the U.S. will receive a larger “pioneer grant” of 150 WLD tokens. The company plans to deploy 7,500 Orbs across the United States by the end of 2025, with a new manufacturing facility in Richardson, Texas, to produce Orbs domestically and reduce supply chain dependencies.

World has secured several key partnerships to expand the utility of its technology. The company is working with Visa to release a debit card later this year that will convert WLD tokens to fiat currency at checkout points. In the dating space, World has partnered with Match Group to pilot age verification systems on apps like Tinder, potentially reducing fake profiles and improving safety. Gaming company Razer has also joined forces with World to integrate World ID for player identity verification and account security. These collaborations are part of World’s strategy to push the use of its ID system across multiple industries.

The World App has undergone major enhancements, allowing users to 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, who serves as chairman of Tools for Humanity (the company behind World), 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. The timing of the U.S. launch appears strategic, influenced by regulatory changes that have taken a more favorable stance toward cryptocurrencies. However, World continues to face scrutiny over its use of sensitive biometric data. Critics argue that even anonymized biometric information could be vulnerable to misuse or breaches. The project has been blocked, probed, or fined in several countries 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. The company has raised approximately $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. Despite its growth, World remains unprofitable as it builds out its infrastructure and user base. The company 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.”

Sam Altman, who is also CEO of OpenAI, sees World as a solution to problems created by advanced AI. As AI becomes more sophisticated 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. Regulatory challenges remain a hurdle, particularly in the United States, where WLD tokens are currently restricted in New York State due to unresolved legal and compliance issues.