World Foundation secures $52 million through a token sale to expand proof-of-human infrastructure.
**TL;DR** World Foundation secured $52 million through a locked token sale, headed by Pantera Capital, to enhance its World ID proof-of-human technology across enterprise platforms.
World Foundation has successfully raised $52 million in a locked token sale aimed at extending the reach of its iris-scan-based World ID system, which verifies online human identity. Pantera Capital led this initial funding round, joined by Bain Capital Crypto, Eightco Holdings, Selini Capital, and Susquehanna Crypto, with all WLD tokens under a 12-month lockup agreement. This funding coincides with the project's third anniversary and follows a $135 million token sale led by Andreessen Horowitz and Bain Capital Crypto in May 2025.
The funds will facilitate World ID’s integration into enterprise platforms that are already incorporating this technology. For instance, Zoom implemented World’s Deep Face verification in April, enabling it to confirm that meeting participants are indeed human by displaying a “Verified Human” badge when a live video feed matches the user’s iris-scanned biometric profile. Additionally, Docusign, Okta, Vercel, and Tinder have also entered integration agreements, each addressing the impact of bots and deepfakes on digital trust.
World ID operates by requiring users to visit a physical Orb device that scans their iris, generating a unique cryptographic credential stored on their device. It employs zero-knowledge proofs and what World refers to as anonymised multi-party computation to confirm a person’s uniqueness as a human without disclosing their identity. To date, over 39 million individuals have joined the World Network, with more than 18 million verified through an Orb across 160 countries.
Originally founded by Sam Altman, Max Novendstern, and Alex Blania, the project has encountered ongoing regulatory challenges concerning its biometric data collection. In 2024, Spain ordered the company to stop iris scanning due to privacy issues, and later, Germany’s data regulator mandated the deletion of iris data. Countries such as Kenya, Hong Kong, Argentina, and the Philippines have also taken action against the project, citing concerns over inadequate consent and the use of cryptocurrency incentives to recruit participants from low-income areas.
According to World Foundation, the new funding will additionally support World ID version four, an upgrade designed for enterprises that allows third-party developers to integrate their own credentials into the system’s zero-knowledge proof framework. This timing reflects a belief that advancements in AI, which make bots nearly indistinguishable from humans, will compel platforms to implement proof-of-human infrastructure. However, the ongoing gap between the demand for verified identity in enterprises and regulatory challenges regarding how World gathers that identity remains a significant issue for the project to address.
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World Foundation secures $52 million through a token sale to expand proof-of-human infrastructure.
World Foundation secured $52 million through a locked WLD token sale spearheaded by Pantera Capital to enhance World ID integration with Zoom, Tinder, and Docusign.