Worldcoin

Worldcoin Tokenomics

Mission: Building a global identity and financial network

The mission of World is to build the world’s largest identity and financial network as a public utility, giving ownership to everyone. The project’s goals regarding the Worldcoin token, WLD, are as follows:

  1. The majority of WLD tokens will be claimed by individuals simply for being verified unique humans.
  2. The majority of humans alive today will claim WLD tokens, which may result in WLD becoming the most widely distributed digital currency.
  3. The WLD token, alongside World ID, will be used for protocol governance.
  4. The WLD token will form the basis of the largest anonymous identity and financial network.

Introducing WLD

WLD is designed as a cryptocurrency with governance properties, with the goal of eventually empowering users by giving them a say over the future of the protocol. Beyond conventional “one-token-one-vote” governance mechanisms, the introduction of World ID paves the way for “one-person-one-vote” mechanisms. These two mechanisms can be combined in many ways to enable new ways of governance. While World Foundation currently acts as the steward of the protocol, it plans to solicit proposals and interface with community-governance projects on how World ID and the WLD token should interact in World’s future governance model.

The community of users may determine the token’s utility for governance, but a few other use cases could emerge. For example, users may decide to use WLD within the World Network ecosystem to access features within World App or another wallet app, such as tipping, buying and selling goods, or signaling their support for causes or initiatives. 

World Foundation is currently governing the project and is working toward progressively decentralizing governance and the ecosystem. The goal of decentralization will be aided by World Foundation’s unique approach of giving the majority of the WLD token supply to participants of World Network—simply for being humans.

The WLD Token

Launch Date

July 24, 2023

Network Information

Worldcoin (WLD) is an ERC-20 token on Ethereum Mainnet.

Individuals claiming user tokens will receive bridged WLD tokens on World Chain Mainnet, an OP Stack layer-2 network on top of Ethereum. Therefore, most WLD token transactions will likely take place on World Chain. If needed, the token can be bridged back to Ethereum through the OP Stack Superbridge.

Address: Ethereum

0x163f8C2467924be0ae7B5347228CABF260318753

Address: World Chain
(main venue for access and use)

0x2cFc85d8E48F8EAB294be644d9E25C3030863003

Address: Optimism

0xdC6fF44d5d932Cbd77B52E5612Ba0529DC6226F1


Between July 24, 2023, and October 17, 2024, Optimism was the main venue for access and use of WLD. While WLD remains available on Optimism, the main venue for access and use is now World Chain.

Upgradability

None. No control, except inflation starting 15 years after token launch (see Inflation below).

Token allocation entity

World Assets, Ltd., based in the British Virgin Islands. World Foundation is its sole member and director.

Initial supply cap

10B WLD tokens (also see Inflation below)

Inflation

Any inflation of the WLD supply beyond the initial 10B token amount can only start, at the earliest, 15 years after launch (specifically, on July 24, 2038, 4am UTC). The rate of inflation is to be determined by protocol governance. The allocation of any newly-minted tokens is to also be decided by governance. The inflation cap, enforced by the WLD token smart contract, is 1.5% annually. The default inflation rate = 0%.

Availability

Worldcoin tokens are not available to people or companies who are residents of, or are located, incorporated or have a registered agent in, the State of New York or certain other restricted territories. More details can be found in the Terms of Use, including additional restrictions on eligibility.

Safety reminder

Watch out for fake apps claiming to be associated with World, and platforms or third parties that may try to sell or provide you with fake WLD tokens! Ensure that whenever you are transacting in WLD that it has the correct token address listed above. If the WLD have been “bridged” to another chain that is not Ethereum, World Chain, or Optimism, make sure this bridged version is secure and can always be redeemed or bridged back for WLD on Ethereum, World Chain, or Optimism. World Foundation and its affiliates are not responsible for the creation, operation, or security of any bridges deployed by third parties, nor any WLD that is bridged through them.

Important User Information

Cryptocurrencies, tokens, and blockchain applications are highly risky. They are novel and rapidly-evolving technologies whose availability, usage, utility, value, and functionality is dependent on and affected by third party actors, market forces, regulatory environments, and emergent or changing technologies and behaviors. These factors create significant complexity and introduce new and unanticipated risks or consequences. WLD may never increase in value and/or utility, or it may lose all value and/or utility. For more information, visit https://world.org/risks.

WLD Token Allocation

The following figure shows the allocation of WLD’s total supply to the four high-level stakeholder groups. Note that, since launch, the token allocation has changed within the 25% of the TFH Investors + Team + TFH Reserve allocation of tokens. The 75% World Community tokens are unaffected by this.

Fig. 4.2: Current WLD token allocation (percent of 10B initial total supply) as of April 28, 2025
Fig. 4.2:
Current WLD token allocation (percent of 10B initial total supply) as of April 28, 2025

The following table provides details on the token allocation.

75%World CommunityWorld Foundation governs the allocation of these tokens in line with its Articles of Association and a mandate to continue decentralizing governance of token management decision-making. Most of these tokens are allocated to users; some will be used for the ecosystem fund and network operations (details below).
11.1%TeamThese tokens go to the TFH team and other service providers that took the steps to develop World.
13.6%TFH InvestorsTFH investors provided funding that enabled TFH to support the multi-year pre-launch phase of World.
0.3%TFH ReserveTFH retains a reserve of WLD tokens to address future needs of TFH.

Unlocked Supply and Circulating Supply

This section discusses token lock-ups and how WLD comes into circulation. Here are two terms to understand:

  1. Circulating supply denotes the total amount of WLD tokens that are freely circulating, meaning they do not have any specific transfer restrictions imposed upon them, and are not subject to the protocol’s governance discretion. This also includes tokens that could be acquired by external parties at any time, e.g., liquidity positions.
  2. Unlocked supply denotes the total amount of WLD tokens that are either part of the circulating supply or are unlocked but subject to the protocol’s governance discretion on their rate of release into the circulating supply.

Unlocked Supply Schedule

An important feature of the unlocked supply schedule is that (a) team and investor tokens are subject to lock-ups, while (b) tokens claimed by users are not locked up. The following figure shows the 15-year WLD token unlock schedule. Importantly, governance will determine the rate at which WLD tokens from the World community category are introduced into the circulating supply. This will depend on several factors, particularly the speed at which the number of World users grows. Thus, the unlocked supply represents an upper bound on the maximum circulating supply.

Figure 4.3: 15-Year WLD token unlocked supply schedule (representing an upper bound on circulating supply). Governance controls the rate at which the unlocked World Community tokens are introduced into the circulating supply. After year 15, governance may enact an inflation rate of up to 1.5% per year.
Figure 4.3:
15-Year WLD token unlocked supply schedule (representing an upper bound on circulating supply). Governance controls the rate at which the unlocked World Community tokens are introduced into the circulating supply. After year 15, governance may enact an inflation rate of up to 1.5% per year.

Note: For simplicity, the figure above assumes that the tokens contained in the TFH Reserve unlock according to, a one-year full lockup starting 2025-04-27 plus two years of linear unlock (see below). Given that these tokens are currently unassigned, they may be subject to additional lock-up periods and may unlock somewhat later than shown in the figure. A live version of the unlocked schedule can be found on Dune.

Below are details about the unlocked supply schedule for each category of recipient:

World Community Tokens

Ahead of launch, all 7.5B WLD tokens allocated to the World Community were minted. However, the vast majority of those tokens unlock over a 15-year span (details below). This unlock schedule constrains the pace at which these tokens can be made available for ecosystem participants. The unlock schedule of tokens is enforced by four smart contracts (1,2,3,4). Importantly, the tokens allocated to users and operators are not locked up.

The WLD token amounts shown in the following table unlock across the specified periods. During each period, an equal number of tokens are unlocked each calendar day.

At Launch0.5B WLD0.5B WLD
Launch – End of Year 33.5B WLD4B WLD
Start of Year 4 – End of Year 61.75B WLD5.75B WLD
Start of Year 7 – End of Year 90.875B WLD6.625B WLD
Start of Year 10 – End of Year 150.875B WLD7.5B WLD

Note: World aims to scale the network to every human. As the project grows, the number of people who are not part of the community necessarily becomes smaller. Given these dynamics, a substantial quantity of tokens are available for the World community within the first few years after launch, when the number of people who can join is highest and the rate of growth is the fastest. This is why 4B of the World Community tokens unlock over the initial three years. However, the rate at which these tokens enter the circulating supply depends on the speed of the network’s growth.

TFH Team and Investor Tokens

The tokens allocated to TFH investors were contractually fully locked up for 12 months after those investors exercised their respective token warrants (which they were able to do at launch). The team tokens had the same 12-months full lockup in place. After the full lockup period, approximately 80% of the TFH team and investor tokens started unlocking linearly over a 48-month period while approximately 20% unlock linearly over a 24-month period. Unlocking for nearly all of these tokens therefore concludes by the end of July 2028—five years after protocol launch. Originally, all unlock schedules were over 24 months, but they were extended to 48 months for the majority of tokens in July 2024. The World Foundation previously shared information about these unlocks (see here), as this very gradual unlock schedule is longer than that of many projects and aligns with the long-term nature of World’s mission. Note that team members’ tokens may additionally be constrained by vesting schedules, which have their own timelines, typically tied to a person’s tenure at TFH.

TFH Reserve

The tokens in the TFH Reserve are contractually locked up for at least one year of full lockup plus two years of linear unlock from the time they are allocated. The exact lock-up period will depend on when these tokens are allocated.

Circulating Supply at Launch

Figure 4.3 shows the amount of unlocked WLD tokens over time. This is different from circulating supply, which excludes unlocked WLD tokens that are held in the Foundation’s treasury but have not been allocated for any specific purpose.

The circulating supply of WLD primarily grows with network size and usage. At launch, there were about 2M humans who had verified and were allocated a total of 43M Beta WLD tokens during the pre-launch phase of the project. In line with World’s goal of creating a network of as many humans as possible, the circulating supply of WLD was quite low at 100.7M WLD (1% of total supply), consisting of the following parts:

  1. 700k WLD tokens had been migrated by users from the pre-launch phase at launch. The remaining 42.3M WLD from the pre-launch phase remained available for migration for a period of time after launch.

  2. 100M WLD tokens had been loaned to trading firms operating outside of the US.

Since launch, the circulating supply of WLD has grown steadily. As of April 28, 2025, it stands at about 1.3B WLD (i.e., 13% of total supply). See the dune dashboard for live numbers.

Foundation’s Token Allocation Goal

The World Foundation exists to assist and help support the diverse and multifaceted community of ecosystem participants building on or using World Network, if support is needed at all, as it continues becoming further decentralized. This includes keeping WLD tokens available for core purposes like the user token emission (subject to the “Availability” noted above), network operations, and ecosystem grants.

World’s evolution over time may be affected by a variety of factors, each of which could be significant. These factors include the number of Orbs deployed in the field, the number of new verifications per week, the activity of World’s users, the number and location of merchants, platforms, developers, and others seeking to utilize the functionalities of World, future governance decisions, and numerous other known and unknown factors. Therefore, the final allocation of the World Community tokens cannot yet be determined. Nonetheless, taking into account the project’s objectives and current scale, World Foundation’s aspirational token allocation goal is shown in the following figure:

Figure 4.4: Foundation’s Token Allocation Goal. For the Network Operation and Ecosystem Fund category, the major cost items are also shown.
Figure 4.4:
Foundation’s Token Allocation Goal. For the Network Operation and Ecosystem Fund category, the major cost items are also shown.

World Foundation seeks to maximize the number of WLD tokens allocated to users in line with the various factors that affect World Network’s growth. This may mean that the Foundation allocates fewer tokens to network operations and the ecosystem fund over time than shown in the above figure.

User Tokens (target allocation: ≥ 60%)

The Foundation expects that a majority of WLD tokens will be obtained by individuals over time in the form of user tokens (previously known as “user grants”)—simply for being a verified unique human. Given that equality is one of the project’s guiding values, there was not a large one-time airdrop at launch, as such an event would have likely resulted in tokens flowing to a small group of people. Instead, the availability of WLD tokens is based on the following three principles:

  1. Unique humanness. Every verified unique human is eligible to claim user tokens (subject to the availability noted above).

  2. Fairness. At any given point in time, all verified individuals, across all applicable countries, can claim the same amount of tokens (subject to availability).

  3. Incentives: User tokens are given out over time, and the claimable user token amount decreases over time. This gives users an additional incentive to join the network early and to regularly engage with the protocol, thereby addressing the cold-start problem inherent to launching a new network.

The user tokens are not an investment. If you are already a verified human, you may claim user tokens without providing anything of value to World as the claim is in and of itself a simple check (using zero-knowledge proofs) to determine that you are in fact eligible. No appreciation or receipt of value is guaranteed or implied–and you don’t have to claim user tokens at all to participate in the World Network.

How users claim WLD tokens

Individuals who have verified their uniqueness, either at an Orb or using a passport credential, then (subject to availability) are eligible to claim the following two types of user token amounts via a compatible app, such as World App:

  1. First User Token Amount: 24 hours after verifying, they can claim their first user token amount. As of 2025-04-28, the first user token amount is 16 WLD for Orb-verified individuals and 8 WLD for passport-verified individuals.
  2. Recurring User Token Amounts: Starting one month after verification, verified individuals can claim their first recurring user token amount. Each recurring user token amount is available to claim for one month to every (Orb or passport) verified individual in the world. Recurring user token amounts are the same for everyone at a given point in time but decrease over time. The recurring amount for April 2025 is 2.98 WLD for Orb-verified individuals and 1.49 WLD for passport-verified individuals. The ability to claim recurring user token amounts does currently not expire, though governance could change that at a later time.

If the same individual is verified using both the Orb and the passport credential, they can claim both of the respective (first and recurring) user token amounts.

For a user who verifies today, one can compute how much WLD they should be able to claim across the following year. To do this, one fetches the first user token amount and the currently configured future recurring user token amounts for one year (see Technical Information) and sums them up. The Worldcoin Mini App in World App currently displays the result to the user as their total user token amount to abstract away the intricacies of the schedule of recurring amounts. 

Unclaimed WLD tokens remain in the World community pool. Importantly, “claim” refers to the process described above by which user token amounts are received and is not intended to create or imply any legal relationship between any individual and World Foundation or any other entity.

Governance over user token amounts. The user token amounts are set by the protocol’s governance. Currently, governance is implemented via World Foundation, but it is expected that over time, governance will be increasingly decentralized. This means that governance could also alter the emission mechanism for user tokens. For example, once the system has stabilized, governance may decide to automatically update the user token amounts according to some rule implemented in a smart contract.

Long-term sustainability of the user token emission. To achieve the goal of providing WLD tokens to every living human being (subject to availability and eligibility), governance may also decide to phase out the recurring user token amounts after a few years and only keep the first amount, thereby reserving the remaining tokens for new users in the future. As explained above, 15 years after launch, governance may also decide on enacting an inflation rate of up to 1.5% per year, if this is deemed necessary to continue the user token mechanism into the future.

Historical note: user token reservations for unverified individuals. For a period after launch, individuals were able to reserve user token amounts prior to verification and they would receive their reserved amounts once they verified at an Orb. Reservations have now been phased out and redemptions of these reservations close in July 2025.

Historical note: User token allocations during the pre-launch phase. During the pre-launch phase of World, which lasted from May 2021 until July 2023, Beta WLD tokens were allocated to users in different stages (subject to availability). Users were able to migrate their Beta WLD to WLD at or after launch.

The remainder of this section discusses the other categories in the Foundation’s token allocation goal.

Network Operation (target allocation: ≤ 10%)

A portion of the WLD token supply allocated to the World Community is intended to be used to fund network operations. This section describes the main operational costs for the network, though this list is not intended to be exhaustive. Where necessary, these costs may be covered by World Foundation converting a portion of WLD tokens allocated to network operation into fiat or other currency.

Areas and responsibilities for network operations. The World Foundation is the steward of the World project, supporting and growing the community. The World Foundation owns the IP for the World ID protocol, the Orb, World Chain, and the Worldcoin token protocol. The World Foundation also governs the 75% of all Worldcoin (WLD) tokens that have been allocated to the World Community. In line with the project goals, the Foundation is allocating part of these tokens towards network operations and ecosystem building.These include the operation of the World ID sign up sequencer and uniqueness services, entities supporting World Chain, user engagement, and community outreach.

Other areas of network operations are the responsibility of ecosystem contributors. These areas include Orb manufacturing and operations. One of these ecosystem contributors is Tools for Humanity (TFH), the initial development company that launched World Network.

The World Foundation plans to further decentralize network operations, for example, through additional service providers and decentralized structures that ensure the long-term sustainability of the operations of the network.

Orb Manufacturing

Part of the WLD token supply is used to fund ongoing manufacturing costs. To this end, World Foundation engages TFH to oversee manufacturing of the Orb. In the future, other service providers may also be engaged to manufacture the Orb or devices similar to the Orb.

Orb Operations

Orb Operators are independent ecosystem participants who operate the Orbs and receive Operator rewards for verifying individuals at the Orb. It is important that Operators provide users with a high-quality experience by educating them about the project and supporting them during the verification process. To align the Operators’ financial interests with the objectives of World, Operator rewards are impacted by measures of sign-up quality. 

To ensure the long-term financial viability of World (given the Foundation’s long-term goal of deploying 50,000 Orbs), competitive mechanisms have been trialed to determine fair Operator rewards. This also encourages Operators to innovate and quickly adapt to the changing needs of the project. The vast majority of Operator rewards is paid in WLD tokens (subject to the availability noted above), while a small share is paid in USDC.

Other Operations

Part of the WLD token supply is used by World Foundation to fund other operational costs, which includes logistics associated with Orb deployment, production of equipment provided to Operators, etc.

Market Operations Support

Part of the WLD token supply will be used by World Foundation to fund market operations support, which includes the recruitment, training and coordination of the network of Operators around the world.

User Engagement Initiatives and Community Outreach

When launching in a new country or region, part of the WLD token supply can be used by World Foundation to fund user engagement initiatives and community outreach programs (e.g., partnering with local organizations).

Sequencer and Uniqueness Service Operation

When a person verifies with an Orb, the uniqueness of their biometric information needs to be verified, and the proof of uniqueness needs to be written to the blockchain. The corresponding service is operated by World Foundation. World Foundation also supports the operation of a sequencer for World Chain that writes the state of the World Chain to Ethereum. Part of the token supply is allocated toward covering the cost of these services.

Bug Bounty Programs

While the hardware and software have been extensively audited by external security auditing companies (see the Orb audit and protocol audits), additional bug bounty programs have been set up for the smart contracts and other software. These bug bounty programs may also function as tools for the progressive decentralization of the project.

Ecosystem Fund (target allocation: ≤ 5%)

The ecosystem fund is intended to be used by World Foundation to support activities for the continued development and decentralization of World. These costs are largely independent of the network size or the size of the on-the-ground operations.

Protocol R&D

Some funds are used by World Foundation for continued development of World and related software. This includes, for example, the development of the World ID protocol, World Chain, and may in the future include the development of client apps.

Orb R&D

Ecosystem funds are also used for continued research and development of Orb hardware and software, including security mechanisms and new features.

Standards Development, Audits, and Certification

Some funds are used by World Foundation to foster standardization of the different parts of World, including different wallet apps, the Orb and the on-chain protocol. Standards help decentralization by making it easier for different parties to become part of the network. In the future, some funds are expected to be used for audits (e.g., of new biometric devices or new wallet apps) and certifying new service providers.

Ecosystem Grants

Some funds are used for ecosystem grants, which are issued for the development of new protocols, systems and integrations that are part of World, as well as for additional research and development.

Incentive Programs

Some funds are used for programs that directly incentivize activities by persons, companies and protocols that contribute to the ecosystem’s growth.

Liquidity Provisioning

World Assets,, Ltd. entered into loan agreements with several trading firms operating outside of the US. These loans enable trading firms to independently assess and provide liquidity for WLD tokens.

As of 2025-04-28, these entities collectively hold loans worth 13M WLD. Out of this amount, 10M WLD expire on 2025-06-14, 1M WLD expire on 2025-09-26, and 2M WLD are currently not marked for expiry. The loans must be repaid in full in WLD – in particular, there is no call option.

World Foundation Operations

Part of the ecosystem fund will be used to fund a small staff working at World Foundation, along with associated operational costs (e.g., legal, administration).

Technical Information

Contracts and Addresses

Smart Contracts

Contract

Network

Address

WLD Token Contract

Ethereum

0x163f8C2467924be0ae7B5347228CABF260318753

WLD Token Contract

World Chain

0x2cFc85d8E48F8EAB294be644d9E25C3030863003

WLD Token Contract

Optimism

0xdC6fF44d5d932Cbd77B52E5612Ba0529DC6226F1

Community Tokens Unlock Contracts

Ethereum

Recurring User Token Amounts Allocation Contract, Orb

World Chain

0x2c1Ca1FBbD5f28e5492Cc6bF8C4e8c57354eb162

Optimism (deprecated)

0xe773335550b63eed23a6e60dcc4709106a1f653c 

Recurring User Token Amounts Allocation Contract, Passport Credential

World Chain

0x85C0BEb46E91D18dFeA0294E6FC46A8c8AF2BeaD

First User Token Amounts Allocation Contract, Orb

World Chain

0xf4d26620B6d9AE07F2495757C8Bd00090cE2A172

First User Token Amounts Allocation Contract, Passport Credential

World Chain

0x008177c4F0C0c64334D7CC2702b783387fCe6d62

Beta WLD Token Contract (deprecated)

Optimism

0x0346c32E5d7e98bD57100b6F7002a0Ae17188048

User token amounts can be fetched as follows: the currently active grant IDs and future recurring user token amounts can be fetched from the WLDGrant contract available at (Recurring User Token Amounts Allocation Contract).grants() where one chooses the Recurring User Token Amounts Allocation Contract corresponding to the respective credential (Orb or Passport). The current first user token amount can be fetched from API endpoint at: https://api.airdrop.world.org/v1/grants/first-claim-amount?grantId=<current_grant_id>

Main Wallets

Wallet

Network

Address

World Foundation
Cold Wallets

Ethereum

0xc534a745bFfaF9466Ed7B47fA23B0177b99A3e77

Optimism

0xc534a745bFfaF9466Ed7B47fA23B0177b99A3e77

World Chain

0xc534a745bFfaF9466Ed7B47fA23B0177b99A3e77

World Assets, Ltd.
Cold Wallets

Ethereum

0x59a0f98345f54bAB245A043488ECE7FCecD7B596

Optimism

0x59a0f98345f54bAB245A043488ECE7FCecD7B596

World Chain

0x59a0f98345f54bAB245A043488ECE7FCecD7B596

World Assets, Ltd.
Hot Wallets

Ethereum

0xc4151Dd19A38E7224793F5aD8fBDD912750e3565

World Chain

0x8C00371AEf2482477c15c878D58044d64A7FCcA3

World Assets, Ltd. Hot Wallet: Recurring User Token Amounts

World Chain

0x30672EbB8D3c3b62C261a23B4a225712FF2CAdBC

Optimism (deprecated)

0x7f26A7572E8B877654eeDcBc4E573657619FA3CE

World Assets, Ltd. Hot Wallet: First User Token Amount

World Chain

0x1c288c748F368E8dcD87dB0d29888666842502aA

World Assets, Ltd. Hot Wallet: Reservations

World Chain

0xDAA7BbAD496c4D4431423bE64d878a769FbDEBc8

WLD Vault

World Chain

0x14a028cC500108307947dca4a1Aa35029FB66CE0

Optimism (deprecated)

0x21c4928109acB0659A88AE5329b5374A3024694C

Optimism – World Chain Migration

Optimism

0x6CE3A5478232F0DfAE37D7178C24F984cCa696a8

World Chain

0xC6968c6DF1a2C31Ac66B42945BbaD91635a0095B

World Assets, Ltd. Hot Wallet: Welcome Grants and Beta Token Migration (deprecated)

Optimism

0x074a9ed58d11e3f0f589072c99de86f80971a844 

World Assets, Ltd. Hot Wallet:
Temporary holding wallet

Optimism

0xF8Cf291d92e52B722C31af1FDE9F0D7E890E0E0A

World Assets, Ltd. Hot Wallet:
Beta Token Migration 2 (deprecated)

Optimism

0x46DcEC50647abFb2905Af8Da4e670051653A5FBC 

Polygon Bridge
(Beta User Migration, deprecated)

Optimism

0xe710657bEbDBd75fBDaCA07D57c2A5aE04085507 

FAQ

How do the World Chain contracts relate to the Ethereum contracts?

The WLD token contract is deployed on Ethereum mainnet, and the token is bridged to the World Chain “layer 2” network. However, World Foundation expects that most of the activity in WLD tokens will happen on World Chain, where verified individuals receive their user token amounts. In addition, World App primarily interacts with the World Chain network. The reasons for choosing World Chain over Ethereum as the primary venue were scalability and transaction costs. A legacy bridged version of WLD also still exists on Optimism.

Who pays the transaction costs (gas fees)?

World App users generally do not currently incur gas costs; the gas fees for claiming WLD tokens, performing swaps, and other transactions are currently funded by TFH. In the future, World App could require users to pay gas fees for certain actions, e.g., transfers made to other wallets. When users verify their identity to a third-party application via World ID, this does not incur gas costs for the protocol. However, the third-party applications may charge users gas fees (depending on whether they verify the proof on-chain or off-chain) or other fees. For instance, when using the swap feature in World App, users do pay any fees incurred on third-party platforms. Users may incur gas fees for transactions that are not made through World App that are dependent on the platform and chain on which the transaction is occurring.  

How are the World Community tokens stored? Do you use a custody provider?

The majority of the World Community tokens are stored in a cold wallet. Additionally, several hot wallets are used by World Foundation and World Assets, Ltd., to manage everyday operations. Tokens are typically only stored in these hot wallets for a short period of time, and these wallets only store as many tokens as needed.

Who controls the WLD token contract? Is it upgradable? Does anyone have minting rights?

The WLD token contract is not upgradable. No control can be exercised over the contract, except for setting the “minter” address in case the community decides to activate inflation. For 15 years following the launch, no address is able to mint any new tokens. After 15 years, a “minter” address (controlled by protocol governance) can mint up to 1.5% new WLD tokens per year, with governance deciding how to allocate them.

What are the involved entities and where are they incorporated?

The World Foundation is an exempted limited guarantee foundation company, incorporated in the Cayman Islands. It is “memberless,” meaning it has no shareholders or beneficial owners. Its registered office is located at Suite 3119, 9 Forum Lane, Camana Bay, George Town, Grand Cayman KY1-9006, Cayman Islands. World Foundation’s principal purpose, as set forth in its Articles of Association, is to support and encourage the growth of those building in the World ecosystem, support and foster the decentralization of World technologies and governance, hold and license intellectual property relating to the World Network, and to receive, sell, hold, loan, and spend assets to support these purposes. 

World Assets, Ltd. is a company registered in the British Virgin Islands on December 7, 2022 with BVI Company Number 2113558. The World Foundation is the sole member/director of World Assets, Ltd. World Assets, Ltd.is responsible for issuing the 7.5B Worldcoin tokens (WLD) that have been allocated to the World community. 

World Chain LLC is a limited liability company formed in the Cayman Islands. World Foundation is its sole member and manager. World Chain LLC is responsible for the ownership and operation of World Chain infrastructure.

More information about these entities, including incorporation documentation and equity composition, can be found at foundation.world.org/about

Tools for Humanity (TFH) is a Delaware corporation headquartered in San Francisco, California (US), with a wholly-owned subsidiary, Tools for Humanity GmbH based in Germany. Its registered office is located at CSC 251 Little Falls Drive, Wilmington, Delaware 19808. It registered on June 26, 2019 and its legal entity number is 7487684. TFH supported World’s multi-year pre-launch phase, during which it developed the Orb, the first version of the protocol, and the World App, the first wallet for World Network, which it still operates today. It is governed entirely independently of World Foundation. Founded in 2019, TFH has grown to a team of approximately 500 people today. However, World is an open protocol that anyone can contribute to and build on.

Disclaimer

PLEASE READ THE ENTIRETY OF THIS “NOTICE AND DISCLAIMER” SECTION CAREFULLY. NOTHING HEREIN CONSTITUTES LEGAL, FINANCIAL, BUSINESS, INVESTMENT OR TAX ADVICE AND YOU SHOULD CONSULT YOUR OWN LEGAL, FINANCIAL, BUSINESS, INVESTMENT, TAX OR OTHER PROFESSIONAL ADVISOR(S) BEFORE ENGAGING IN ANY ACTIVITY IN CONNECTION HEREWITH. NEITHER THE WORLD FOUNDATION (THE FOUNDATION) AND ANY OF THE PROJECT PARTICIPANTS (TOGETHER WITH THE PROJECT PARTICIPANTS, THE WORLD NETWORK) WHO HAVE WORKED ON WORLD NETWORK (AS DESCRIBED HEREIN) OR DEVELOPERS OF WORLD NETWORK IN ANY CAPACITY WHATSOEVER, NOR ANY SERVICE PROVIDER SHALL BE LIABLE FOR ANY KIND OF DIRECT OR INDIRECT DAMAGE OR LOSS WHATSOEVER WHICH YOU MAY SUFFER IN CONNECTION WITH ACCESSING THIS WHITEPAPER, THE WEBSITE AT HTTPS:// WORLD.ORG (THE WEBSITE) OR ANY OTHER WEBSITES OR MATERIALS PUBLISHED BY THE FOUNDATION.

Crypto Products

Crypto products can be highly risky and their regulatory treatment is unsettled in many jurisdictions. There may be no regulatory recourse for any loss from transactions in WLD tokens. Any value ascribed to WLD tokens may change quickly and may be lost in its entirety. Further, the technologies comprising World Network, including the WLD token, are experimental in nature. There is no guarantee that the network will operate as planned. For more information, visit www.world.org/risks. Holding, buying, or selling WLD tokens may not be permitted where you live, and it is your responsibility to comply with all applicable laws. Worldcoin (WLD) tokens are not intended to be available to residents of the State of New York or certain other restricted territories. More details can be found at http://www.world.org/tos.

As described further below, this document contains forward-looking estimates and statements regarding the intended actions and objectives of World Foundation and World Network, based largely on current expectations and projections about future events for which the outcome is uncertain. It is therefore subject to a number of known and unknown risks, including those described at www.world.org/risks, that could cause the actual outcomes to differ materially from what is expressed or implied herein. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on these future-looking estimates and statements. The content of this document speaks only as of the date thereof.

Nature of the Whitepaper

The Whitepaper and the Website are intended for general informational purposes and community discussion only and do not constitute a prospectus, an offer document, an offer of securities, a solicitation for investment, or any offer to sell any product, item or asset (whether digital or otherwise). Nothing contained in the Whitepaper or the Website is or may be relied upon as a promise, representation or undertaking as to the future performance of World Network. The information herein may not be exhaustive and does not imply any element of a contractual relationship commitment in relation to the acquisition of WLD Token, and no virtual currency or other form of payment is to be accepted on the basis of the Whitepaper or the Website. There is no assurance as to the accuracy or completeness of such information and no representation, warranty or undertaking is or purported to be provided as to the accuracy or completeness of such information. Nothing contained in the Whitepaper or the Website is or may be relied upon as a promise, representation or undertaking as to the future performance of World Network. Any agreement between any third party and you, in relation to any sale, purchase, or other distribution or transfer of WLD Token, is to be governed only by the separate terms and conditions of such agreement, and such agreement must be read together with the Whitepaper. Where the Whitepaper or the Website includes information that has been obtained from third party sources, the Foundation, their respective affiliates and/or World Network have not independently verified the accuracy or completion of such information. Further, you acknowledge that circumstances may change and that the Whitepaper or the Website may become outdated as a result; and the Foundation is not under any obligation to update or correct this document in connection therewith. 

The information set out in the Whitepaper and the Website is for community discussion only and is not legally binding. No person is bound to enter into any contract or binding legal commitment in relation to the acquisition of any WLD token, and no virtual currency or other form of payment is to be accepted on the basis of the Whitepaper or the Website. Any agreement governing the sale or acquisition of WLD tokens shall be governed by a separate set of Terms of Service, available at www.world.org/tos. The Terms of Service must be read together with the Whitepaper and further information available at www.world.org/risks. In the event of any inconsistencies between the Terms of Service and the Whitepaper or the Website, the Terms of Service shall prevail.

Token Features

The native digital cryptographically-secured cryptocurrency of World Network (WLD Token) is a transferable representation of attributed functions specified in the protocol/code of World Network, designed to play a major role in the functioning of the ecosystem on World Network, and intended to be used solely as the primary utility and future governance token on the platform. The goal of introducing WLD Token is to provide a convenient and secure mode of payment and settlement between participants who interact within the ecosystem on World Network, and it is not, and not intended to be, a medium of exchange accepted by the public (or a section of the public) as payment for goods or services or for the discharge of a debt; nor is it designed or intended to be used by any person as payment for any goods or services whatsoever that are not exclusively provided by the issuer. WLD Token may only be utilized on World Network, and ownership of WLD Token carries no rights, express or implied, other than the right to use WLD Token as a means to enable usage of and interaction within World Network. WLD Token is not intended to be an investment, and no value appreciation is guaranteed or implied.

Deemed Representations and Warranties

By accessing the Whitepaper or the Website (or any part thereof), you shall be deemed to represent and warrant to the Foundation, their respective affiliates, and World Network as follows:

  1. in any decision to receive and/or purchase any WLD Token, you shall not rely on any statement set out in the Whitepaper or the Website;

  2. you will and shall at your own expense ensure compliance with all laws, regulatory requirements and restrictions applicable to you (as the case may be);

  3. you acknowledge, understand and agree that WLD Token may have no value, there is no guarantee or representation of value or liquidity for WLD Token, and WLD Token is not an investment product including for any speculative investment;

  4. WLD tokens may not always be transferable or liquid;

  5. WLD tokens may not be exchangeable against any goods or services contemplated in the Whitepaper, especially in case of failure or discontinuation of the project;

  6. none of the Foundation, their respective affiliates, and/or World Network members shall be responsible for or liable for the value of WLD Token, the transferability and/or liquidity of WLD Token and/or the availability of any market for WLD Token through third parties or otherwise; and

  7. you acknowledge, understand and agree that you are not eligible to purchase any WLD Token if you are a citizen, national, resident (tax or otherwise), domiciliary and/or green card holder of a geographic area or country (i) where it is likely that the sale of WLD Token would be construed as the sale of a security, financial service or investment product and/or (ii) where participation in token sales is prohibited by applicable law, decree, regulation, treaty, or administrative act; and to this effect you agree to provide all such identity verification document when requested in order for the relevant checks to be carried out.

The Foundation disclaims all representations, warranties or undertakings to any entity or person (including without limitation warranties as to the accuracy, completeness, timeliness or reliability of the contents of the Whitepaper or the Website, or any other materials published by the Foundation). To the maximum extent permitted by law, the Foundation, their respective affiliates and service providers, and the World Network shall not be liable for any indirect, special, incidental, consequential or other losses of any kind, in tort, contract or otherwise (including, without limitation, any liability arising from default or negligence on the part of any of them, or any loss of revenue, income or profits, and loss of use or data) arising from the use of the Whitepaper or the Website, or any other materials published, or its contents (including without limitation any errors or omissions) or otherwise arising in connection with the same. Prospective purchasers of the WLD Token should carefully consider and evaluate all risks and uncertainties (including financial and legal risks and uncertainties) associated with the WLD Token sale, the Foundation, and World Network.

Disclaimers Relating to the WLD Token

It is expressly highlighted that WLD Token:

  1. does not have any tangible or physical manifestation, and does not have any intrinsic value (nor does any person make any representation or give any commitment as to its value), and may lose its value in part or in full;

  2. is non-refundable and cannot be exchanged for cash (or its equivalent value in any other virtual currency) or any payment obligation by the Foundation, the World Network, or any of their respective affiliates, and may not always be transferrable or liquid;

  3. does not represent or confer on the token holder any right of any form with respect to the Foundation, the World Network (or any of their respective affiliates), or its revenues or assets, including without limitation any right to receive future dividends, revenue, shares, ownership right or stake, share or security, any voting, distribution, redemption, liquidation, proprietary (including all forms of intellectual property or license rights), right to receive accounts, financial statements or other financial data, the right to requisition or participate in shareholder meetings, the right to nominate a director, or other financial or legal rights or equivalent rights, or intellectual property rights or any other form of participation in or relating to World Network, the Foundation, and/or their service providers;

  4. does not entitle token holders to any promise of fees, dividends, revenue, profits or investment returns, and are not intended to constitute securities in any relevant jurisdiction;

  5. is not intended to represent any rights under a contract for differences or under any other contract the purpose or pretended purpose of which is to secure a profit or avoid a loss;

  6. may not be exchangeable against the good or service described herein, especially in case of failure or discontinuation of World;

  7. is not intended to be a representation of money (including electronic money), security, commodity, bond, debt instrument, unit in a collective investment scheme or any other kind of financial instrument or investment;

  8. is not a loan to the Foundation, the World Network, or any of their respective affiliates, is not intended to represent a debt owed by the Foundation, the World Network, or any of their respective affiliates, and there is no expectation of profit; and

  9. does not provide the token holder with any ownership or other interest in the Foundation, the World Network, or any of their respective affiliates.

Informational Purposes Only

The project roadmap in the Whitepaper is being shared in order to outline the current status of World as well as some of the plans of World Network and is provided solely for informational purposes and does not constitute any binding commitment. Please do not rely on this information in making purchasing decisions because ultimately, further development, release, and timing of any products, features or functionality remains at the sole discretion of the Foundation, the World Network, or their respective affiliates, and is subject to change. Further, the Whitepaper or the Website may be amended or replaced from time to time. There are no obligations to update the Whitepaper or the Website, or to provide recipients with access to any information beyond what is provided herein.

Regulatory Approval

The legal and regulatory treatment of digital assets in the United States and globally continues to evolve. The Foundation actively monitors applicable laws and may adjust its operations and distribution mechanisms to maintain compliance with future regulatory developments.

No regulatory authority has examined or approved, whether formally or informally, of any of the information set out in the Whitepaper or the Website. No such action or assurance has been or will be taken under the laws, regulatory requirements or rules of any jurisdiction. The publication, distribution or dissemination of the Whitepaper or the Website does not imply that the applicable laws, regulatory requirements or rules have been complied with. World Foundation is solely responsible for the content of this Whitepaper. This Whitepaper has not been reviewed or approved by any competent authority in any Member State of the European Union.

Cautionary Note on Forward-Looking Statements

All statements contained herein, statements made in press releases or in any place accessible by the public and oral statements that may be made by the Foundation and/or the World Network may constitute forward-looking statements (including statements regarding intent, belief or current expectations with respect to market conditions, business strategy and plans, financial condition, specific provisions and risk management practices). You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements given that these statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual future results to be materially different from that described by such forward-looking statements, and no independent third party has reviewed the reasonableness of any such statements or assumptions. These forward-looking statements are applicable only as of the date indicated in the Whitepaper, and the Foundation, as well as World Network expressly disclaim any responsibility (whether express or implied) to release any revisions to these forward-looking statements to reflect events after such date.

English Language

The Whitepaper and the Website may be translated into a language other than English for reference purpose only and in the event of conflict or ambiguity between the English language version and translated versions of the Whitepaper or the Website, the English language versions shall prevail. You acknowledge that you have read and understood the English language version of the Whitepaper and the Website.