OpenAI's Rumored Biometric Social Network Drives Worldcoin 40% Higher
Sources indicate a compact development team is building the new platform, potentially incorporating ChatGPT for generating content and utilizing biometric verification to confirm human users.
Worldcoin, the cryptocurrency token associated with OpenAI, surged by 40% on Wednesday after reports emerged that the artificial intelligence company is developing a social media platform free from bots, requiring users to provide "proof of personhood."
A Forbes report published on Tuesday, which referenced sources with knowledge of the situation, indicated that OpenAI's goal is to create a "humans-only platform" that would distinguish itself from existing social media offerings currently available.
The project remains in its initial development phase, with sources revealing that approximately 10 people comprise the small team constructing the platform intended to rival X, and that development work has allegedly been ongoing since the beginning of 2025, as reported by technology news publication The Verge.
Sources speaking to Forbes suggested that the "proof of personhood" verification would most likely be conducted through Apple's Face ID technology or the World Orb eyeball scanning device, which has been employed as a component of World, the blockchain and cryptocurrency initiative co-founded by Sam Altman, who serves as CEO of OpenAI.
The news story aligned with a 40% surge in Worldcoin's (WLD) price, reaching $0.63; though the value has subsequently retreated to $0.54 as of the current writing, based on data from CoinGecko.
Against the backdrop of a wider cryptocurrency market decline during the second half of 2025, WLD has experienced a dismal price trajectory, declining nearly 70% throughout the preceding 12 months.
The World Orb, which has faced backlash concerning its ramifications for individual data privacy, performs scans of a person's facial features and iris patterns to confirm they represent a distinct human being. It serves as an essential component of authenticating legitimate users within the WorldCoin ecosystem and facilitates the creation of a World ID.
Information remains limited regarding how the rumored social media platform might be incorporated with OpenAI's collection of products or possibly with WLD. Nonetheless, there is a belief that OpenAI's ChatGPT will be woven into the platform to assist users in generating content including videos or photographs.
Altman has in the past voiced criticism toward bot activity on X and additional social media platforms. In September of last year, he stated that the overall social media experience generally felt "fake" owing to the enormous volume of bot-like posts and comments.