World (formerly Worldcoin) — World ID / WLD Grants
World (formerly Worldcoin) is a global biometric identity and cryptocurrency network built by Tools for Humanity that uses iris-scanning 'Orb' hardware (and NFC passport/ID 'Credential' verification) to issue a unique proof-of-personhood 'World ID.' Verified users historically became eligible for WLD token grants claimed monthly over a 12-month cycle, a mechanism the company has described as inspired by universal basic income. As of June 1, 2026, Tools for Humanity/World Foundation stopped creating or renewing new WLD airdrop cycles, so the grant component is now closed to new enrollees while existing participants finish out their remaining claims. The broader World ID identity network remains fully active and expanding (partnerships with Visa, Tinder/Match Group, Zoom, DocuSign, Coinbase, Razer) even as multiple countries have suspended, banned, or investigated Orb operations over biometric-privacy concerns.
Blockchain, Crypto UBI, Biometric Identity, Proof of Personhood, Iris Scan, Global, Ethereum Layer 2, Regulatory Controversy
Headquarters
- Organization Name
- Tools for Humanity Corporation (protocol overseen by the nonprofit World Foundation)
- City
- San Francisco
- State / Province
- California
- Country
- United States
Contact
- Website
- https://world.org
- Social media links
Status & Funding
- Organization status
- Active
- Program status
- Active
- Number of recipients
- 18,000,000
- Funding type
- Corporate
Benefits
- Currency Type
- Crypto
- Total Amount
- 50
- Avg. Per Month
- 4.17
- Payment frequency
- Monthly
- How long the program lasts
- 12 months
- Distribution Type
- Crypto wallet (WLD token on World Chain, held/managed in the World App's built-in Worldcoin Mini App wallet)
- Benefit details
Enrolled (pre-June 1, 2026) users could claim a WLD portion once a month for up to 12 months, with the largest portion typically issued first and subsequent monthly portions gradually decreasing; any unclaimed monthly portion expires if not claimed within its one-month window. Orb (iris) verification unlocks a higher total grant than Credential (NFC passport/ID) verification alone, and completing both yields the highest combined total. Historical average total grants have been reported around 20-50 WLD per person across a cycle; USD value is highly volatile (WLD has traded from roughly $12 at its 2025 peak to about $0.35-$0.41 in July 2026), so lifetime USD value per recipient varies enormously by claim date. Since June 1, 2026, World Foundation is no longer creating new 12-month airdrop cycles, effectively sunsetting this UBI-style benefit for anyone verifying after that date.
Eligibility
Overview
- Eligibility details
Must be at least 18 years old (World explicitly excludes minors even if accompanied by a guardian) and complete either Orb iris verification at a physical location or Credential verification via an NFC-enabled passport/government ID inside World App. Each unique human may hold only one World ID (Sybil-resistance is central to the design, verified via iris/document uniqueness checks). There are no income, citizenship, employment, or demographic eligibility criteria; access is instead gated by whether Orb/credential verification and WLD distribution are legally permitted in a user's country, which has changed frequently amid regulatory actions in markets such as Kenya, Indonesia, Philippines, and Thailand. As of June 1, 2026, only users who enrolled and claimed their first airdrop before that date remain eligible to keep claiming through the end of their existing 12-month cycle; new verifiers no longer receive a grant track.
Demographics
- Minimum age
- 18
Geography
- US states covered
- California, Georgia, Texas, Florida, Tennessee
- Cities covered
- Atlanta, Austin, Los Angeles, Miami, Nashville, San Francisco (initial May 2025 US Orb-verification launch cities, global network otherwise not limited to specific cities)
Application Process
- How to apply
Download the World App, locate the nearest Orb verification location (or eligible partner location, e.g., Razer stores) via the app or world.org, and complete a brief (under one minute) iris scan to receive a World ID — or alternatively verify an NFC-enabled passport/government ID as a 'Credential' inside the app. Historically, once verified and enrolled, eligible users opened the Worldcoin Mini App inside World App and tapped 'Verify' each month to claim their WLD portion. New airdrop-cycle enrollment closed as of June 1, 2026; World ID verification itself continues on a walk-in/rolling basis wherever Orb or Credential verification remains legally available.
- Selection process
No lottery or merit-based selection; enrollment was open to any adult who could access an operating Orb location or complete Credential verification and did not already hold a World ID. Distribution of WLD is Sybil-resistance based (one grant track per unique verified human) rather than needs- or merit-based.
