Sam Altman’s Global Crypto Initiative Debuts in the US Featuring Eye-Scanning Orbs in Six Cities

Sam Altman’s blockchain initiative, known as World, is set to debut in the United States with plans to introduce 7,500 eye-scanning devices, referred to as “orbs,” across various cities by year-end.

These orbs, which have a chrome finish and resemble bowling balls, will scan users’ irises to verify their identity. Initially, access will be granted to individuals in six major cities identified as innovative hubs: Atlanta, Austin, Los Angeles, Miami, Nashville, and San Francisco. Participants will gain entry to the World app and receive an airdrop of the WLD token. Ultimately, the initiative aims to distribute sufficient orbs to potentially connect 180 million Americans to its platform.

During a press conference held in San Francisco, Altman and the leadership team from Tools for Humanity, which oversees the project, unveiled the expansion plans along with an array of new features and collaborations.

The World app will also introduce crypto-backed lending options through a protocol called Morpho and enable prediction markets using Kalshi. Later in the year, WLD token holders will be able to utilize their tokens as cash through a newly integrated Visa debit card linked to World. Furthermore, the project plans to incorporate its identity verification method into dating platforms, beginning with the renowned app Tinder in Japan, where it will verify users’ ages.

Altman revealed that the concept for World was conceived prior to the establishment of OpenAI, his generative AI company.

“The need for a reliable authentication method for humans arose in the context of a world influenced by artificial intelligence,” Altman stated at the press conference. “We sought a means to discern human-generated content from that produced by AI, ensuring that the human experience remained unique in an increasingly automated digital landscape.”

Altman described his initial thoughts on addressing human verification as “quite ambitious,” with World and the eye-scanning devices being a more grounded realization of those ideas.

World’s launch marks another step forward in the cryptocurrency sector’s expansion efforts in the U.S., especially given the increasingly favorable regulatory landscape since the start of President Trump’s administration.

To support the production of the orbs necessary for this rollout, the company has revealed plans to establish a factory in Richardson, Texas, a Dallas suburb. Following the initial deployment, additional orbs will be introduced in cities such as Seattle, Orlando, San Diego, and Las Vegas.

“They will indeed be ubiquitous,” remarked Alex Blania, co-founder of Tools for Humanity. “You will encounter them in gas stations, convenience stores, and the verification process will take less than 10 minutes, no matter your location.”