Sam Altman’s “World” – a biometric and cryptographic project – has turned a controversial biometric ID wallet into a full-fledged crypto “super app.” The December 11, 2025 release will add end-to-end encrypted chats, in-chat cryptocurrency payments, and virtual accounts much like the Web3 version of Venmo or Revolut. The company is positioning it as a social, payments, and identity hub for “authenticated humans.”
“Today, that network is even stronger,” a company spokesperson said. “The new World App is a complete reimagining of how humans connect, move digital assets and participate in the global economy.”
Tools for Humanity, which runs World, launched the original app in 2023 as a minimalist crypto wallet tied to the iris-based World ID system, with the goal of proving users are human in a world awash with AI bots and deepfakes.
“Both identifying unique people and doing so while protecting their privacy is extremely difficult…Having a human-centered system has turned out to be much more important in today’s world than we thought.”
– Sam Altman pic.twitter.com/SWAF2MHM7Z
— World (@worldcoin) December 12, 2025
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The core of the upgrade is World Chat
What do you expect from World Chat? A built-in messenger designed to sit alongside your wallet as the primary user experience. The chat system uses end-to-end encryption, and the company explicitly compares its security level to privacy-focused apps like Signal.
What does this simply mean? Conversations are designed to be unreadable to anyone but the participants.
“Messages will show a blue bubble for verified people and a gray bubble for unverified people,” the company claimed. “The profile photo is matched against the Orb photo stored on the user’s phone, meaning the face you see is that of the authentic World ID holder.”
GM!
I saw Sam Altman. @World Coin I feel like I truly understood the vision for the first time after giving the presentation.
In the age of AI fakes, it seems inevitable that “human proof” will become a standard in society.
World Coin Risk. pic.twitter.com/gg1ZwTTOp4
— NØX (@NoxxyWeb3) December 12, 2025
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Sam Altman-backed World Coin launches iris scanning project in the US
Starting in May 2025, Altman’s crypto project Worldcoin (WLD) will be available in most regions of the United States for the first time ever. With its US debut, it will be listed on Coinbase, the most popular cryptocurrency exchange in the US.
Similar to the launch in Asia and other regions, participants who scan their eyes at World Orb locations will receive 16 WLD. It remains to be seen how popular this project will be in the United States compared to other countries.
Apart from users who earn WLD by scanning their eyes through World Orb technology, the Worldcoin team is distributing “Pioneer Grants” to users who download and register the World app. This grant comes with 150 WLD dropped directly into your wallet and is worth approximately $155 at current prices.
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Important points
of the world
The biggest feature is the integration of payments within the chat, essentially turning World Chat into a crypto-native Venmo.
Gemini’s entry increases competition in a sector that has already intensified under the Trump administration’s pro-crypto stance.
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