So, like, Sam Altman and his crew are bringing this iris-scanning, identify-verification tech startup to the US. They’re trying to connect blockchain-based financial networks with the payment services we use most here. Altman and Alex Blania, this physics researcher from Germany, spilled the tea at an event in San Francisco that their company, Tools for Humanity, is leveling up its “World” products. And get this—they’re teaming up with big shots like Visa and Match Group.
World first came out as Worldcoin back in July 2024, cooked up by Altman, Blania, and Max Novendstern (who’s no longer in the mix). Blania is the CEO, with Altman as his main money man. By March 2025, they scored a cool $240 million in venture capital from big names like Andreessen Horowitz, Khosla Ventures, and Coinbase Ventures.
Altman has some beef with all the fake stuff AI tools can whip up, especially with the AI tools from his other gig, OpenAI, which is worth a whopping $300 billion. So, the World app and its gadget are Altman’s way to tackle the issue. It’s a setup that scans peeps’ irises, makes a special user ID, saves it on the blockchain, and uses it for ID checks. If enough folks worldwide use the World app to prove who they are, it could block scammers in theory.
“Proving personhood” is no walk in the park, and folks have been side-eyeing this startup since day one. Some countries are even side-eyeing them for how they handle biometric data. But Altman and Blania aren’t backing down.
Tools for Humanity says they’re rolling out World services in the US starting tomorrow, May 1. This means US users can hop on the World train by scanning their peepers through the app. But, like, you gotta get your eyeballs scanned, so Tools for Humanity is setting up six “Apple-like stores” across the US. One in San Francisco had its shiny floors buffed up on Wednesday night.
This is a story in the making, so stay tuned for updates.
And that’s the scoop from yours truly, a fresh-faced journalism grad. Not really sure why this matters, but hey, it’s news, right? So, keep your eyes peeled for more on this iris-scanning tech takeover.
