World Foundation Raises $52.5 Million with Locked WLD Token Sale

Sam Altman's World Foundation has raised $52.5 million through a locked WLD token sale, with Pantera Capital leading the first close of the strategic transaction.

The funds will go to the Cayman Islands foundation company that stewards the World protocol, which includes the Orb iris-scanning device and the associated identity layer.

World says over 39 million people have joined its network, with more than 18 million completing Orb verification and generating over 475 million World ID proofs.

The project has faced regulatory pressure in various countries, including Spain, where the data protection agency ordered Tools for Humanity to stop collecting and processing personal data in March 2024.