World, the biometric identity platform led by Sam Altman, released a major upgrade to its World App that introduces encrypted chat, virtual accounts, and expanded crypto payment features. The update brings verified identity, messaging, and financial transactions into a consolidated interface as the company broadens its ambitions beyond digital identity services.
The new chat feature marks verified humans with blue message bubbles and unverified users with gray ones, supporting privacy and limiting bot activity. The upgrade also adds virtual accounts that allow users to receive salaries or bank transfers directly in the app before converting balances into USDC, EURC, wrapped Bitcoin, Ethereum, and more than 100 other supported tokens. Profile photos are verified locally against Orb-captured biometric data stored on users’ devices.
The app now supports in-chat crypto payments, swaps, and trading across a broad asset range, including tokenized real-world assets. The company framed the release as a step toward a more integrated ecosystem combining identity verification and financial services, reflecting its strategy to expand partnerships and improve crypto accessibility for everyday users.
