Sam Altman's World developer (formerly Worldcoin) lays off staff! Orb iris scans banned in 6 countries

According to Business Insider, the cryptocurrency identity project World (formerly Worldcoin), co-founded by Sam Altman, and its developer Tools for Humanity are undergoing internal layoffs, with specific numbers undisclosed. Despite the company raising funds at a $2.5 billion valuation from institutions like a16z, the iris scanning device Orb has been banned or restricted in at least six countries including Brazil, Kenya, and the Philippines, and its profit model has yet to be successful.
(Background: The World Foundation dumped $65 million WLD, which has plummeted 97% from its peak, and the unlock pressure in July remains.)
(Additional context: WLD surged 20%, and iris scanning is becoming an OpenAI trust savior? The alliance between World and AI giants offers significant imagination space.)

Key Summary

• World developer Tools for Humanity announced layoffs, specific numbers undisclosed, with about 500 employees before layoffs
• Orb iris scanning device has been banned or restricted in at least six countries: Brazil, Kenya, the Philippines, Thailand, Spain, Hong Kong
• WLD token is quoted at about $0.48, down over 97% from its all-time high; the World Foundation sold $65 million worth of WLD in March

AI giant OpenAI filed a confidential IPO application on June 9, while another company co-founded by Sam Altman is laying off staff. According to Business Insider, the crypto identity project World (formerly Worldcoin) developer Tools for Humanity (TFH) has sent internal emails announcing layoffs, and the company plans to hold a full staff meeting on Tuesday to explain the "next step" strategic direction and layoff arrangements.

TFH currently has about 500 employees, with the exact number of layoffs not publicly disclosed. The internal email described the layoffs as "a difficult decision made to align with the company's next phase of strategic direction."

Valued at $2.5 billion

TFH is not short of funds on paper; the company has raised approximately $240 million through traditional financing and $135 million through WLD token sales. Investors include a16z, Bain Capital Crypto, Khosla Ventures, and Blockchain Capital, with a latest valuation of $2.5 billion. In April this year, World ID also secured partnerships with Zoom, DocuSign, Tinder, among others. Currently, the World App has 38 million users worldwide across 160 countries.

However, regulatory pressure on the Orb iris scanning device remains an ever-present shadow, with at least six countries imposing bans or strict restrictions on World:

• Brazil: Banned operations from January 2025, with a daily fine of 50k reais (about $8,800)
• Kenya: Court ruling required deletion of illegally collected biometric data; Philippines Privacy Commission ordered immediate suspension of operations in October 2025
• Thailand: Forced closure in November and deletion of 1.2 million data entries
• Hong Kong: Privacy Commissioner issued enforcement notice banning all iris and facial scans
• Spain: Imposed a ban
• South Korea: Fined $830k in 2024

WLD has plummeted 97% from its peak, Foundation continues to sell

WLD is currently quoted at about $0.48, down over 97% from its all-time high, with a market cap of approximately $1.6 to $1.8 billion. In March, the World Foundation sold $65 million worth of WLD tokens to fund Orb manufacturing and expansion, and in April, another $65 million worth of tokens was liquidated. Ongoing selling pressure and the upcoming large-scale unlock in July continue to weigh on market confidence.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many people did Tools for Humanity lay off?

The specific number has not been disclosed. The company had about 500 employees before layoffs, and internal emails described the layoffs as "a difficult decision to match the next phase of strategic direction," with a full staff meeting scheduled for Tuesday to explain details.

In which countries is Worldcoin's Orb iris scanning device banned?

At least six countries: Brazil, Kenya, the Philippines, Thailand, Hong Kong, and Spain. South Korea also issued an $830k fine. The main controversy revolves around privacy and informed consent issues related to biometric data.