Key Takeaways
- The World digital identity project is launching its verification services in the US.
- The rollout includes deploying 7,500 new “Orbs” for identity verification, starting in six major cities.
- New partnerships include gaming company Razer and dating giant Match Group (Tinder) to verify users.
- The World App is getting upgrades, including integrations with Circle (USDC), Stripe, Kalshi, and a future Visa card.
- The Worldcoin token will be used for fees within the World ecosystem on its dedicated blockchain.
The digital identity project known as World is bringing its services to the United States. The company, co-founded by OpenAI’s Sam Altman and Worldcoin’s Alex Blania, announced the expansion as part of its goal to create a global ‘proof-of-humanity’ network in an age of increasing artificial intelligence.
According to Crypto Briefing, the decision to launch in the US was influenced by a more favorable political atmosphere and the hope for clearer regulations regarding digital identity and cryptocurrency projects.
To support the US launch, World plans to significantly increase the number of its eye-scanning verification devices, known as Orbs. They aim to deploy 7,500 new Orbs globally by the end of the year, starting with rollouts in Atlanta, Austin, Los Angeles, Miami, Nashville, and San Francisco.
A new US manufacturing facility in Texas will assemble these Orbs for both American and international use. The company also teased a smaller, portable version called Orb Mini, expected in 2026, potentially allowing verified individuals to help others sign up.
World’s US debut is accompanied by significant partnerships aimed at integrating its World ID protocol into everyday applications. Gaming leader Razer and Match Group, the parent company of Tinder, are among the first adopters.
Razer will incorporate World ID to verify human players and plans to host Orbs in its retail stores. They are also launching an online gaming tournament exclusively for verified humans.
Match Group will test World ID integration on Tinder in Japan later this year, focusing on age and identity verification to combat bots, with potential expansion to other platforms and regions.
The project also announced several updates to its World App. Users will soon be able to use the USDC stablecoin through a partnership with Circle, and enhanced payment options are coming via a collaboration with Stripe.
Access to the Kalshi prediction marketplace will also be added, allowing users to trade on event outcomes directly within the app. Furthermore, plans for a World Visa card were revealed, starting with merchant integration.
The network’s native token, Worldcoin, is set to become central to the ecosystem. It will be used to pay fees for applications utilizing the World ID system on the project’s custom blockchain, World Chain.
Company representatives explained that these fees will support the underlying technology. Decisions about how the fees are managed – whether reinvested, redistributed to users, or reduced – will ultimately be guided by the community participating in the network.
