Sam Altman’s Worldcoin Project Launches in 6 Major US Cities
Sam Altman’s Worldcoin project has officially launched across the United States, kicking off its U.S. expansion in six major cities: Atlanta, Austin, Los Angeles, Miami, Nashville, and San Francisco. With plans to deploy 7,500 iris-scanning orbs nationwide by the end of the year, the initiative aims to verify digital identity and distinguish real humans from AI bots using biometric technology.
Through these orbs, users in the launch cities can scan their irises to receive World ID verification and earn WLD tokens. These tokens are central to the project’s mission to build a proof-of-personhood system for the age of AI.
At a press event in San Francisco, Sam Altman emphasized the importance of maintaining human uniqueness in a digital world increasingly dominated by artificial intelligence. “We wanted a way to make sure that humans stayed special and central,” he said.
Alongside the launch, Worldcoin also unveiled several new features. Users can now access crypto-backed loans through Morpho, participate in prediction markets via Kalshi, and later this year, use a Visa card to spend WLD tokens or other digital assets.
A notable partnership with Match Group, the parent company of Tinder and other dating apps, will pilot World ID-based age verification in Japan, with potential global expansion in the future.
Despite its rapid growth, Worldcoin continues to face regulatory and privacy challenges in several countries, including Germany, Kenya, and Brazil. The company maintains that biometric data is used solely for identity verification and is not stored, as it seeks to address privacy concerns and ensure compliance worldwide.
