World Launches 7,500 Eye-Scanning Orbs in U.S. Cities
2min read Sam Altman’s blockchain project, World, has launched in the U.S. with an ambitious plan to deploy 7,500 eye-scanning orbs in six key cities by the end of the year. These cities include Atlanta, Austin, Los Angeles, Miami, Nashville, and San Francisco. The orbs, which are chrome, bowling ball-shaped devices, are designed to scan a person’s eyeballs to confirm their identity. This initiative aims to provide access to World’s network for over 180 million Americans, more than half the population.
The launch was announced at a press conference in San Francisco, where Altman and other executives from World’s parent company, Tools for Humanity, unveiled a range of new features and partnerships. The World app will now offer users access to crypto-backed loans through non-custodial lending protocol Morpho and prediction markets through Kalshi. Additionally, later this year, WLD token holders will be able to spend their tokens like cash with a new World-linked visa debit card. The project is also integrating its identity-verification technology into some online dating apps, starting with Tinder users in Japan, where online dating giant match group will pilot using World ID to verify the ages of its users.
Altman revealed that the idea for World predated his generative artificial intelligence (AI) company, OpenAI. He explained that the project was conceived as a solution to authenticate humans in the age of artificial general intelligence, ensuring that content created by humans could be distinguished from AI-generated content. Altman described his initial ideas for solving the problem of human verification as “very crazy,” but World and its eye-scanning orbs represent a more practical approach.
World’s expansion into the U.S. is part of a broader trend of crypto projects announcing their entry into the American market. The regulatory environment has become more favorable for such projects, facilitating their growth and development. To support this expansion, World is building a factory in Richardson, Texas, to produce the necessary orbs. Following the initial rollout, other major cities, including Seattle, Orlando, San Diego, and Las Vegas, will receive the second wave of orbs. Alex Blania, Tools for Humanity’s co-founder, emphasized the widespread availability of these orbs, stating that they will be accessible in gas stations, convenience stores, and other locations, allowing users to verify their identity within 10 minutes wherever they are.
World’s “Proof of Human” identity verification system is a novel approach in the blockchain space. By using eye-scanning technology, the project aims to create a decentralized and secure identity verification system that enhances the security of digital transactions and ensures that each user is a unique individual. This focus on innovation and security underscores World’s commitment to advancing the blockchain industry. The deployment of 7,500 orbs by the end of the year indicates a strong commitment to expanding the project’s reach and impact, targeting key tech hubs and urban centers where the demand for secure and innovative identity verification solutions is high.
