World Foundation, the nonprofit entity overseeing Sam Altman's World Network project, has raised $65mn through a series of over-the-counter (OTC) token sales.
The transactions were executed over the past week even as the Worldcoin (WLD) token that's helping to fund the project's operations and expansion traded near recent lows.
Sam Altman's 'World' Raises $65mn in WLD Sales Despite Token's Struggling Price
30 March 2026 - 11:34 CEST
By Sandmark staff
The sales were carried out by World Assets Ltd with four counterparties, with the first transaction settling on 20 Mar. Tokens were sold at an average price of approximately $0.2719 per WLD. Of the total, $25mn is subject to a six-month lock-up period, a structure typically used to limit immediate sell pressure when placing tokens with larger counterparties.
Proceeds will be used to fund core operations, research and development, manufacturing of the project's retina-scanning 'orbs' and broader ecosystem development. Altman has been working on 'Proof of Human' authentication since at least 2019, while also managing ChatGPT creator OpenAI, founded more than a decade ago.
The dollar value of WLD slipped during the sales period and is more than 80% below its all-time high close to $9.50.
Reliance on token sales
The fundraising highlights a broader structural feature of many token-based projects: the use of native assets as a primary funding mechanism. Unlike traditional startups that raise capital through equity, Worldcoin can fund expansion by selling tokens from treasury holdings. This approach avoids equity dilution but introduces a different trade-off: potential dilution for existing token holders and an ongoing supply overhang, especially when tokens are sold into a weaker price environment.
Capital-intensive model
The funding comes as the World Network project continues to invest heavily in its biometric hardware and global identity infrastructure, particularly its orb devices used for user verification. Such capital-intensive components distinguish World Network from many purely digital crypto projects, increasing its upfront cost base and reinforcing the need for recurring capital raises through Worldcoin.
The foundation also said it has deleted a previous post that misstated the time-weighted average price of the token.
