The post Thai SEC Cracks Down On World’s Unlicensed Operations appeared on BitcoinEthereumNews.com. World, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman’s digital identity project, formerly known as Worldcoin, is facing new issues in Thailand, with local authorities raiding an iris scanning location allegedly operated by the platform. Thailand’s Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) conducted a joint operation with the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau (CCIB) to raid an iris scanning location related to “WLD exchange services,” the SEC announced Friday. World’s WLD (WLD) token is the project’s native cryptocurrency, distributed to eligible World ID users in exchange for verification through iris scanning at World’s orb locations. According to data from World, the platform operates 102 orb locations in Thailand. Operating without license The SEC and CCIB said they found that the WLD exchange service provider potentially breached local digital asset laws by operating without a license. “The investigator has arrested suspects for committing the offense, subject to further relevant law enforcement proceedings,” the announcement noted. Source: Thai SEC According to World, the platform only distributes WLD tokens in exchange for verification in jurisdictions “where laws allow.” “Eligibility for WLD tokens is restricted based on geography, age, and other factors,” World states on its website, adding that the company is not responsible for the availability of WLD on third-party platforms, including centralized or decentralized exchanges. Related: Prediction markets hit new high as Polymarket enters Sam Altman’s World Cointelegraph approached World’s developer, Tools of Humanity, for comment regarding the raid, but had not received a response by publication. Since its launch in July 2023, World has encountered multiple issues with other regulators around the world. In May, Indonesia’s Digital Ministry said it was probing World’s local operators, alleging suspicious activity and registration violations. The platform subsequently paused its verification services voluntarily while seeking clarification on the terms of relevant licenses and permits. Other governments like Germany, Kenya and Brazil… The post Thai SEC Cracks Down On World’s Unlicensed Operations appeared on BitcoinEthereumNews.com. World, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman’s digital identity project, formerly known as Worldcoin, is facing new issues in Thailand, with local authorities raiding an iris scanning location allegedly operated by the platform. Thailand’s Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) conducted a joint operation with the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau (CCIB) to raid an iris scanning location related to “WLD exchange services,” the SEC announced Friday. World’s WLD (WLD) token is the project’s native cryptocurrency, distributed to eligible World ID users in exchange for verification through iris scanning at World’s orb locations. According to data from World, the platform operates 102 orb locations in Thailand. Operating without license The SEC and CCIB said they found that the WLD exchange service provider potentially breached local digital asset laws by operating without a license. “The investigator has arrested suspects for committing the offense, subject to further relevant law enforcement proceedings,” the announcement noted. Source: Thai SEC According to World, the platform only distributes WLD tokens in exchange for verification in jurisdictions “where laws allow.” “Eligibility for WLD tokens is restricted based on geography, age, and other factors,” World states on its website, adding that the company is not responsible for the availability of WLD on third-party platforms, including centralized or decentralized exchanges. Related: Prediction markets hit new high as Polymarket enters Sam Altman’s World Cointelegraph approached World’s developer, Tools of Humanity, for comment regarding the raid, but had not received a response by publication. Since its launch in July 2023, World has encountered multiple issues with other regulators around the world. In May, Indonesia’s Digital Ministry said it was probing World’s local operators, alleging suspicious activity and registration violations. The platform subsequently paused its verification services voluntarily while seeking clarification on the terms of relevant licenses and permits. Other governments like Germany, Kenya and Brazil…

Thai SEC Cracks Down On World’s Unlicensed Operations

2025/10/25 09:14

World, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman’s digital identity project, formerly known as Worldcoin, is facing new issues in Thailand, with local authorities raiding an iris scanning location allegedly operated by the platform.

Thailand’s Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) conducted a joint operation with the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau (CCIB) to raid an iris scanning location related to “WLD exchange services,” the SEC announced Friday.

World’s WLD (WLD) token is the project’s native cryptocurrency, distributed to eligible World ID users in exchange for verification through iris scanning at World’s orb locations.

According to data from World, the platform operates 102 orb locations in Thailand.

Operating without license

The SEC and CCIB said they found that the WLD exchange service provider potentially breached local digital asset laws by operating without a license.

“The investigator has arrested suspects for committing the offense, subject to further relevant law enforcement proceedings,” the announcement noted.

Source: Thai SEC

According to World, the platform only distributes WLD tokens in exchange for verification in jurisdictions “where laws allow.”

“Eligibility for WLD tokens is restricted based on geography, age, and other factors,” World states on its website, adding that the company is not responsible for the availability of WLD on third-party platforms, including centralized or decentralized exchanges.

Related: Prediction markets hit new high as Polymarket enters Sam Altman’s World

Cointelegraph approached World’s developer, Tools of Humanity, for comment regarding the raid, but had not received a response by publication.

Since its launch in July 2023, World has encountered multiple issues with other regulators around the world.

In May, Indonesia’s Digital Ministry said it was probing World’s local operators, alleging suspicious activity and registration violations. The platform subsequently paused its verification services voluntarily while seeking clarification on the terms of relevant licenses and permits.

Other governments like Germany, Kenya and Brazil had also previously expressed concerns over potential risks to the security of World App users’ biometric data.

Magazine: Mysterious Mr Nakamoto author: Finding Satoshi would hurt Bitcoin

Source: https://cointelegraph.com/news/thai-regulators-raid-world-iris-scanning-site-in-latest-headache-for-sam-altman?utm_source=rss_feed&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_partner_inbound

Disclaimer: The articles reposted on this site are sourced from public platforms and are provided for informational purposes only. They do not necessarily reflect the views of MEXC. All rights remain with the original authors. If you believe any content infringes on third-party rights, please contact [email protected] for removal. MEXC makes no guarantees regarding the accuracy, completeness, or timeliness of the content and is not responsible for any actions taken based on the information provided. The content does not constitute financial, legal, or other professional advice, nor should it be considered a recommendation or endorsement by MEXC.
Share Insights

You May Also Like

Cashing In On University Patents Means Giving Up On Our Innovation Future

Cashing In On University Patents Means Giving Up On Our Innovation Future

The post Cashing In On University Patents Means Giving Up On Our Innovation Future appeared on BitcoinEthereumNews.com. “It’s a raid on American innovation that would deliver pennies to the Treasury while kneecapping the very engine of our economic and medical progress,” writes Pipes. Getty Images Washington is addicted to taxing success. Now, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick is floating a plan to skim half the patent earnings from inventions developed at universities with federal funding. It’s being sold as a way to shore up programs like Social Security. In reality, it’s a raid on American innovation that would deliver pennies to the Treasury while kneecapping the very engine of our economic and medical progress. Yes, taxpayer dollars support early-stage research. But the real payoff comes later—in the jobs created, cures discovered, and industries launched when universities and private industry turn those discoveries into real products. By comparison, the sums at stake in patent licensing are trivial. Universities collectively earn only about $3.6 billion annually in patent income—less than the federal government spends on Social Security in a single day. Even confiscating half would barely register against a $6 trillion federal budget. And yet the damage from such a policy would be anything but trivial. The true return on taxpayer investment isn’t in licensing checks sent to Washington, but in the downstream economic activity that federally supported research unleashes. Thanks to the bipartisan Bayh-Dole Act of 1980, universities and private industry have powerful incentives to translate early-stage discoveries into real-world products. Before Bayh-Dole, the government hoarded patents from federally funded research, and fewer than 5% were ever licensed. Once universities could own and license their own inventions, innovation exploded. The result has been one of the best returns on investment in government history. Since 1996, university research has added nearly $2 trillion to U.S. industrial output, supported 6.5 million jobs, and launched more than 19,000 startups. Those companies pay…
Share
2025/09/18 03:26