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Worldcoin Secures $135M from a16z in Push for Global Eyeball-Scanning Domination

Worldcoin Secures $135M from a16z in Push for Global Eyeball-Scanning Domination

Published:
2025-05-21 18:15:25
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Andreessen Horowitz just bet big on biometric crypto—proving once again that Silicon Valley will fund anything if you slap blockchain on it.

The controversial Worldcoin project—yes, the one that scans your irises in exchange for digital tokens—landed a massive $135 million Series C. Because nothing says ’financial inclusion’ like trading your biometric data to VCs for pocket change.

This round sets up Worldcoin’s next phase: flooding developing markets with more orb-shaped scanners. Because if there’s one thing the unbanked need, it’s giving Silicon Valley their most sensitive biological data.

a16z’s checkbook stays open for crypto’s weirdest plays. Meanwhile, actual banks still won’t cash your paycheck without three forms of ID.

Worldcoin prepares for rapid AI evolution

Sam Altman’s Worldcoin is also aware of the pace of AI development. The World Foundation still aims to offer tools to distinguish humans from machines and even prepare humanity for the emergence of AGI. 

The funding will serve in the long term, adding support from the company’s earliest backers. In the future, World Network also aims to become self-sufficient through protocol fees. 

So far, the network has accrued 26M registered users across 160 countries. Worldchain is operational, functioning as a partially centralized L2 chain based on Ethereum. The chain has a limited number of challenger nodes and is considered centralized. World Network is not considered a part of the standard L2 chains but a separate entity mostly tied to the creation and verification of personhood ID.

Following the funding round news, WLD traded closer to its higher range for the past three months. WLD recovered to $1.22, still far from its 2021 peak above $11. At its current price range, the token is seen as potentially breaking out above $3 if the 2025 bull market continues.

Worldcoin raises $135M from Andreessen Horowitz to fund network expansionWLD recovered to around $1.22, though the project may face dilution after the latest funding round. | Source: Coingecko

Despite being one of the major projects, World Network does not carry DeFi or other apps, hence the limited utility for WLD. 

The project has a market cap of $1.8B, though based on funding rounds, World Network has a value of $3B. The project has proven it can draw in the trust of big investors but has failed to tap the Sam Altman premium based on reputation. The Worldcoin project is still splitting the crypto community, seen as either a revolution of personhood ID or a gimmick to boost the token price.

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