- Thailand’s SEC raids site tied to World’s WLD exchange over alleged unlicensed operations.
- Regulators in Germany, Kenya, Brazil, and Indonesia also probe World’s biometric crypto model.
- Global scrutiny grows over iris-scan data use as the World faces new compliance challenges.
World, the digital identity project led by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and formerly known as Worldcoin, has run into fresh regulatory trouble in Thailand.
Authorities conducted a raid on an iris-scanning location allegedly tied to the platform, underscoring how global scrutiny of biometric-based crypto projects is deepening.
Thailand’s Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), working with the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau (CCIB), announced on Friday that it had raided a site associated with “WLD exchange services.”
Investigators suspect the operator violated digital-asset laws by running an unlicensed exchange.
According to official data, World runs 102 “orb” locations in Thailand, where users scan their irises to receive a “World ID” in exchange for WLD, the project’s native token.
Each verified participant receives WLD as a reward for proving their human identity, but the SEC’s latest intervention raises questions about whether these operations comply with Thailand’s licensing framework.
Thai authorities cite unlicensed digital-asset activity
The SEC and CCIB said the raid uncovered evidence that the site had offered exchange-related services without authorisation.
The suspect has been arrested and is expected to face charges under Thailand’s digital-asset regulations.
Authorities emphasised that any entity offering digital-asset services, including token distribution or exchange functions, must obtain a license from the Ministry of Finance and register with the SEC.
World maintains that it only operates in jurisdictions where its activities are legally permitted.
The company’s website states that “eligibility for WLD tokens is restricted based on geography, age, and other factors,” adding that it bears no responsibility for the trading of WLD on third-party centralised or decentralised exchanges.
Growing global pressure on biometric crypto models
This latest crackdown in Thailand adds to a string of global investigations into the World project, which…