World Launches in Six U.S. Cities, Expands Digital Identity Network With Visa and Tinder Partnerships

World, the blockchain-based identity verification project co-founded by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, officially launched in the United States this week, marking a major milestone in its global rollout. The initiative—which has now verified over 12 million people in 100+ countries—brings its iris-scanning Orbs to six major U.S. cities and introduces new partnerships aimed at expanding its digital ID ecosystem.

Beginning April 30, Americans can visit World Spaces or select partner locations in Atlanta, Austin, Los Angeles, Miami, Nashville, and San Francisco to scan their irises and receive a World ID, a unique digital credential designed to verify humanity in an age increasingly dominated by AI.

“The United States stands at the forefront of artificial intelligence innovation,” the company stated. “Now, it’s time for the world’s AI hub to embrace the essential counterpart: proof of human.”

The rollout includes more than 7,000 orbs across retail and standalone centers, including in Razer stores. Users who complete the scan through the World App will receive an airdrop of 16 WLD, the platform’s native token. Early registrants may also qualify for a “pioneer grant” of 150 WLD, according to the company.

Built for Privacy and Scale

Backed by the startup Tools for Humanity, World has emphasized that its system is “private by design.” According to Chief Architect and CISO Adrian Ludwig, personal data is not stored centrally but rather encrypted and divided among multiple parties to minimize risk.

“For consumers, they don’t want to think about this technology,” Ludwig said. “What they want to think about is: ‘I want to be dating real people.’”

The project uses advanced cryptography, including zero-knowledge proofs and anonymized multi-party computation, to validate users’ uniqueness while preserving anonymity.

Visa Card, Tinder Pilot, and New Use Cases

In addition to the U.S. launch, World unveiled two high-profile partnerships. A new World Visa Card—developed in collaboration with Visa—will allow users to make payments using WLD or other digital assets, with automatic fiat conversion at checkout. The card will be available later this year, but only to users verified with a World ID.

World is also teaming up with Match Group, the parent company of Tinder, to pilot identity verification within the dating app. The goal is to reduce fake accounts and improve trust in online dating.

Other integrations include prediction market Kalshi, gaming platform Razer, and decentralized lending protocol Morpho.

Regulatory Timing and Global Ambitions

World’s U.S. launch comes as federal scrutiny of crypto projects has eased under the Trump administration. While the project has faced challenges abroad—most notably with privacy regulators in Germany—the regulatory climate in the U.S. has become increasingly favorable for emerging identity and blockchain solutions.

“This expansion is a strategic move designed to leverage the country’s leadership in artificial intelligence,” the company noted in its statement.

Co-founder Sam Altman, who also serves as chairman of Tools for Humanity, has long envisioned World as a global identity layer to help distinguish humans from AI systems, especially as artificial general intelligence (AGI) nears practical deployment. Altman has also suggested that Worldcoin could eventually form the basis for a universal basic income, as automation reshapes the labor market.

What’s Next

Users in supported U.S. cities can now download the World App, complete a scan, and gain access to a growing ecosystem of 150+ mini-apps spanning education, finance, and social interaction. Verified users also receive ongoing airdrops, WLD token storage, and early access to new features—including upcoming ID integrations with platforms like Stripe.

While the project’s goals are ambitious—and its methods controversial—World is now officially live in the world’s largest tech economy, with expansion plans continuing throughout 2025.

“The need for genuine connection has never been greater,” the company said. “Meeting new people should feel exciting and secure, with tools that make it easier to trust and connect authentically.”

World Launches in the USA, at Last

The United States of America stands at the forefront of artificial intelligence innovation.

World