OpenAI, the artificial intelligence company co-founded by Sam Altman, is reportedly in talks to join forces with Worldcoin, a cryptocurrency enterprise backed by Altman’s other firm, Tools for Humanity. Designed to provide universal basic income and identity verification services, Worldcoin is primed to leverage OpenAI’s advanced AI solutions. However, this potential collaboration might heighten regulatory scrutiny due to Altman’s significant role in both companies.
Alex Blania, the CEO of Tools for Humanity, suggests that Altman’s involvement might be attracting more attention than typical for a project of Worldcoin’s capacity. Despite the ambiguity of Blania’s comments, Worth remembering that Worldcoin ranks as one of the world’s most active universal basic income and identity verification services, boasting an average of two million users per day.
A history of controversy and robust regulatory examination doesn’t deter OpenAI or Worldcoin. Notably, OpenAI recently sidestepped European Union authorities’ calls to investigate its association with Microsoft as a suspected merger, while Worldcoin managed to endure bans in Portugal, Kenya, and Spain in the first quarter of 2024 alone.
Worldcoin is aggressively expanding its operations, marked by its recent launch of a proprietary blockchain that privileges verified human users over bots. Meanwhile, the firm plans to swell its WLD token supply by 36 million, roughly equivalent to $196 million, over the subsequent six months through a selective sell-off to certain institutions.
Interestingly, Worldcoin uses “orbs,” hardware designed to scan users’ irises—uniquely identifying features like fingerprints—to confirm digital identity. Upon successful registration, users receive 10 WLD tokens, currently valued at $4.81 each, with an additional 2 tokens each subsequent month. Despite having hundreds of orbs deployed, the company reports a supply shortage due to overwhelming demand.