Worldcoin plans to deploy 7,500 "orbs" to verify user identities across major U.S. cities by the end of 2025

Sam Altman’s blockchain-based identity project, Worldcoin, is making a bold entry into the U.S. market with plans to deploy 7,500 iris-scanning devices—dubbed “orbs”—across major cities by the end of 2025.

The company, now rebranded as World, aims to build a global digital identity system to help distinguish real humans from AI-generated personas.

Eye-Scanning Orbs to Appear Nationwide

The orb devices, shaped like metallic spheres, scan users' irises to generate a unique “World ID.”

According to the company, this identity confirms a person’s humanity without revealing private personal data.

Initially, the orbs will be rolled out in six tech-forward cities: Atlanta, Austin, Los Angeles, Miami, Nashville, and San Francisco. A factory in Richardson, Texas, is being built to support mass production.

“We’re building an identity layer for the AI age,” said Altman, who also leads OpenAI. “To protect what makes us human, we need a way to verify that something online was created by a real person.”

By the end of 2025, World aims to have enough orbs distributed so that up to 180 million Americans can access the service. Orb stations are expected to pop up in gas stations, retail outlets, and other public spaces, promising a 10-minute registration process.

Incentives and Ecosystem Growth

In exchange for scanning their irises, users receive WLD tokens and access to the World App, which functions as a crypto wallet and identity manager. New partnerships and features were also unveiled to expand World’s ecosystem:

• Cryptocurrency loans via Morpho protocol
• Prediction markets access through Kalshi
• World Visa Debit Card, enabling users to spend tokens like cash
• Integration with online dating platforms, including Tinder in Japan, for identity verification

The World Card links directly to the app’s wallet, letting users spend their digital assets wherever Visa is accepted, while merchants receive fiat currency.

New Tech and Features

World has also introduced the Orb Mini—a portable version of the standard orb that resembles a smartphone and is equipped with iris scanners. It’s designed for broader use cases, potentially as a commercial device or integration point in everyday tech.

Meanwhile, the new Orb 2.0 has been upgraded with NVIDIA’s Jetson chip, offering five times the AI performance and easier assembly. It includes a removable memory card for full auditability.

Other upgrades

• World ID 3.0: Enables document-based identity validation with enhanced privacy features.
• World App 3.0: Adds a Mini Apps platform and a new World Pay option.
• World Chain: The project's new Layer 2 blockchain supported by Optimism, Uniswap, Alchemy, and others. About 15 million users are already using or migrating to the chain.

Privacy Concerns Remain

Despite the technological advancements, privacy advocates have raised red flags about biometric data collection, security risks, and the ethics of incentivizing people with cryptocurrency in exchange for sensitive data. Critics also question the centralization and surveillance potential of the system.

World, however, insists that data is processed securely and that users maintain control over their personal information.

As World rolls out its identity infrastructure across the U.S., the tension between technological innovation and privacy concerns will likely grow. For now, the project is betting big on the belief that humanity needs a digital identity anchor in the age of AI.