World, the online identity-verification venture co-founded by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, raised $52.5 million through a token sale of Worldcoin (CRYPTO: WLD) on Friday, drawing strategic investors under a 12-month lockup.

Long-Term Bet From Crypto Heavyweights

According to the company, Pantera Capital led the round, joined by Eightco Holdings (NASDAQ:ORBS), Bain Capital Crypto, Susquehanna Crypto and Selini Capital. The lockup reflects sustained confidence in World’s growth, the company said. Proceeds go to the World Foundation, a Cayman Islands entity overseeing network expansion.

World, operated by Tools for Humanity and led by CEO Alex Blania, verifies users through Orb devices that scan their irises to issue a World ID. The digital identity is designed to distinguish real people from bots online.

The Orbs rely on Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA) chips, which Chief Business Officer Trevor Traina has called limited in supply despite rapid production efforts, constraining scale.

What You Should Know

In April, World partnered with Zoom Communications (NASDAQ:ZM), rolling out “Deep Face” verification to flag AI-generated meeting imposters, alongside a Tinder integration; still, adoption has lagged, prompting June layoffs. The token sale follows Grayscale Investments’ July filing for a spot Worldcoin ETF under ticker “GWLD,” which sent WLD up nearly 8% and lifted Eightco shares in premarket trading.

In April, World partnered with Zoom Communications (NASDAQ:ZM) to introduce its “Deep Face” verification feature, which is designed to detect AI-generated imposters in meetings. The company also launched an integration with Tinder. Adoption has been slower than expected, and Tools for Humanity conducted a round of layoffs in June.

The token sale follows Grayscale Investments‘ July filing for a spot Worldcoin ETF under ticker “GWLD.”

Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

Image via Shutterstock