Pantera Capital Leads $52.5M WLD Token Sale Amid AI Identity Rush

World Foundation raised $52.5 million in a locked sale of its WLD token on July 24, 2026, led by Pantera Capital. The funds will be used to expand World ID verification tools as artificial intelligence agents and deepfakes spread across the internet. This is the second major funding round for the project this year, following a $135 million private sale in May 2025 that included A16z and Bain Capital Crypto.

The nonprofit behind the World protocol, backed by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, aims to embed its technology in platforms people already use. The tokens sold carry no equity, profit rights or ownership stake in Tools for Humanity, the company building the project's hardware and software.

World Foundation operates as an independent nonprofit based in the Cayman Islands, separate from Tools for Humanity. Sam Altman co-founded the World project in 2019 alongside Max Novendstern and Alex Blania. The project has also drawn regulatory scrutiny in several countries over biometric data collection and consent.