Poised to become the world’s largest “network of real humans”, the project previously known as Worldcoin aims to establish an identity layer to distinguish unique individuals from automated robots. The protocol relies on custom hardware, called Orb, to issue credentials without compromising user privacy.
“Global technology and proof of human and variation are among the most important building blocks for securing and verifying interactions in an increasingly digital world,” Tom Lee, a board member of Eightco Holdings and also chairman of Bitmine, said in a statement.
World said the investment comes as it shifts from building the network to expanding utility service.
To date, more than 39 million people have joined the global network, including more than 18 million Orb-verified humans, World said in the press release announcing the funding. The network has used more than 475 million World ID proofs since its launch, increasing its capacity alongside the deployment of its updated, enterprise-ready infrastructure, it added.
World, the digital identity project backed by Sam Altman, in April unveiled what it called its most significant upgrade yet to World ID, positioning the system as a “full human proof” infrastructure for consumers, businesses and AI agents.
