World digital identity project raises $52.5 million in locked token sale

World, the digital identity network co‑founded by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Tools for Humanity chief Alex Blania, completed a private sale of its WLD cryptocurrency that raised $52.5 million. The transaction was led by Pantera Capital and included investors such as Bain Capital Crypto, Susquehanna Crypto, Eightco Holdings and Selini Capital. All participants are subject to a 12‑month lock‑up period before they may sell or transfer the tokens.

Proceeds will be funneled to the World Foundation, a Cayman Islands‑based nonprofit that oversees the World network, to fund the expansion of World ID – a biometric, iris‑based proof‑of‑human system. The capital will support broader adoption of the technology, which has already been integrated with services like Tinder, Zoom and DocuSign, and further development of the Orb verification devices. The sale follows an earlier $135 million fundraising round in May 2025 and comes after a staffing reduction at Tools for Humanity.

World aims to help online platforms distinguish real users from AI‑generated accounts without revealing personal identities, addressing growing concerns about automated bot activity as generative AI proliferates.