On Thursday, six US stores opened inviting customers to have their irises scanned by a metal orb, creating an online profile that verifies their unique human identity and rewards them with cryptocurrency. These outlets are part of the World project (formerly WorldCoin), founded in 2019 by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Alex Blania, and Max Novendstern under Tools for Humanity. World aims to confirm users are genuine humans, helping platforms—such as gaming or dating sites—distinguish real people from bots or AI fakes. The startup argues biometric scanning is the most reliable method for this verification. World’s system includes the Orb (a polished sphere that captures iris and facial images), World ID (a blockchain-based proof-of-personhood), the World App (managing IDs and service access), and Worldcoin (WLD), a cryptocurrency awarded to users as an incentive. Worldwide regulators have expressed privacy concerns: South Korea fined the company over $800, 000 for violations, Hong Kong ceased its operations, and Germany, Kenya, and Spain have taken legal actions. Nonetheless, the initiative has launched in American cities—Austin, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Miami, Nashville, and San Francisco—where people can visit stores equipped with Orbs. The San Francisco location near Union Square features eight Orbs and a modest shop setup. To obtain a verified profile, a user downloads the World App, signs in, and enters a store where the app connects to an Orb. The app guides the user to position themselves correctly while the Orb scans the eyes and face within seconds.

This biometric data is encrypted and sent directly to the user’s phone, generating a unique World ID on the blockchain before being deleted from the Orb device. Users receive Worldcoins worth about $16 as a reward, which they later use to prove their authenticity when logging into services. Despite scrutiny, World reports 26 million global users, with 12 million having provided biometric data. At a related San Francisco event, Altman and Blania announced plans to deploy 7, 500 Orbs across the U. S. by year-end—four times the current number—and opened a Texas factory for Orb production, including a miniaturized version for enhanced verification. Altman emphasized America’s role in leading innovation during the launch, while Blania highlighted the focus on gaming, online dating, and social media to combat bot infiltration and ensure users interact with real people. However, this approach is not without challenges. Two partnerships were unveiled: a Visa-backed debit card launching later in the year and Japan’s Match. com adopting World ID to reassure its users.