Sam Altman's Worldcoin Project Struggles Toward Billion-User Ambition With 17.5 Million Sign-Ups (businessinsider.com)
(Tuesday November 11, 2025 @11:42AM (msmash)
from the eyeballs-to-the-moon dept.)
- Reference: 0180047090
- News link: https://tech.slashdot.org/story/25/11/11/158200/sam-altmans-worldcoin-project-struggles-toward-billion-user-ambition-with-175-million-sign-ups
- Source link: https://www.businessinsider.com/sam-altman-orb-eye-scanning-startup-billion-user-goal-viability-2025-11
Sam Altman's Tools for Humanity has verified around 17.5 million people through its iris-scanning Orb device. The company has set a goal of reaching 1 billion users, so [1]it is less than 2% of the way there . The startup has raised $240 million from investors including Andreessen Horowitz, Bain Capital and Khosla Ventures. PitchBook estimates its valuation at $2.5 billion.
The Orb is a volleyball-sized metal sphere that scans irises to generate a World ID. Users can claim tokens of the cryptocurrency Worldcoin, currently worth around 80 cents per coin. Business Insider spoke to former Tools for Humanity employees, a former Orb operator from Kenya, and a former head of operations in Mexico City. Some questioned whether the company had a clear long-term strategy. Nick Maynard, vice president of fintech market research at Juniper Research, said he does not see a killer use case that will drive major traction. The company also continues to face regulatory headwinds. In October, agencies in the Philippines, Colombia and Thailand took action to halt operations. German authorities determined last year that the company's data protection measures would not be sufficient to protect against cybercriminals or state attackers.
[1] https://www.businessinsider.com/sam-altman-orb-eye-scanning-startup-billion-user-goal-viability-2025-11
The Orb is a volleyball-sized metal sphere that scans irises to generate a World ID. Users can claim tokens of the cryptocurrency Worldcoin, currently worth around 80 cents per coin. Business Insider spoke to former Tools for Humanity employees, a former Orb operator from Kenya, and a former head of operations in Mexico City. Some questioned whether the company had a clear long-term strategy. Nick Maynard, vice president of fintech market research at Juniper Research, said he does not see a killer use case that will drive major traction. The company also continues to face regulatory headwinds. In October, agencies in the Philippines, Colombia and Thailand took action to halt operations. German authorities determined last year that the company's data protection measures would not be sufficient to protect against cybercriminals or state attackers.
[1] https://www.businessinsider.com/sam-altman-orb-eye-scanning-startup-billion-user-goal-viability-2025-11
Evil. (Score:2)
by crunchy_one ( 1047426 )
"Tools for Humanity" is pure evil. My hope is that one day soon there will be a reckoning for Sam Altman and his enablers.
Join now! (Score:2)
by Chris Mattern ( 191822 )
You too can be a tool!
Re: (Score:2)
by GooberPyle ( 9014301 )
The surveillance state is ever so convenient. Would you like a DNA sample, too?
Iris scans are not keys (Score:2)
by bradgoodman ( 964302 )
The "orbs" must therefore hold the keys, and equate keys to irises. It seems like a very CENTRALIZED cryptocurrency.
Dupes (Score:1)
After scanning that many people, what are the odds of misidentification duplicates? It is a known problem with finger prints.
What could possibly go wrong with YAC? (Score:2)
YAC for "Yet Another Cryptocoin" but the real joke is with DIY iris scanning for the masses. Were this thing to catch on, where would it end?
"First they came for proving your identity for international currency transfers that might be money laundering, then they came for iris scanning before you can get a soft drink out of the vending machine..."
Oh, yes. Almost forgot to say fsck the cryptocoin . EVERY cryptocoin. OF course it's already too late because the cryptocurrency has already fscked us.
By the way I'v