World, Co-Founded by Sam Altman, Raises $52.5M in WLD Token Sale

World, the biometric identity startup co-founded by Sam Altman and Alex Blania, raised $52.5 million through a WLD token sale announced July 24, 2026. Pantera Capital led the round, with Bain Capital Crypto, Susquehanna Crypto, Selini Capital, and Eightco Holdings joining. Buyers face a 12-month lockup — they cannot sell tokens for one year. Proceeds go to the Cayman Islands-based World Foundation. The project verifies identity using iris scans via its Orb hardware device.