# Eye-Scanning Crypto Project Worldcoin Launches in the US, Backed by Sam Altman

## Eye-Scanning Crypto Project Worldcoin Launches in the US, Backed by Sam Altman

Worldcoin, the ambitious cryptocurrency project involving iris scans, is officially launching in the United States. Co-founded by Sam Altman, the startup behind the project, Tools for Humanity, aims to create a global identity and financial network built on blockchain technology. The unique aspect of Worldcoin is its reliance on physical “orbs” that scan users’ irises to verify their identity and grant them access to the Worldcoin ecosystem.

For those willing to embrace this futuristic, and potentially unsettling, technology, Worldcoin offers incentives. Scanning your iris at a World orb will grant you 16 WLD, the project’s native cryptocurrency. Furthermore, early adopters in the US who have already downloaded and registered with the World app will receive a “pioneer grant” of 150 WLD deposited directly into their digital wallets.

Altman, currently chairman of Tools for Humanity, announced the US launch alongside CEO Alex Blania at a press event in San Francisco this Wednesday, aptly named “At Last.” The company is also partnering with Visa to introduce a debit card later this year, enabling users to seamlessly convert WLD into fiat currency at the point of sale.

Worldcoin’s “World Spaces,” equipped with over 7,000 orbs for iris scanning, will be available in major US cities including Atlanta, Austin, Los Angeles, Miami, Nashville, and San Francisco. In an interesting partnership, the orbs will also be located within Razer stores, providing further accessibility to the project.

While the prospect of a universally accessible digital identity and cryptocurrency is intriguing, Worldcoin’s reliance on biometric data raises significant privacy concerns. The project’s long-term viability and public acceptance will likely depend on its ability to address these concerns and demonstrate a commitment to data security and user privacy. Only time will tell if Altman’s vision of a world powered by iris-scanned identities and cryptocurrency will become a reality, or remain a concept confined to the realm of science fiction.