World, the biometric identity project co-founded by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, has released a major update to its mobile application today, repositioning it as a “super app” that integrates encrypted messaging and expanded financial services. Developed by Tools for Humanity, the platform aims to establish a reliable “proof of human” system to distinguish genuine users from bots in an online landscape increasingly saturated by AI-generated content.
The centerpiece of the update is World Chat, a new messaging interface designed with privacy and verification at its core. The feature employs end-to-end encryption comparable to Signal, ensuring secure communication between users. Crucially, the chat system leverages World’s iris-scanning verification network to assign color-coded speech bubbles to messages; this visual cue immediately informs users whether they are interacting with a verified human or an unverified account. By making verification status visible in social interactions, the company hopes to incentivize more users to undergo its iris-scanning process.
Video: World
Beyond messaging, the update significantly expands the app’s utility as a financial tool. The new system functions similarly to Venmo, allowing users to send and receive cryptocurrency seamlessly. The app now supports virtual bank accounts, enabling users to receive paychecks directly into the World App or transfer funds from traditional bank accounts, which can then be converted into crypto assets. Notably, these financial features are accessible to all users, regardless of whether they have completed the biometric verification process.
The push toward social and financial utility addresses the primary hurdle facing the project: scaling adoption. While Altman has expressed a goal of scanning one billion people, the project has currently verified fewer than 20 million users. To overcome the friction of visiting physical locations for verification, Tools for Humanity recently introduced “Orb Minis,” handheld scanning devices intended to make the authentication process more accessible, potentially even allowing for at-home verification in the future.
