Sam Altman’s World App now includes encrypted chat, virtual accounts, and in-chat crypto payments using USDC, EURC, wrapped BTC/ETH, and 100+ tokens. The upgrade pushes World toward a full “super app” for identity, messaging, and payments.

Sam Altman–backed World (formerly Worldcoin) has rolled out a major update to its World App, positioning it as a multi-purpose “super app” that combines digital identity, encrypted messaging, and crypto payments. The new release introduces World Chat, an end‑to‑end encrypted messenger integrated directly into the app, alongside expanded payment tools that let users send, request, deposit, and withdraw cryptocurrency in a Venmo-like experience. Chats are encrypted to a level the company compares to Signal, and the app visually flags whether a contact has been verified through World ID, using color‑coded bubbles to distinguish verified humans from unverified accounts. On the financial side, the app’s existing wallet has been upgraded with virtual accounts and broader asset support, enabling users in supported regions to receive payroll or bank deposits directly into the app and convert funds into crypto. The updated World App now supports USDC, EURC, wrapped forms of Bitcoin and Ethereum, and over 100 digital assets, including multiple regional stablecoins, while offering zero‑fee in‑app transfers for certain stablecoins. These payment features do not require users to complete biometric verification, although verified users can access additional yield (“Ganá”) products on WLD and USDC via DeFi integrations like Morpho, subject to World’s “one human, one account” policy. The launch reflects World’s broader ambition to combine biometric proof‑of‑humanity, global payments, and communication in a single interface. World, developed by Tools for Humanity and co‑founded by Sam Altman, Alex Blania, and Max Novendstern, uses its Orb device to perform iris scans that generate a privacy‑preserving World ID meant to distinguish real humans from bots in an era of AI‑generated deepfakes. By merging identity verification with encrypted chat and a multi‑asset wallet, the project is moving closer to an integrated infrastructure layer for identity‑aware messaging and payments that can sit on top of crypto rails, while also intensifying ongoing debates about biometric data, privacy, and the concentration of digital identity systems.

✨ AI-generated background, compiled from web sources — not editorial content.

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