World, the biometric ID verification platform co-founded by Sam Altman, launched the latest version of its app today. The update introduces several new features, including encrypted chat functionality and expanded crypto payments, allowing users to send and request digital currency in a manner similar to Venmo.
World was developed by the startup Tools for Humanity, which was founded in 2019. The app first launched in 2023, and the company says it aims to provide digital “proof of human” tools. In an era increasingly challenged by AI-generated deepfakes and online impersonation, these tools are designed to help distinguish real people from automated bots.
READ: Sam Altman sounds code red over Google Gemini? (December 3, 2025)
At a small event at World’s San Francisco headquarters on Thursday, Sam Altman and Alex Blania, the company’s co-founder and CEO, gave a brief introduction to the latest version of the app, which developers are calling a “super app.” The presentation was then handed over to the product team, who walked attendees through the app’s new features.
In his remarks, Altman explained that the idea for World emerged from discussions with Blania about the need for a new type of economic model. Centered on web3 principles, the app’s verification network is designed to bring that vision to life. “It’s really hard to both identify unique people and do that in a privacy-preserving way,” said Altman.
World Chat, the app’s new messaging feature, is aimed at supporting this vision. According to the company, it uses end-to-end encryption comparable to that of Signal to protect user conversations. The app also includes color-coded speech bubbles to indicate whether a contact has been verified through World’s system.
Another major addition unveiled on Thursday was an enhanced digital payment system, enabling users to send and receive cryptocurrency. While the World app has served as a digital wallet for some time, the latest update adds expanded functionality. Users can now link virtual bank accounts to receive pay checks or make deposits, which can then be converted into crypto. These features are available to all users, regardless of whether they have completed World’s verification process.
“What we kept hearing from people is that they wanted a more social World app,” Tiago Sada, World’s chief product officer, told TechCrunch. “It took a lot of work to make this feature-rich messenger that is similar to a WhatsApp or a Telegram, but with encryption and security of something that is a lot closer to Signal.”
READ: Musk’s Grok AI may violate App Store rules over inappropriate content in 12+ app (
World, previously known as Worldcoin, uses an unconventional verification system to establish identity. Anyone who wants to be verified has their iris scanned at one of the company’s locations, where the Orb, a spherical biometric device, turns that pattern into an encrypted digital code. This becomes the person’s World ID, which can then be used to access the suite of services offered through the app.
Altman has spoken about his ambition to eventually bring eye scans to a billion people, a scale he believes is necessary for the system to have real global impact. For now, Tools for Humanity says the project has verified fewer than 20 million individuals, underscoring how far it still has to go to reach that goal.