The Wynwood location is part of World, co-founded by Sam Altman and building a global ‘proof of personhood’ network
Just off NW 24th Street in Wynwood, a new storefront blends right into the creative chaos of street art and specialty coffee shops. But what’s inside is more science fiction than streetwear: eight glossy white orbs arranged under a wood-framed pavilion, quietly inviting people to prove they’re human.
Yes, human.
This is the East Coast flagship of World, the identity and financial network co-founded by Sam Altman. At the heart of it all: the Orb, a biometric device that issues a “World ID,” a privacy-preserving, digital proof that the user is a unique person and not a bot.
But if you ask Tiago Sada, the Chief Product Officer of Tools for Humanity (World’s founding team), the technology is just one piece of the story.
“World is about bringing high technology to our everyday lives,” he told Refresh Miami. “And there are very few places that represent that as well as Miami does.”
Sada, who grew up in Mexico City building robots with friends, later earned a scholarship to study robotics in the U.S. He dropped out after two years to launch a fintech startup that scaled across Latin America. “Once I sold the company, I took a sabbatical, and part of that, I lived in Miami,” he said. “That’s when the city’s tech scene was really starting to explode.”
While he didn’t initially plan to stay long at Tools for Humanity, a casual ask from Altman and co-founder Alex Blania turned into a four-year commitment.
The Wynwood space is the latest physical outpost in World’s effort to establish a global “proof of personhood” network. But why Miami?
“On a personal level, this city means a lot. We joke that it’s the capital of Latin America,” Sada said. “And for the project, it’s a natural fit. You’ve got culture, internationalism, and tech all in one place.”
At the center of the retail store is a wooden structure ringed by Orbs, which resemble sci-fi sculptures more than surveillance devices. “The Orb looks very cool – it’s almost like a little R2-D2,” Sada shared. But its purpose is serious: to issue World IDs, digital passports that confirm your uniqueness without revealing your identity.
“The idea is simple,” he said. “As AI advances, it’s becoming more important to know whether you’re interacting with a real person or a bot, whether that’s on dating apps, buying concert tickets, or playing games.”
That last part is personal for him. “I love music. But I always have to buy concert tickets on resale because bots snatch them all up. Or worse, I miss out completely. So yeah, I’m excited for a world where tickets go to real fans.”
And while Wynwood is the launchpad, it’s only the beginning. Sada shared that World plans to install over 7,000 Orbs across the U.S., many of them in Miami. “You’ll start seeing them like ATMs in convenience stores, coffee shops, malls,” he said. “You’ll download the World App, scan a QR code, and get verified in 15 to 30 seconds.”
Skeptics might raise eyebrows at the idea of scanning irises in exchange for digital credentials. But Sada emphasized the privacy-first design. “The Orb doesn’t store personal information. It only checks if you’ve already registered. That’s it.”
He described the retail store as a place to learn, ask questions, and see the technology in action. “It’s not just for tech people. It’s for anyone who wants to understand what it means to be verified online, without giving up their privacy.”
In a city known for moving fast and reinventing itself, World’s new outpost feels oddly at home. Whether Miamians will embrace eyeball-scanning Orbs as part of everyday life remains to be seen. But for now, they’re at least lining up to take a look.
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