Openai, the company behind ChatGpt, is reportedly seeking a $500 billion valuation through secondary stock sales to its employees.
But just as capital is flooded with AI, China is warning foreign companies collecting biometric data via cryptocurrency incentives.
AI’s $500 billion, IRIS Scan Scans Crypto: Global Races to Money the Mind
Openai’s planned $500 billion valuation will earn a 66% jump from its past $300 billion salary increase. In particular, previous pay raises are already one of the biggest private evaluations of technology.
Like Coinbase, the company targets billions of dollars in stock sales. It provides liquidity to employees and early supporters while leveraging the surge in investor demand.
Last week, Openai reportedly secured $8.3 billion from investors for its second tranche of SoftBank’s recent $40 billion salary increases.
The offer was registered five times. As Openai expands to hardware via Jony Ive’s AI device startup and $6.5 billion stock trading, there are no signs of slowing down and is preparing to release the GPT-5.
However, global regulators are looking at it carefully, especially in Beijing, during the competition to buy VCS.
China warns about iris scanning and cryptographically driven surveillance
China’s State Department cited national security threats and warned about systematically collecting IRIS data in exchange for cryptocurrency.
The local media didn’t mention the name, but the explanation definitely refers to Worldcoin.
Backed by tools for humanity and Sam Altman, Worldcoin has long faced controversy due to its human rights system. This includes scanning the user’s iris for token distribution.
The project argues that biometric onboarding ensures fairness for one person’s one wallet in the crypto economy.
However, Chinese authorities argue that it could enable foreign influence and mass surveillance through the blockchain integrated identity system.
The warning follows Kenya and Indonesia’s move to halt World Coin operations due to “suspecting activities.” Other reasons include broader concerns about how biometric data was collected, used or exported.
This is another reminder for native users that decentralization is not equal to real-world power struggles and immunity.
Although Openai does not distribute tokens, its close relationship with Worldcoin raises broader questions about AI, privacy and commercialization of human identity. Sam Altman’s double involvement in both projects facilitates scrutiny.
Openai faces US pressures regarding IP use and privacy standards. Meanwhile, China has doubled its “data sovereignty” and warns that AI and cryptography could become vectors for foreign management.
As an open inch towards a $50 trillion valuation, its ambition is exhilarating and unsettling.
Investors chasing the next tech megacycle are good for weighing the regulatory headwinds coming from the East and West.
Coingecko’s data shows WLD has traded at $0.9391 at the time of this writing, a 2.2% decline over the past 24 hours.
Disclaimer
In compliance with Trust Project guidelines, Beincrypto is committed to reporting without bias and transparent. This news article is intended to provide accurate and timely information. However, we recommend that readers independently verify the facts and consult with experts before making decisions based on this content. Please note that our terms and conditions, privacy policy and disclaimer have been updated.
