World Foundation Sells Worldcoin WLD, Raising $65M
The World Foundation, co-founded by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, announced over the weekend that its token issuance subsidiary World Assets has completed a total of $65 million in over-the-counter (OTC) transactions of World (WLD) tokens with four counterparties. The transactions were executed over the past week, with initial settlement completed on March 20. The foundation stated that the average price per token was approximately $0.2719, with a total of approximately 239 million WLD sold. Of the proceeds, $25 million worth of tokens are subject to a six-month lock-up period, while the remaining settlement transactions will be processed through the designated World Assets multi-signature wallet. The funds are expected to be allocated to core operations, research and development, iris scanner manufacturing, and ecosystem development.
On-Chain Data Reveals Transaction Details, Continuing Asset Liquidation Pattern
Before the official announcement, on-chain analysis team Lookonchain flagged a large transfer. On March 21, 117 million WLD (valued at approximately $39 million) were moved to Binance and FalconX, and subsequently received approximately $35 million in USDC as payment, implying an effective selling price of nearly $0.30 per token. This was considered part of the $65 million OTC activity. The World Foundation has continued its previous treasury asset liquidation model. As early as April 2024, the foundation had planned to sell between 500,000 and 1.5 million WLD tokens per week to institutional trading firms via private placement.
WLD Price Has Crashed 97% from All-Time High, Facing Unlock Selling Pressure
Following the selling news, WLD briefly dropped to an all-time low of approximately $0.24, before slightly recovering to $0.27. Compared to its peak of nearly $11.82 in March 2024, the cumulative decline stands at approximately 97%. The latest token sale price represents a significant discount compared to previous fundraising rounds. Moreover, the market anticipates additional supply pressure. Data from DefiLlama shows that a large number of tokens are scheduled to unlock soon, further intensifying selling pressure.
World Faces Regulatory Challenges and Biometric Data Controversy
Alongside the token sell-off, the World project continues to face intense regulatory scrutiny in multiple jurisdictions. Since its launch, the project has been subject to investigations and enforcement actions in countries including Germany, Kenya, Indonesia, Brazil, and Thailand due to licensing and data processing practices. In October 2025, Thai authorities raided an iris-scanning station associated with the project. Thailand's Securities and Exchange Commission, in collaboration with the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau, stated that the service allegedly operated without permission, violating digital asset laws, leading to arrests and ongoing investigations. The reliance on biometric data and identity verification, while a key feature of the ecosystem, has also become a source of sensitivity for regulators and the public. Combined with continuous token sales that expand supply, these adverse factors continue to weigh on market sentiment and the project's long-term valuation.