TLDR
- Worldcoin’s World Foundation raised $135 million by selling WLD tokens to Andreessen Horowitz and Bain Capital Crypto at market price
- WLD token price surged 37% in one day following the funding announcement, with trading volume up 140%
- The funds will expand Worldcoin’s iris-scanning Orb hardware rollout in the US and internationally
- Over 26 million users now participate in the World network with 12.5 million having Orb-verified World IDs
- Technical analysis shows WLD breaking above $1.4 resistance but may face pullback due to overbought conditions
Worldcoin’s WLD token jumped 37% in a single trading session after the project’s parent organization raised $135 million from venture capital firms. The World Foundation sold liquid WLD tokens at spot market price to Andreessen Horowitz and Bain Capital Crypto.
The funding round was structured as a direct token purchase rather than a traditional venture round. This means no lock-ups or preferential pricing terms were involved in the transaction. The purchase adds the same amount of WLD tokens to the circulating supply.
Trading volume for WLD increased by nearly 140% compared to the previous day. The token broke through the $1.4 resistance level that had capped previous rallies. At the time of reporting, WLD was trading at $1.337.
The funding comes as Worldcoin continues expanding its biometric identity verification network. More than 26 million users now participate in the World network. Over 12.5 million people have obtained Orb-verified World IDs through the project’s iris-scanning technology.
Expansion Plans Target US Market
The fresh capital will primarily fund manufacturing of additional Orb devices. The World Foundation plans to subsidize rollouts in US cities where regulatory challenges have slowed adoption. The funding will also help refine the protocol’s fee structure.
Worldcoin positions itself as a solution for identity verification in an era of advancing artificial intelligence. The foundation argues that identity tools must scale alongside AI development to prepare for artificial general intelligence.
Andreessen Horowitz previously invested in Tools for Humanity during its 2021 Series A round. Tools for Humanity was the company that originally incubated Worldcoin before the World Foundation was established.
Market Response and Technical Outlook
Market observers noted the unusual nature of the purchase terms. Bitwise CIO Matt Hougan commented that seeing major VCs buy $135 million worth of tokens at current market price was uncommon. The WLD price remains down approximately 90% from its peak over the past 14 months.
A16Z and Bain just bought $135m of Worldcoin (WLD) at the current market price … a price that is down 90% over the past 14 months. I'm not sure I've ever seen something like that. Intriguing tbh.
— Matt Hougan (@Matt_Hougan) May 22, 2025
Weekly chart analysis shows WLD rebounding from lows around $0.57 in a V-shaped recovery pattern. The token is now testing moving average resistance levels that have limited upward movement since early in the year.
The 20-week exponential moving average at $1.27 represents immediate resistance. Breaking above this level could expose the 50-week EMA at $1.87. Further upside targets include the $3.27 Fibonacci retracement level.
Technical indicators show mixed signals for short-term direction. The 4-hour RSI reached 87, indicating overbought conditions not seen in recent weeks. However, the On Balance Volume indicator has been trending higher over the past two months.
Current Trading Conditions
The daily RSI hit 72, marking the first move into overbought territory in nearly two weeks. Neither the RSI nor OBV indicators show bearish divergence on the daily timeframe. This suggests the rally could continue toward $2 and higher in coming weeks.
Traders looking to enter long positions may want to wait for a pullback to the $1.4 support level. A deeper retracement to previous local highs around $1.32 is also possible before the next leg higher.
The World Foundation said the latest funding will help the network become one of the first self-sustaining protocols. The purchase by major venture capital firms at market price signals confidence in Worldcoin’s long-term prospects despite regulatory headwinds and privacy concerns.
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