Sam Altman sells $65 million worth of WLD, with the token down more than 97% from its peak

World Assets, the token-issuing arm of the World Foundation (World Foundation) co-founded by Sam Altman, sold WLD tokens via over-the-counter (OTC) trading to four counterparties, completing approximately $65 million in financing. After the news was released, WLD briefly touched a record low of $0.24, down more than 97% from its $11.82 peak.

OTC Sale Details: Use of Funds and Discount Rate

In an announcement on the X platform, World Foundation said the proceeds from this sale will be used for the following purposes:

Core Operations and Business Activities: Support the day-to-day operation and promotion of the World project

Research and Development: Advance biometric verification technology and related infrastructure development

Orb (Sphere) Equipment Manufacturing: For mass production and deployment of iris-scanning devices

Ecosystem Development: Expand the application scenarios of the World protocol and the network of partners

Of this, about $25 million worth of WLD is subject to a six-month lockup period, while the rest can be circulated immediately. The average price of this deal was $0.27, compared with $1.13 per token when funding was raised last May from institutions such as Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) and Bain Capital Crypto. The discount is about 76%, reflecting a significant contraction in WLD’s valuation in the market.

The Double Pressure on the WLD Token: Record Low and Massive Unlock in July

After the announcement, WLD briefly dipped to a $0.24 historical low, then slightly rebounded to around $0.27. According to CoinMarketCap data, the current price is about $0.2725.

More worth noting is the upcoming supply-side shock. According to DefiLlama data, the community token will undergo a large-scale unlock on July 23, with the unlocked amount representing 52.5% of the total supply of 10 billion WLD tokens. This means that, even though the market has not yet fully absorbed the background of this OTC sale, several months later it will face token inflow pressure on a much larger scale, directly challenging the cost structure of holders in the secondary market.

Regulatory Challenges Continue to Build: Thailand Raids to Multi-Country Boycotts

World faces resistance not only from the market, but also from regulatory pressure that continues to accumulate. In October last year, the Thailand Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC Thailand) and the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau jointly raided an iris-scanning site related to World, alleging it may have violated digital asset regulations without a license, leading to multiple arrests. The investigation is still ongoing to date.

This is not an isolated incident. Since World started in 2023, it has been investigated and subjected to business restrictions in multiple countries including Germany, Indonesia, Kenya, and Brazil. The crux of the controversy centers on authorization compliance and privacy protection for biometric data. The cross-border spread of regulatory risk, along with the continued decline in token prices, together create multiple pressures on another core business line Sam Altman faces beyond OpenAI.

Frequently Asked Questions

How is Sam Altman related to the WLD token?

Sam Altman is the CEO of OpenAI and also a co-founder of World (formerly known as Worldcoin). World uses iris scanning for decentralized identity verification, and WLD is its native token, intended to provide verifiable human identity credentials for users worldwide. The World Foundation is responsible for coordinating token issuance and ecosystem management.

Why has the WLD token continued to fall to a record low?

Multiple factors combine to create sustained selling pressure: World Foundation completed the OTC sale at a discount of about 76%; the 52.5% token unlock coming in July further intensifies supply expectations; and in addition, accumulated regulatory resistance in multiple countries continues to suppress long-term market confidence.

What risks does the July token unlock pose for WLD holders?

According to DefiLlama data, the unlock amount on July 23 will be about 5.25 billion WLD tokens, accounting for more than half of the total supply. Large-scale token inflows typically create significant selling pressure on the market. If the demand side cannot expand in parallel during that period, WLD faces structural risks of further downside.