Person holding smartphone with logo of cryptocurrency project Worldcoin in front of website. Source: Timon - stock.adobe.com

Key Takeaways:

World has launched in six major U.S. cities and announced a Visa partnership to enable crypto payments via a new “World Visa card.”
The project’s biometric World ID system is expanding to platforms like Tinder and Reddit to verify human identity online.
Despite global privacy concerns, World now claims 26M users, with 12M completing biometric scans; WLD surged 15% on launch news but remains down over 90% from March highs.

World, the biometric digital ID project backed by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, has officially launched in six major U.S. cities: Atlanta, Austin, Los Angeles, Miami, Nashville, and San Francisco.

The project uses a device called the Orb to scan users’ irises and faces in exchange for Worldcoin (WLD), its native cryptocurrency.

World is live in the USA. Verify your World ID in six key cities now. pic.twitter.com/cju65pn7L7
— World (@worldcoin) May 1, 2025

This data generates a World ID, which can verify human identity online and integrate with platforms like Reddit, Shopify, and Discord.

After previously avoiding a U.S. rollout due to regulatory concerns, World is moving forward amid what it sees as a more crypto-friendly stance under President Trump.

The company also announced a partnership with Visa to launch a crypto payment card later this year.

Match Group will pilot World ID in dating apps like Tinder to verify real users, while platforms like Kalshi and Morpho will integrate the ID into prediction markets and DeFi lending.

Despite global privacy concerns and suspensions in countries like Spain and Portugal, World claims 26 million users, with 12 million completing Orb scans.

WLD briefly surged 15%, but has since dropped over 5%, now trading just above $1.