Biometric Bet Scrambles Markets
Worldcoin (WLD) surged over 27% intraday following a Forbes report that Sam Altman’s OpenAI is developing a high-fidelity social network designed to eliminate bots. The token rallied from lows of $0.45 to reclaim the $0.57 level as traders speculated on a direct integration between the AI giant and Altman’s separate crypto-identity project, World.
The Receipt: OpenAI, Not World
According to sources cited by Forbes’ Anna Tong, the initiative is being incubated directly within OpenAI, not Tools for Humanity (the developer behind Worldcoin). The project, currently managed by a team of fewer than 10 engineers, aims to solve the “Deep Web” bot crisis by enforcing strict “proof of personhood.”
Crucially for token holders, the report notes OpenAI is evaluating two primary verification vectors:
- Apple’s FaceID: Leveraging existing hardware infrastructure.
- The World Orb: Integrating the iris-scanning hardware developed by Altman’s other venture, Tools for Humanity.
“True biometric verification would ensure that all accounts on OpenAI’s social network have a real person behind them… obliterate the bot problem.”, Forbes
Market Reaction: The Integration Premium
The market repriced WLD instantly on the specific mention of the “Orb.” While Worldcoin and OpenAI are legally distinct entities, Altman’s dual leadership has long fueled speculation of a symbiotic relationship. A potential OpenAI social platform requiring World ID verification would act as a massive user-acquisition funnel for the crypto project, which has struggled to scale its “orb-verified” user base beyond developing markets.
WLD volume spiked 400% on centralized exchanges in the hour following the report. The move decoupled WLD from the broader altcoin market, which remained flat.
The Institutional Context
This development signals a shift in Altman’s strategy to combat AI-generated noise. As Large Language Models (LLMs) make bot activity indistinguishable from human discourse, cryptographic identity proofs are moving from niche crypto utility to potential social infrastructure. If OpenAI proceeds, it challenges X (formerly Twitter) directly on its most vulnerable flank: the proliferation of automated spam accounts.
However, the project remains in early stages. Privacy advocates have already flagged the dystopian optics of a social network gated by biometric scans, a narrative that has previously drawn regulatory heat for Worldcoin in the EU and Kenya.
