Worldcoin Gets $135 Million in a landmark funding round, fueling its bold plan to bring iris-scanning Orb devices to over 180 million Americans. Led by Andreessen Horowitz and Bain Capital Crypto, this capital injection revitalizes the blockchain identity project, despite global privacy concerns. This article explores the funding’s impact and Worldcoin’s ambitious U.S. expansion.
A Major Financial Boost
Worldcoin Gets $135 Million through a private WLD token sale by World Assets, a World Foundation subsidiary, to venture capital giants Andreessen Horowitz and Bain Capital Crypto. Additional investors, including Selini Capital and Arctic Digital, joined the round, with tokens sold at market prices, increasing WLD’s circulating supply to 1.51 billion, per CoinGecko data. The funds will accelerate the deployment of Orb devices, which verify unique digital identities via iris scans, and enhance the World ID system.
The announcement triggered a 15% WLD price surge within 24 hours, with a 58% gain over the past month, pushing its market cap to $1.85 billion. Despite this, WLD remains 75% below its all-time high, reflecting volatility in the blockchain identity project. Trading volume spiked 71% to $300 million, signaling renewed investor enthusiasm, though some X posts warn of potential pullbacks as hype cools.
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U.S. Market Opens Up
Worldcoin Gets $135 Million at a pivotal moment, as the U.S. lifts restrictions on Orb usage, previously limited due to privacy and regulatory hurdles. Now, Americans can access the World App, receive WLD airdrops, and engage with Worldcoin’s mini-app ecosystem after iris verification. The project aims to onboard 180 million U.S. users—over half the population—by year-end, potentially the largest biometric verification effort in internet history.
This U.S. expansion targets tech hubs like San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Miami, with plans for 7,500 Orbs nationwide by 2025. Worldcoin’s partnership with Visa for a debit card, converting WLD to fiat at checkout, further bridges crypto and traditional finance, enhancing the World ID system’s utility. Online discussions highlight excitement for financial inclusion but raise concerns about regulatory pushback.
Global Challenges Persist
WLD daily price movement, screenshot from CoinMarketCap taken at 5 PM on May 22, 2025.
Worldcoin Gets $135 Million despite privacy controversies in Kenya, India, Brazil, France, Germany, the UK, Hong Kong, and Spain, where regulators like Hong Kong’s Privacy Commissioner flagged iris-scan data collection as violating privacy laws. Indonesia and Kenya recently deemed Worldcoin’s activities illegal, and Germany’s Bavarian regulator demanded GDPR compliance. Worldcoin counters with zero-knowledge proofs and local data processing, asserting no iris images are stored.
Critics argue the blockchain identity project’s financial incentives for biometric data undermine consent, while supporters, including Andreessen Horowitz’s Chris Dixon, view it as critical for AI-era identity verification. With 26 million users across 160 countries and 12.5 million Orb-verified IDs, Worldcoin’s scale is undeniable, yet balancing innovation and privacy remains a hurdle.
Conclusion
Worldcoin Gets $135 Million, empowering its vision to verify 180 million Americans via the World ID system. Backed by Andreessen Horowitz and Bain Capital Crypto, the U.S. expansion strengthens the blockchain identity project, despite global privacy scrutiny. As WLD’s price surges and Orbs roll out, Worldcoin redefines digital identity, navigating the complex interplay of technology, finance, and ethics.
