Sam Altman-backed World Network secures $52.5 million in fresh funding to fight online AI deepfakes

FinanceSam Altman-backed World Network secures $52.5 million in fresh funding to fight online AI deepfakesThe project is moving away from basic network expansion to focus entirely on integrating its biometric screening devices across enterprise software suites.By Olivier Acuna|Edited by Nikhilesh De Jul 24, 2026, 3:00 p.m. 2 min readMake preferred on ShareShare this articleCopy linkX iconX (Twitter)LinkedInFacebookEmailMake preferred on SummaryShowWorld, the Sam Altman-backed digital identity project, raised $52.5 million in a locked token sale led by Pantera Capital to expand its AI-era digital verification infrastructure.The nonprofit steward plans to use the new capital to integrate its Orb-based “proof of human” identity technology across enterprise platforms and AI agents as concerns over bots and deepfakes grow.More than 39 million people have joined the World Network, with over 18 million verified by an Orb and more than 475 million World ID proofs issued as the project shifts from building the network to scaling its utility.The World Foundation,the independent, nonprofit steward of the protocol, raised $52.5 million in a new funding round through a locked token sale to strategic investors to expand its digital verification infrastructure as artificial intelligence (AI) disrupts online ecosystems, the organization announced Friday.The capital injection, led by Pantera Capital alongside Bain Capital Crypto and Eightco Holdings, will be deployed to integrate identity technology across enterprise platforms and AI agents.The World Network raised $135 million in its first funding round in May of last year in a private token sale of its world coin (WLD) token to venture capital giants a16z and Bain Capital Crypto. WLD is currently priced at roughly $0.37 with a market capitalization of just over $1.3 billion"The need for Proof of Human is becoming acutely clear with the acceleration of AI development, and we see this in the influx of enterprise traction," said C…

Sam Altman-backed World Network secures $52.5 million in fresh funding to fight online AI deepfakes

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