# World

> World (formerly Worldcoin) is building a global "proof of human" network for the AI age. Created by Tools for Humanity and co-founded by OpenAI's Sam Altman and CEO Alex Blania, World lets people prove they are a real, unique human online without revealing who they are. Users verify with the Orb, a custom iris-scanning device, and receive a private World ID plus access to the World App, World Chain (an Ethereum Layer 2), and the WLD token. The pitch is simple: as AI makes bots indistinguishable from people, the internet needs a privacy-preserving way to tell humans apart from machines.

- **Founded:** 2019
- **Headquarters:** San Francisco, United States (and Munich, Germany)
- **Founders:** Sam Altman (Co-founder & Chairman (also CEO of OpenAI)), Alex Blania (Co-founder & CEO, Tools for Humanity), Max Novendstern (Co-founder)
- **Team size:** Roughly 400-600 employees (Tools for Humanity)
- **Products:** World ID, The Orb, Orb Mini, World App, World Chain
- **Notable:** Verified roughly 25 million people on the network by February 2025, reaching ~33M World App users by September 2025, Launched World Chain, an Ethereum Layer 2 on the OP Stack, in October 2024, Rebranded from Worldcoin to World in October 2024 with a redesigned Orb

## Products & services

- **World ID** — An open, permissionless digital identity protocol that gives each verified person a private, reusable 'proof of human' using zero-knowledge proofs - so apps learn you're a unique human without learning who you are.
- **The Orb** — A custom iris-scanning hardware device that verifies humanness and uniqueness from images of the eyes and face, then deletes the raw images. Core components of its software are open source.
- **Orb Mini** — A portable, smartphone-sized verification device extending Orb access beyond fixed locations, with shipping beginning in 2026.
- **World App** — The first World-enabled wallet app: verify your World ID, hold WLD and other digital assets and stablecoins, send gas-free payments, and use private messaging.
- **World Chain** — An Ethereum Layer 2 built on the OP Stack that prioritizes transactions from verified humans and offers gas allowances to real people.
- **WLD Token** — World's native digital token, distributed to verified humans and used across the network for payments, governance, and rewards.

## Achievements

- Verified roughly 25 million people on the network by February 2025, reaching ~33M World App users by September 2025
- Launched World Chain, an Ethereum Layer 2 on the OP Stack, in October 2024
- Rebranded from Worldcoin to World in October 2024 with a redesigned Orb
- Opened US operations in 2025 across six cities with a Texas Orb manufacturing line
- Open-sourced core components of the Orb's software to address privacy and trust concerns
- Secured backing from a16z and Bain Capital Crypto, including a $135M token sale in May 2025

## Latest updates

- **2024-10** — Worldcoin rebrands to World, unveils a redesigned Orb, and launches World Chain (Ethereum L2 on the OP Stack).
- **2025-02** — Network reaches roughly 25 million people.
- **2025-05** — US launch with operations in six cities, Visa card, Stripe and Tinder/Match integrations; plans for 7,500 Orbs and a Texas factory; $135M token sale to a16z and Bain Capital Crypto.
- **2025-06** — USDC support added on World Chain for instant, regulated dollar transfers.
- **2025-09** — Reaches about 33M World App users with ~15M verified humans.
- **2026** — Orb Mini, a portable verification device, begins shipping.

## Links

- Website: https://world.org
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/worldofficial
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/worldcoin
- GitHub: https://github.com/worldcoin
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@worldnetwork
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/world/

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/world
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-06-11