Sam Altman’s crypto project Worldcoin (WLD) will be available in most of the US for the first time ever. Its US debut will see it listed on Coinbase, the most popular crypto exchange in America.
Like its launch in Asia and other territories, participants who scan their eyes at a World Orb location will receive 16 WLD. It remains to be seen how popular the project will be in the US compared to other countries.
JUST IN 🚨 SAM ALTMAN'S WORLD PROJECT OFFICIALLY LAUNCHES IN THE U.S.
THEY OFFER $WLD TOKENS TO USERS ESTABLISHING WORLD IDS pic.twitter.com/BrEUFgdCmV
— CryptoSavingExpert ® (@CryptoSavingExp) May 1, 2025
Americans Signed And Registered With The World App To Receive Over $150 Worth Of WLD Coin
Aside from those earning WLD for scanning their eyes via the World Orb tech, the Worldcoin team is giving out ‘pioneer grants’ to users who have downloaded and registered with the World app. The grant comes with 150 WLD dropped directly into their wallet, which is worth around $155 at current prices.
The Worldcoin website claims that over 12 million retinas have been scanned. There are currently 894 Orb locations around the world. Locations include Brazil, Germany, Japan, Singapore, and now the United States.
Over 7,000 orbs will be available for iris scans at physical “World Space” locations. The locations are Atlanta, Austin, Los Angeles, Miami, Nashville, and San Francisco, as well as in Razer gaming stores.
Worldcoin was created by Tools for Humanity, a start-up co-founded by Sam Altman. The firm updated the orb’s physical design last year, and yesterday (April 30), it teased a smaller ‘Orb Mini’ that looks similar to a smartphone.
Tools for Humanity’s expansion of Worldcoin into the US at a particular time is no coincidence. Previous SEC Chair Gary Gensler took a hard-line approach to crypto, putting up roadblocks for both investors and Web3 companies, leading to many exiting the country for fairer regulation.
However, with Trump as President, there has been a significant pivot from the previous administration, with transparency and fairer regulation a priority for the new SEC. That political shift gave the Sam Altman-backed firm the confidence to launch Worldcoin in the US.
However, the WLD token is still unavailable in the State of New York, which is historically known as the most difficult State for any crypto-related firm to break into.
Coinbase Adds $WLD to Listing Roadmap. pic.twitter.com/sJ9Dq2hFSq
— TheCryptoBasic (@thecryptobasic) May 1, 2025
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Worldcoin is Also Launching A VISA Debit Card For WLD Spending
In addition to its US launch, Tools for Humanity is also working with Visa to release a debit card later in 2025. The WLD is planned to be converted to fiat currency at checkout. Sam Altman, the sitting Chairman of Tools for Humanity, personally announced the Visa news.
Altman announced the news alongside CEO Alex Blania at a press event in San Francisco on Wednesday, dubbed “At Last.” The event was also used to promote the launch of Worldcoin and the iris scanning Orbs in the US.
Currently, the primary way to use Worldcoin is via the World wallet app, which enables users to send WLD and other cryptocurrencies to each other via a private chat service tied to World IDs.
The World mobile app also offers over 150 mini-apps, including a new one from the prediction market Kalshi. World is also launching ID integrations with some huge names, from Stripe to Match Group (Tinder’s parent company), and gaming behemoth, Razer.
The startup’s stated mission is controversial. Since its inception in 2019, the team has made clear its goal to make World ID the primary method for verifying humans online. Sam Altman has acknowledged the societal impact of AI technology, including his own OpenAI.
As AI becomes more advanced and widespread, a system like World ID will become necessary for distinguishing between what is generated and what is not. In an even more worrying and dystopian vision of the future, Altman has stated his ultimate vision of a future where Worldcoin could serve as a form of universal basic income for individuals whose jobs have been replaced by AI.
The 3 exciting things announced today: @worldcoin x @Visa and orb mini!
And 1 more things: human verified tinder!@worldindonesia_ pic.twitter.com/MtwStgYVKY— Alvin Halim (@AlvinHalim) May 1, 2025
Worldcoin Launch In The US Doesn’t Stop WLD Token From Being In The Red: Down 1.5% On The Day
Even with Worldcoin in the news due to its US launch and Sam Altman doing the media rounds in the States to promote the project, its native WLD token is still down 1.5% today.
However, when zooming out, the chart paints a more positive picture. WLD is up 26% in the past 7 days and 35% on a 14-day timeframe. The strength shown in April comes from Worldcoin gearing up for today’s launch in the US and, with it, a Coinbase listing for its WLD token.
Having access to the US customers on Coinbase is a huge feat. In 2024, Coinbase was reported to have 600,000 daily active users from the US on its platform and over 100 million users worldwide.
This daily drop of the WLD token to $1.06 has placed it firmly into a healthy support zone. If it holds here and bounces, $1.18 would be a short-term target before attempting a push back to its yearly high of $2.61 from January. However, a daily close below $1 would likely lead to a short-term downtrend with $0.84 the next support level.
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Worldcoin officially launches in the US with a Coinbase listing and its iris scanners going live
- United States citizens will receive 16 WLD tokens for having their iris’ scanned with the Orbs
- The Sam Altman-backed Worldcoin also partnering with Visa to allow for fiat payments from its World wallet
- The ultimate vision for Worldcoin is to combat the growing world of AI with true ID verification tools
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