Hina Nainani
4 min read
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WLD token jumped 25%, trading at $1.55, within 24 hours of the announcement on May 21.
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The funding will scale Orb distribution in the U.S. and fuel global demand for verifiable digital identity amid the rise of AI
Worldcoin, the digital identity project co-founded by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, has raised $135 million through a direct sale of its WLD token, according to the Worldcoin Foundation.
Within 24 hours of the May 21 announcement, the token surged 25%, reaching a three-month high of approximately $1.55—up from an earlier dip below $1.24, according to Beincrypto. Trading volume also spiked past $1 billion, reflecting strong market interest and renewed momentum.
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World Assets Ltd., a subsidiary of the Worldcoin Foundation, conducted the token sale. According to the Worldcoin Foundation, the token sale involved a direct purchase of WLD tokens at market prices by Andreessen Horowitz, or a16z, and Bain Capital Crypto, with "no venture-style lockups or discounts." The foundation said the transaction added over 100 million tokens to the circulating supply.
The foundation clarified that the sale was not structured as a typical venture round but as a direct purchase of liquid tokens at market price, with no discounts.
Worldcoin uses a proof-of-personhood model, where users scan their irises via the Orb in exchange for airdropped WLD tokens. These tokens can then be used within Worldcoin's in-app ecosystem, according to a Worldcoin whitepaper.
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As of May, the project reported over 26 million users, with 12.5 million having completed Orb-based verification. According to the foundation, the funding supports the World's long-term mission to provide scalable human verification tools in the age of artificial general intelligence. The network is expected to become one of the first self-sustaining protocols, driven in part by protocol fees.
To meet growing demand, Worldcoin is rapidly scaling its Orb infrastructure across the U.S., with deployments already underway in Atlanta, Austin, Los Angeles, Miami, Nashville, and San Francisco, CNBC reported.
