The World Foundation announced it has raised $52.5 million in a locked token sale led by Pantera Capital. The funding will support expansion of its World ID biometric verification system amid rising concerns over AI-generated content. Other participants include Bain Capital Crypto and Eightco Holdings.
The nonprofit organization, which oversees the World Network previously known as Worldcoin, said the capital will integrate its Orb-based proof of human technology into enterprise platforms and AI agents. The project aims to distinguish real users from bots and deepfakes.
More than 39 million people have joined the network, with over 18 million verified through an Orb and more than 475 million World ID proofs issued to date. World stated it is shifting focus from network building to scaling practical applications.
"The need for Proof of Human is becoming acutely clear with the acceleration of AI development," said Cosmo Jiang, general partner at Pantera Capital. Tom Lee of Eightco Holdings added that the technology provides key building blocks for secure digital interactions.
The raise follows a $135 million round in May of last year that involved a16z and Bain Capital Crypto. WLD token trades near $0.37 with a market capitalization above $1.3 billion.
