Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, is reportedly nearing a funding round of approximately $100 million for his crypto project, Worldcoin. According to sources, the startup is in advanced discussions with both new and existing investors as it prepares for a potential launch within the next few weeks.
Worldcoin aims to utilize iris-scanning technology to establish a global digital identification system, granting individuals access to a free cryptocurrency token called Worldcoin. The project has previously received support from prominent entities such as Andreessen Horowitz’s crypto fund, Coinbase Ventures, and FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried.
Last year, Worldcoin raised $100 million through a token sale, valuing the company at roughly $3 billion. This occurred before a challenging period for the cryptocurrency market, marked by significant price drops in flagship tokens like bitcoin and ether, as well as the collapse of prominent companies like FTX. Despite the crypto winter, Worldcoin’s ability to attract substantial investment is seen as noteworthy within the industry.
Sam Altman gained prominence as the president of Y Combinator, a renowned startup accelerator, in 2014, solidifying his presence in Silicon Valley. In 2015, he co-founded OpenAI alongside Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, and currently serves as the CEO of the company.
Under Altman’s leadership, OpenAI has released widely-used generative AI tools to the public, including ChatGPT and DALL-E. At the time of reporting, Worldcoin had not responded to a request for comment outside regular working hours.
