OpenAI CEO Sam Altman to raise $100M for Worldcoin
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman to raise $100M for Worldcoin
“Existing and new investors” will contribute to the round
Worldcoin, the iris-scanning crypto project helmed by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, is reportedly in “advanced talks” for a fresh investment round worth over $100 million.
A Financial Times report published on Monday, which cited sources with knowledge of Worldcoin’s funding talks, stated that the round is backed by "existing and new investors."
Worldcoin’s previous investment round included funding from Khosla Ventures and Andreessen Horowitz’s (a16z) crypto fund, bringing the project’s valuation to $3 billion.
The firm also closed an a16z-led $25 million Series A funding round in October 2021, with other investors including Digital Currency Group, Coinbase Ventures, LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman, and former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried.
The project, which is still in beta, is reportedly preparing to launch within “the next six weeks.”
Founded by Altman and Alex Blania in 2019, Worldcoin aims to create a global digital currency that is distributed to everyone in the world in a fair and equitable manner.
According to the project’s website, “Worldcoin is building the world’s largest identity and financial network as a public utility, giving ownership to everyone.”
This news comes a week after Worldcoin launched its own gas-free crypto wallet for verified humans. The new wallet, called “World App,” runs on the Polygon network, allowing users to hold and transfer USD Coin, Dai, Ether, Worldcoin, and Wrapped Bitcoin.
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