Sam Altman-backed World Network secures $52.5 million in fresh funding to fight online AI deepfakes

Finance Sam Altman-backed World Network secures $52.5 million in fresh funding to fight online AI deepfakes The project is moving away from basic network expansion to focus entirely on integrating its biometric screening devices across enterprise software suites. By Olivier Acuna | Edited by Nikhilesh De Jul 24, 2026, 3:00 p.m. 2 min read Make preferred on Share Share this article Copy link X icon X (Twitter) LinkedIn Facebook Email Make preferred on The World Foundation, which runs the World Network, announced a new funding round led by Pantera Capital. (Danny Nelson/CoinDesk) Summary Show World, the Sam Altman-backed digital identity project, raised $52.5 million in a locked token sale led by Pantera Capital to expand its AI-era digital verification infrastructure. The nonprofit steward plans to use the new capital to integrate its Orb-based “proof of human” identity technology across enterprise platforms and AI agents as concerns over bots and deepfakes grow. More than 39 million people have joined the World Network, with over 18 million verified by an Orb and more than 475 million World ID proofs issued as the project shifts from building the network to scaling its utility. The World Foundation,the independent, nonprofit steward of the protocol, raised $52.5 million in a new funding round through a locked token sale to strategic investors to expand its digital verification infrastructure as artificial intelligence (AI) disrupts online ecosystems, the organization announced Friday. The capital injection, led by Pantera Capital alongside Bain Capital Crypto and Eightco Holdings, will be deployed to integrate identity technology across enterprise platforms and AI agents. The World Network raised $135 million in its first funding round in May of last year in a private token sale of its world coin (WLD) token to venture capital giants a16z and Bain Capital Crypto. WLD is currently priced at roughly $0.37 with a market capitalization of just over $1.3 billion "The need for Proof of Human is becoming acutely clear with the acceleration of AI development, and we see this in the influx of enterprise traction," said Cosmo Jiang, Pantera Capital General Partner, in a statement. Poised to become the world’s most prominent “real humans’ network”, the project previously known as Worldcoin aims to establish an identity layer to distinguish unique individuals from automated bots. The protocol relies on custom hardware, known as an Orb, to issue credentials without compromising user privacy. "World’s technology and proof of human and variations are among the most important building blocks to secure and verify interactions in an increasingly digital driven world," said Tom Lee, an Eightco Holdings board member who also serves as the chairman of Bitmine, in a statement. World said the investment comes as it shifts from building the network to scaling the utility. To date, more than 39 million people have joined the World Network, with more than 18 million humans verified by an Orb, World said in the funding announcement press release. The network has utilized more than 475 million World ID proofs since its launch, scaling its capacity alongside the rollout of its updated, enterprise-ready infrastructure, it added. World, the Sam Altman-backed digital identity project, unveiled in April what it called its most significant upgrade yet to World ID, positioning the system as “full-stack proof of human” infrastructure aimed at consumers, enterprises and AI agents. The shifts within the company arrive amid increasing concerns across the tech industry over bots, deepfakes and AI agents impersonating humans online, a trend the Altman-backed firm is explicitly targeting with a broader push into authentication, payments and internet services. 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