Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, has officially launched his controversial cryptocurrency and digital identity project, Worldcoin, in the United States, aiming to create a global financial and identity network using biometric verification.

After rolling out in multiple countries last year, Worldcoin’s U.S. debut marks a significant step in the company’s ambition to provide a secure identity system powered by eye-scanning technology.

At the center of Worldcoin’s approach is the “Orb,” a silver, basketball-sized device that scans a person’s iris to verify their unique identity.

Once verified, users receive a digital ID called a World ID, along with the potential to claim free Worldcoin tokens.

The idea is to distinguish real humans from bots in an increasingly AI-dominated digital world—something Altman sees as crucial in the age of AI-generated content and deepfakes.

Worldcoin has now made the Orb available in major U.S. cities including New York, Los Angeles, and Miami.

The company said more than 4.5 million people globally have already signed up for the program, and it’s expanding quickly amid growing curiosity and criticism.

Supporters argue that Worldcoin could democratize access to global financial systems and offer a robust solution to digital identity verification.

Critics, however, have raised serious concerns about privacy, data security, and biometric surveillance, particularly in countries with weak regulatory oversight.

Despite these concerns, Worldcoin insists that its iris data is converted into a unique code and deleted immediately, ensuring user privacy.

Altman has maintained that the project is distinct from OpenAI and is operated by Tools for Humanity, a separate company he co-founded.

He sees Worldcoin as a way to eventually support universal basic income and help humanity adapt to the economic shifts brought on by artificial intelligence.

The U.S. launch is likely to spark further debate about biometric data use and the ethics of incentivizing people to share sensitive information in exchange for cryptocurrency.

Nonetheless, the project’s expansion suggests growing momentum behind Altman’s vision of a verified, equitable digital future.