Sam Altman’s World Network in talks with Visa to be your bank
With decentralised finance on the rise and wallets a mainstay on your phone new companies are circling to become your bank.
Key takeaways
- What if your digital wallet became your bank - like your actual bank and disintermediated your existing banking provider? That is the bet that Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, seems willing to take with Worldcoin.
- According to sources close to the matter, Tools for Humanity, the company behind this project, is negotiating with Visa to create a payment wallet in stablecoin.
- Already involved in projects like Optimism and Avalanche, this crypto card facilitator could provide the necessary technical infrastructure.
Cite or link to this article
Griffin, M. (2025) 'Sam Altman’s World Network in talks with Visa to be your bank', 311 Institute, 6 April. Available at: https://www.311institute.com/sam-altmans-world-network-in-talks-with-visa-to-be-your-bank/ (Accessed: 1 October 2026).
What if your digital wallet became your bank - like your actual bank and disintermediated your existing banking provider? That is the bet that Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, seems willing to take with Worldcoin. According to sources close to the matter, Tools for Humanity, the company behind this project, is negotiating with Visa to create a payment wallet in stablecoin. An alliance between crypto audacity and traditional financial infrastructure. The goal: to transform the World Wallet into a “mini-universal bank account.” But behind this promise lie challenges as complex as the irises scanned by Worldcoin.
Far from being a simple digital safe, this wallet promises instant conversions between fiat currencies and cryptos, all manageable from a Visa card. An unprecedented fluidity, where the boundary between traditional economy and decentralized assets fades away.
According to an internal source the idea is to “load, send and spend without borders.” A revolution for the 1.7 billion unbanked people, but also for everyday users seeking simplicity.
The Future of Banking, by Futurist Speaker Matthew Griffin
Rain, a partner backed by Coinbase and Circle, would play a key role. Already involved in projects like Optimism and Avalanche, this crypto card facilitator could provide the necessary technical infrastructure. A strategy that places Visa at the heart of an expanding ecosystem. For Altman, it is about capitalizing on its network and influence to dominate a rapidly changing market.
“Other wallet providers should be worried,” hints an insider.
Meanwhile, World Network recently launched World Chat, a messaging service integrating crypto money transfers. A holistic approach: communicate and transfer funds in the same space. The wallet would therefore be just one piece of a much larger puzzle, aimed at redefining our relationship with money.
However, Worldcoin’s ambition is not unanimously supported. Since 2021, its iris digitization orb has raised ethical questions. Collecting biometric data in exchange for cryptos: a method deemed intrusive, even predatory, in some emerging countries. A paradox for a project claiming to be inclusive.
“Innovation should not justify surveillance,” remind its detractors.
Regulators are watching. Stablecoins, often perceived as a threat to monetary sovereignty, could also attract increased scrutiny.
Will Visa, accustomed to navigating the murky waters of compliance, manage to impose this partnership smoothly? Nothing is certain. Especially since Mastercard is also exploring similar collaborations, fuelling a quiet race among payment giants.
The partnership between OpenAI and Visa could mark a decisive turning point: the transition of crypto from a niche tech market to a true public tool that also rivals the power of traditional banks. This evolution becomes even more likely with the involvement of major players like BlackRock, which contributes to demystifying Bitcoin.
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With decentralised finance on the rise and wallets a mainstay on your phone new companies are circling to become your bank.
About the author
Matthew Griffin Founder, 311 Institute
Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath."
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Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath." 15-time best selling author of the "Codex of the Future" series, Matthew is the Founder and Futurist in Chief of the 311 Institute, a global Futures and Deep Futures advisory firm working with royal households, world leaders, G7, G20, and G77 governments, NGOs, and multi-national mid and mega cap firms to help them explore, shape, and lead the next 50 years of business and society.
An award-winning YouTube creator with over a million followers, with an unrivalled global reach and impact, Matthew is a highly sought-after international keynote speaker, lecturer, and mentor who collaborates with global leaders through the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) and United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to shape pivotal initiatives such as the UN’s AI for Humanity program, the United Nations Conference of the Parties (UN COP), and the World Economic Forum in Davos.
As the former Global Head of Cloud, National Security, and Enterprise Sales for companies including Atos, Dell-EMC, and IBM, Matthew has a proven track record of building multi-billion dollar business units and turning failing divisions into market leaders. His ability to identify, analyse, and communicate the implications of hundreds of emerging technologies and trends is unparalleled, and his insights are trusted by many of the world’s most respected organisations, including ABB, Accenture, Adidas, AON, ARM, BCG, Centrica, Citi, Coca-Cola, Dentons, Deloitte, Dow Jones, EY, Google, KPMG, Lego, Legal & General, LinkedIn, Microsoft, PepsiCo, Qualcomm, RWE, Samsung, Siemens AG and Siemens Energy, T-Mobile, UBS, VISA, Walmart, Workday, Worldpay and many others.
Regularly featured in the global media including the AP, BBC, Bloomberg, CNBC, Discovery, Forbes, Khaleej Times, Telegraph, TIME, ViacomCBS, WIRED, and the WSJ, Matthews mission is to help organisations create a fair and sustainable future whose benefits are shared by everyone irrespective of their ability, background, or circumstances.
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Source: first published by the 311 Institute on 6 April 2025. Cite as: Griffin, M. (2025). Sam Altman’s World Network in talks with Visa to be your bank. 311 Institute. https://www.311institute.com/sam-altmans-world-network-in-talks-with-visa-to-be-your-bank/
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