{"id":"tools-for-humanity","title":"Tools for Humanity","content":"**Tools for Humanity (TFH)** is a technology company founded in 2019 by [Alex Blania](https://iq.wiki/wiki/alex-blania) and [Sam Altman](https://iq.wiki/wiki/sam-altman). The company is focused on developing human-centric tools for the age of artificial intelligence, with a stated mission to build a more just economic system. Its primary work involves the development of the Worldcoin project, an initiative designed to establish a reliable method for verifying individual human identity online, known as \"proof of personhood.\" [\\[2\\]](#cite-id-Bwy4zlnfQxp41l29) [\\[3\\]](#cite-id-EQJH0XcLN1kFDGcW) [\\[1\\]](#cite-id-rIUkdMmu9mii8Xlj) \n\n## History\n\nTools for Humanity was co-founded in 2019 by [Alex Blania](https://iq.wiki/wiki/alex-blania), who serves as the Chief Executive Officer, and [Sam Altman](https://iq.wiki/wiki/sam-altman), who serves as Chairman. [\\[2\\]](#cite-id-Bwy4zlnfQxp41l29) The company established its official presence on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) in March 2023. Throughout 2025, the company achieved several major milestones for its flagship Worldcoin project. Around May 2025, the project was launched in the United States, enabling residents to use the World ID verification system and access the associated WLD digital token. In November 2025, TFH promoted a real-world partnership event between Worldcoin and the retail brand Gap at a store in San Francisco.\n\nA significant product release occurred on December 11, 2025, with the launch of a new version of the World App. The launch was preceded by a livestream event from San Francisco on December 8, featuring both [Alex Blania](https://iq.wiki/wiki/alex-blania) and [Sam Altman](https://iq.wiki/wiki/sam-altman). The launch event, titled \"Unwrapped,\" was held at the company's San Francisco headquarters. Tools for Humanity publicly acknowledged its role in the app's development, and later shared a recap describing the application as a \"super app built for humans in the AI era.\" [\\[3\\]](#cite-id-EQJH0XcLN1kFDGcW) [\\[1\\]](#cite-id-rIUkdMmu9mii8Xlj) \n\n## Projects\n\n### Worldcoin Project\n\nThe Worldcoin project is the overarching initiative developed by TFH. Its objective is to build a global, human-centric, and privacy-preserving digital infrastructure. The project encompasses several interconnected components designed to establish and utilize a verifiable \"proof of personhood\" network. This ecosystem serves as the foundation for the company's aformentioned mission. [\\[1\\]](#cite-id-rIUkdMmu9mii8Xlj)​\n\n### World ID\n\nWorld ID is the digital identity protocol at the heart of the Worldcoin project. It functions as a privacy-preserving system that allows individuals to prove they are a unique human being online without revealing personal data. It is the company's core solution to the problem of distinguishing humans from AI bots, creating what it refers to as a \"root of trust.\" This digital passport is designed to be compatible with various online platforms and applications that need to verify user authenticity. [\\[1\\]](#cite-id-rIUkdMmu9mii8Xlj)​\n\n### The Orb\n\nThe Orb is a proprietary hardware device developed by Tools for Humanity to facilitate the verification process for World ID. It is a physical, spherical imaging device that scans an individual's iris to generate a unique IrisCode. This code is then used to verify that the person has not previously registered for a World ID, ensuring the \"one person, one account\" principle of the network. [\\[1\\]](#cite-id-rIUkdMmu9mii8Xlj) [\\[2\\]](#cite-id-Bwy4zlnfQxp41l29)  [\\[4\\]](#cite-id-BLKoRbsOT00m1ReG) \n\n### World App\n\nThe World App is the primary consumer-facing software application developed by TFH for the Worldcoin ecosystem. Described as a \"super app,\" its renewed version was launched in December 2025. The application serves multiple functions, allowing users to hold and use their World ID, conduct financial transactions, and interact with a suite of [decentralized applications](https://iq.wiki/wiki/decentralized-application). Key features introduced in the December 2025 launch included secure chat, global payments, and \"Mini Apps.\" The app is also the primary vehicle through which eligible users can access the WLD digital token. [\\[3\\]](#cite-id-EQJH0XcLN1kFDGcW) [\\[1\\]](#cite-id-rIUkdMmu9mii8Xlj) [\\[5\\]](#cite-id-TRSrGhGkRKP8KRWq) \n\n### WLD Token\n\nThe WLD token is a digital token associated with the Worldcoin protocol. It is designed to be a utility token within the ecosystem, with its distribution model aimed at creating a globally accessible digital currency. Following the project's launch in the United States around May 2025, users in the country were able to access the WLD token through the World App. [\\[1\\]](#cite-id-rIUkdMmu9mii8Xlj)​\n\n## Key Figures\n\n* [**Alex Blania**](https://iq.wiki/wiki/alex-blania)**:** Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Tools for Humanity. He is a primary public face of the company, frequently featured in launch events and interviews discussing the company's mission. [\\[2\\]](#cite-id-Bwy4zlnfQxp41l29) [\\[3\\]](#cite-id-EQJH0XcLN1kFDGcW)\n* [**Sam Altman**](https://iq.wiki/wiki/sam-altman)**:** Co-founder and Chairman. Altman is also a key figure in the project's public communications and strategic vision. [\\[2\\]](#cite-id-Bwy4zlnfQxp41l29) [\\[3\\]](#cite-id-EQJH0XcLN1kFDGcW)\n* **Tiago Sada:** A key leader at the company who heads initiatives such as the Tools for Humanity Engineering Fellowship. [\\[3\\]](#cite-id-EQJH0XcLN1kFDGcW)\n* **Adrian Ludwig:** A representative of the company who has spoken publicly on the technical need for a \"root of trust\" to secure digital interactions in the face of advanced AI. [\\[1\\]](#cite-id-rIUkdMmu9mii8Xlj)\n* **Nick Pickles:** Represented Tools for Humanity at the North Capital Meridian Diplomacy Forum in Washington, D.C., where he discussed topics including AI, online fraud, and privacy-enhancing technologies. [\\[1\\]](#cite-id-rIUkdMmu9mii8Xlj)\n\n## Corporate Affairs\n\n### Partnerships and Collaborations\n\nTools for Humanity has engaged in several collaborations and partnerships. In February 2026, the company co-hosted a networking event for technical leaders with the venture capital firm Khosla Ventures at its San Francisco office. [\\[3\\]](#cite-id-EQJH0XcLN1kFDGcW)​\n\nIn the retail sector, TFH promoted a \"Gap x World\" partnership event in November 2025, which saw its technology integrated into a real-world setting at a Gap store. The company has also participated in policy and technology discussions, with company representative Nick Pickles speaking at an event hosted by the US-Mexico Foundation and the Meridian Center for Corporate Diplomacy, and Adrian Ludwig participating in a conversation published by [Cyber](https://iq.wiki/wiki/cyberconnect) Builders. [\\[1\\]](#cite-id-rIUkdMmu9mii8Xlj) [\\[3\\]](#cite-id-EQJH0XcLN1kFDGcW) \n\n### Awards and Recognition\n\nThe company's work on the Worldcoin project received recognition around October 2025 when it was named one of *Fast Company's* \"Next Big Things in Tech.\" The underlying premise of the project has also been noted in media, with *TIME Magazine* quoted as stating, \"The Internet will inevitably need some kind of proof-of-humanity system in the near future.\" [\\[1\\]](#cite-id-rIUkdMmu9mii8Xlj)​","summary":"Tools for Humanity is a technology company founded by Sam Altman and Alex Blania. 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