World (WLD), the biometric cryptocurrency project founded by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, has raised $135 million in a strategic funding round led by Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) and Bain Capital Crypto. This investment will accelerate deployment of its iris-scanning Orb devices and expand World ID verification to 35 new countries by Q3 2025.
The Series D round values World at $3.8 billion post-money, representing a 40% increase from its $2.7 billion valuation during its 2024 Series C. According to World’s official announcement, the capital will fund three key initiatives:
- Manufacturing 50,000 new Orb devices
- Establishing regional compliance hubs in Dubai and Singapore
- Developing zero-knowledge proof systems for privacy-preserving identity checks
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World’s Ambitious Roadmap
Founded in 2019 as Worldcoin, the project has now registered 8.7 million users across 120 countries through its controversial iris-scanning authentication system. The new funding enables 500% growth in Orb deployments, particularly targeting emerging markets where traditional ID systems are lacking.
World CEO Alex Blania emphasized the timing: “With global AI adoption accelerating, we need bulletproof methods to distinguish humans from machines. Our World ID protocol solves this while preserving privacy through advanced cryptography.”
Andreessen Horowitz’s Crypto Bet
This investment continues a16z’s aggressive crypto strategy after raising $7.2 billion for tech investments in 2024. The firm recently advocated for clear digital asset regulations in its SEC submission supporting the Digital Uniform Network Act (DUNA).
a16z crypto partner Arianna Simpson noted: “World’s identity layer could become critical infrastructure for next-gen AI applications and decentralized governance systems. We’re betting on their team to navigate the complex regulatory landscape.”
Bain Capital’s Blockchain Playbook
Bain Capital Crypto joins as a first-time investor, bringing traditional finance expertise to World’s expansion. The firm has previously backed blockchain projects including:
| Project | Sector | Investment |
|---|---|---|
| Compound | DeFi | $25M |
| Axelar | Interoperability | $35M |
| Mysten Labs | Web3 Infrastructure | $50M |
The partnership signals growing institutional interest in biometric blockchain solutions despite ongoing privacy debates. World faces regulatory scrutiny in the EU and Brazil, where data protection authorities have temporarily halted Orb operations.
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Market Impact: The funding round reinforces confidence in identity-focused crypto projects, with WLD tokens rising 12% on secondary markets following the announcement. Analysts suggest World’s infrastructure could capture 15-20% of the growing decentralized identity market, projected to reach $80 billion by 2027 according to MarketsandMarkets research.
