World Assets offloads $65M in WLD at deep discount as token hits new lows
World Foundation has revealed that its token-issuing arm, World Assets, quietly sold $65 million worth of WLD through over-the-counter deals while the token hovered near record lows and traders focused on mounting supply pressure.
According to the foundation, the sales were completed over the past week with four institutional counterparties. The first settlement was executed on March 20, with the average sale price coming in at roughly $0.2719 per WLD – essentially in line with the token’s spot price at the time.
At that valuation, the deals represent the sale of about 239 million WLD tokens. Of this amount, approximately $25 million worth of tokens are subject to a six‑month lockup, delaying their ability to hit the open market. The remaining allocations are set to be processed via a designated World Assets multisignature wallet, giving the foundation some visible on-chain traceability for these movements.
The foundation said the capital will be channeled into core operations, research and development, orb manufacturing, and broader ecosystem growth. This breakdown offers a clearer picture of how the project intends to sustain and expand its controversial biometric identity network at a time when its native asset is under strong selling pressure.
The announcement also helped contextualize recent on-chain activity that had already raised questions among market participants. On March 21, blockchain analytics firm Lookonchain flagged a transfer of around 117 million WLD, valued at roughly $39 million, to major trading venues Binance and FalconX. In return, the sending wallet received about $35 million in USDC. Those flows now appear to represent a portion of the wider OTC sales package that World Assets has formally acknowledged.
What stands out most is the steep discount relative to earlier WLD fundraising rounds. In May 2025, Worldcoin raised $135 million by selling WLD to prominent backers such as Andreessen Horowitz and Bain Capital Crypto, when the token changed hands near $1.13. The latest average sale price of about $0.27 marks a drawdown of more than 75% versus that raise, illustrating how sharply sentiment and valuation have deteriorated.
This is not the first time the foundation has leaned on private sales to deepen liquidity. Back in April 2024, when it operated under the Worldcoin Foundation name, the project outlined plans to sell between 0.5 million and 1.5 million WLD per week via private placements to institutional trading firms. At that time, WLD traded around $5.43. Comparing that level to today’s OTC pricing underscores just how far the token has fallen: the project is now raising capital at a fraction of its former market value.
At publication time, WLD was trading near $0.27 after briefly dipping to a fresh all‑time low of $0.2444 earlier on Saturday. From its March 2024 peak near $11.82, the token has shed roughly 97%, wiping out the vast majority of paper gains for anyone who bought near the top. Despite the crash, WLD still maintained a market capitalization of around $850 million, with a fully diluted valuation close to $2.7 billion based on its total planned supply of 10 billion tokens.
Beyond the immediate OTC sales, investors are increasingly focused on a looming supply event that could reshape the token’s market dynamics. Data indicates that a massive unlock is scheduled to begin on July 23, 2026. That unlock is set to release approximately 52.5% of the total WLD supply – more than half of all tokens – into circulation. Measured against the current tradable float, the unlock would expand available supply by an estimated 169%, raising fears of further dilution if demand does not keep pace.
An additional layer of concentration comes from major holders. Eightco Holdings, which established a dedicated WLD treasury in September 2025, controlled about 277 million WLD as of March 20. Large treasuries like this can serve as strategic reserves for market-making, ecosystem incentives, or future funding – but they also represent potential overhang if those tokens are ever liquidated into a thin market.
Why the foundation is selling into weakness
The timing of the $65 million sale has drawn attention because it coincides with one of WLD’s weakest price periods. Instead of waiting for a possible recovery, the foundation has opted to raise funds while the token languishes near its lows. There are several plausible strategic reasons:
– The project’s operating costs – including orb development, deployment, and maintenance worldwide – are likely substantial and relatively inflexible.
– Ongoing research and development, particularly around privacy-preserving verification and infrastructure, demands steady funding regardless of market cycles.
– Delaying fundraising in the hope of higher prices carries its own risk: if sentiment deteriorates further, later sales could occur at an even deeper discount.
– Institutional OTC buyers may demand attractive pricing to compensate for illiquidity, perceived regulatory risks, and WLD’s sharp historical volatility.
From a treasury management perspective, the foundation appears to be prioritizing runway and product delivery over token price optics. However, that decision effectively locks in a low valuation and may signal to the market that the team does not expect a rapid rebound in the short term.
Impact on market psychology and price action
Large OTC deals are often framed as “off-market” and therefore less immediately harmful to price than open-market sales. In practice, the effect is more nuanced. While the initial transaction may not slam the order books, the receiving parties – hedge funds, market makers, or trading firms – usually seek to hedge or gradually offload their exposure.
If some or all of the newly distributed WLD eventually makes its way to exchanges, it can add to selling pressure over time. Even before those tokens move, traders frequently price in the expectation of additional supply, which can weigh on sentiment and cap any short-term rally attempts.
The existence of a partial lockup helps defer some of that effect, but the unlock schedule for the $25 million tranche is relatively short at six months. That horizon is not long enough to fundamentally change tokenomics; it merely staggers the inflow of potential sell-side liquidity into late 2026 or early 2027, depending on exact vesting dates and market conditions.
Comparison to earlier valuation phases
The stark contrast between the current sale price and historical levels illustrates how cyclical and narrative-driven the crypto market can be. At $5-$12, WLD was being priced as a high-growth bet on a potentially dominant global identity protocol tied, indirectly, to the success of AI. As regulatory controversies, privacy concerns, and general altcoin risk aversion mounted, that expansive narrative gave way to skepticism.
Today’s sub‑$0.30 pricing effectively bakes in heavy dilution risk, unresolved regulatory questions in multiple jurisdictions, and uncertainty around user adoption and long-term revenue. The foundation’s willingness to sell at this level shows how far the balance of power has shifted from token issuers to capital providers.
What long-term holders are watching
For existing WLD holders, several factors will likely define whether the token can recover or continues to slide:
1. User and developer growth
If the project can demonstrate real-world adoption – measured in verified users, active integrations, and third‑party apps built on top of its identity layer – it may rebuild a fundamental case for value accrual, even against a growing supply.
2. Clarity on token utility
Markets will look for concrete, recurring demand drivers for WLD: protocol fees, staking roles, governance influence tied to real economic decisions, or usage within partner platforms. Tokens that function mainly as fundraising instruments without clear utility tend to struggle over time.
3. Management of future unlocks
How the foundation communicates and manages the massive July 2026 unlock will be critical. Transparent vesting, clear use-of-funds policies, and potential mechanisms to align large holders with long-term network health could mitigate some of the expected selling pressure.
4. Regulatory and privacy trajectory
Given Worldcoin’s controversial reliance on biometric verification, regulatory outcomes in key markets will heavily shape investor confidence. Favorable rulings or compliant frameworks could relieve a major overhang; adverse decisions could do the opposite.
OTC deals as a double-edged sword
Over-the-counter placements are a standard tool for large crypto projects, offering a way to raise capital without causing immediate slippage on exchanges. They also allow projects to onboard strategic partners who can provide liquidity, market-making, or ecosystem support. However, these deals can backfire when:
– They occur at steep discounts to prevailing or historical prices, triggering concerns about fairness and insider access.
– The size of the sale is large relative to circulating supply, amplifying dilution fears.
– Communication is delayed, leaving on-chain movements to be interpreted as “stealth dumping” before official explanations emerge.
In this case, the foundation’s later confirmation of the sale helped align the narrative with on-chain evidence, but it did not erase anxiety around the broader token supply trajectory.
What the new funds could change
If deployed effectively, the $65 million could still be meaningful for the project’s trajectory, especially in a market where many competitors are struggling to fund operations. In practice, this capital could:
– Accelerate orb manufacturing and distribution, expanding the network’s global footprint.
– Support research into stronger privacy-preserving technologies that address critics’ concerns about biometric data.
– Fund grants and incentives to attract developers building on top of the identity infrastructure.
– Strengthen legal, compliance, and local advocacy efforts in jurisdictions scrutinizing the project’s model.
The paradox for token holders is that investments which increase the protocol’s long-term potential often require selling more tokens in the present, which can depress price in the short run. The question becomes whether the added dilution buys enough real-world progress to justify itself over a multi‑year horizon.
Balancing dilution risk with network growth
From a structural perspective, WLD’s supply design – 10 billion tokens with a large proportion not yet circulating – always implied significant future unlocks. What is changing now is the market’s tolerance for that overhang. In bull markets, investors often discount future dilution, focusing on momentum and narrative. In flatter or bearish conditions, those same unlock schedules can dominate the conversation.
World Assets’ latest OTC sale is a clear signal that the project is actively monetizing its token reserves to finance operations. For some, that is a practical and necessary step to keep building. For others, it is a warning that further selling is likely as the foundation leans on its treasury to sustain itself.
For now, WLD trades at levels that reflect both the scale of the challenge and the remaining optionality of the project. The combination of discounted OTC sales, an impending mega‑unlock in 2026, and concentrated holdings in entities like Eightco Holdings ensures that supply dynamics will remain at the center of any investment thesis around the token.
Anyone evaluating WLD will need to weigh that evolving supply picture against the project’s ability to convert fresh capital into tangible progress – in product, adoption, and regulatory clarity – before the next wave of tokens comes onto the market.