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World has become one of the broadest distribution platforms for crypto applications — and it’s just getting started.
World has over 35 million user accounts, with approximately 2.2 million active per day [over the last 30-day period]. That makes World App among the highest-usage consumer applications based on publicly reported user metrics. Builders are already proving what’s possible: early Mini Apps have raised millions from leading VCs, been mentioned in The Wall Street Journal, and are delivering value to real people worldwide.
World App has broad distribution, rapid user growth, and unique primitives like proof of human technology, self custodial wallets, and a WLD token allocation (where available). It’s the ideal place for builders who want to launch apps that reach millions from day one.
That’s why World Build 2, the second cohort of the builder program, is launching. World Build 1 helped 25 founders go from MVP to pitching leading VCs. This next round will be even bigger.
World has become one of the broadest distribution platforms for crypto applications — and it’s just getting started.
World has over 35 million user accounts, with approximately 2.2 million active per day [over the last 30-day period]. That makes World App among the highest-usage consumer applications based on publicly reported user metrics. Builders are already proving what’s possible: early Mini Apps have raised millions from leading VCs, been mentioned in The Wall Street Journal, and are delivering value to real people worldwide.
World App has broad distribution, rapid user growth, and unique primitives like proof of human technology, self custodial wallets, and a WLD token allocation (where available). It’s the ideal place for builders who want to launch apps that reach millions from day one.
That’s why World Build 2, the second cohort of the builder program, is launching. World Build 1 helped 25 founders go from MVP to pitching leading VCs. This next round will be even bigger.
One of the core use cases for proof of human technology is distributing value directly to verified human users, whether that be DeFi incentives, discount codes, memecoins, AI usage or something else.
Builders are already showing the potential: ORO has become one of the most popular Mini Apps by dropping one token to each verified human every day; Credit is a pioneering human-verified credit system.
Ideas for the next wave of apps:
distribution tied to reputation
on-chain reward programs, designed to mitigate gaming by whales
bootstrapping user bases for protocols and tokens by distributing to humans
Half of internet traffic comes from bots. Proof of human can change that by enabling the attention of verified humans to be measured.
Momentum can already be seen: Mini Apps, Billboard and Frame, are building early ad networks that route value back to people, while experiments are emerging around human-curated feeds.
Ideas to take this concept further:
ad protocols where eligible users get compensated for their attention
human attention as curation
With the largest network of verified humans, nearly costless transactions, and a native social graph, World Chain is uniquely positioned to support payments use cases.
Apps like El Dorado and Add Money are making it simple to move crypto and top up balances across borders.
Mini App ideas that could take this further:
peer-to-peer payments between eligible users
Cross-border value transfers tailored to communities
in-app commerce
onramps/offramps with a seamless user experience
On World, AI agents can verify if they’re talking to a human or another bot. This unlocks an entirely new design space for agent-human interaction.
Early builders are already experimenting: Humans vs AI creates new kinds of games, SuperHero helps people earn with AI, and Story Protocol collects training data through human verification. The AXTP protocol enables agentic payment flows so agents can buy and sell goods and services.
More Mini App ideas:
Build an agent leveraging micro-payments on the AXTP protocol
help people earn tokens by leveraging AI agents
“DAOs 2.0” — AI-centric organizations that use verified human inputs
Verified humans unlock new ways to earn — from surveys and polls to freelance work and data labeling — with fast onchain payments.
Momentum is building: Work facilitates global freelance opportunities; Survey Bull enables people to be rewarded for participating in market research.
Ideas for expansion:
open protocols for earning
payments for verified human-created inputs
Knowing that data comes from unique verified humans opens the door to new kinds of prediction and information markets.
One early example is TBD, which uses human-verified poll responses to allow users to win.
Broad opportunities for future builders:
systems that crowdsource truth
bot-proof sentiment markets
Social media is impacted by bots. World makes it possible to bring people back to the center.
We’re already seeing early experiments: Vivo is a human-only global streaming platform, and projects are adding human-verified badges to existing networks.
Ideas for expansion:
entirely new kinds of social experiences where authenticity — not an algorithm — drives the feed
Token launches are notorious for being gamed by bots. Proof of human flips this script.
Projects like OneShot.meme are designed to ensure each human can claim only one token, while PUF ties allocations to reputation.
Where Mini Apps can go next:
fairer, more inclusive launch platforms — ones that reward real community members
Proof of human makes it possible to rethink digital art: free to distribute, scarce to own, and verifiably human-created.
Momentum is already visible: Mosaic is a global canvas where every verified human can contribute. Other apps are experimenting with limiting art claims to one edition per person.
The next frontier for Mini Apps:
entirely new art movements built around human uniqueness, provenance, and collective creation
Games thrive on fairness — and bots break that. Proof of human enables verified leaderboards, token distribution to real players, and new mechanics like one play per human per day.
Builders are already moving: Worldle combines tokens with play, Remix lets anyone build games, and Colony uses human verification to power game economies.
Where Mini App games can level up:
new genres that combine fun, fairness, and financial upside
If you want to reach everyone, build on World. With millions of verified human users, it’s one of the broadest distribution channels for DeFi.
Projects like UNO, Morpho, and PoolTogether are already scaling through Mini Apps, using proof of human to distribute incentives more effectively.
What the next wave of builders can bring:
savings, lending, trading, and investing tools to tens of millions of verified human users
The goal is simple: help the best builders win. The centerpiece is World Build, a three-month incubator that includes:
access to top VCs
an all-expenses-paid trip to Argentina to build alongside the World development community
support from a global founder network and industry mentors
World Build 2 kicks off with an online hackathon (September 25–28, 2025).
Participants will be selected from the builders who join. Already building? Deploy your product as a Mini App in the testnet and apply.
You can also start right now: explore the World documentation or watch this 10-minute tutorial on building a Mini App.
The next generation of breakout apps will be built on World. If you’re ready to reach millions from day one, now’s the time to start.
About the Author:
Leighton Cusack is Head of Ecosystem at Tools for Humanity, which builds tools for World. Reach out to him on X if you are building.
All information contained herein is for general information purposes only. It does not constitute investment advice or a recommendation or solicitation to buy or sell any investment and should not be used in the evaluation of the merits of making any investment decision. It should not be relied upon for accounting, legal or tax advice or investment recommendations. You should consult your own advisers as to legal, business, tax, and other related matters concerning any investment. None of the opinions or positions provided herein are intended to be treated as legal advice or to create an attorney-client relationship. Certain information contained in here has been obtained from third-party sources, including from portfolio companies of funds managed by Variant. While taken from sources believed to be reliable, Variant has not independently verified such information. Any investments or portfolio companies mentioned, referred to, or described are not representative of all investments in vehicles managed by Variant, and there can be no assurance that the investments will be profitable or that other investments made in the future will have similar characteristics or results. A list of investments made by funds managed by Variant (excluding investments for which the issuer has not provided permission for Variant to disclose publicly as well as unannounced investments in publicly traded digital assets) is available at https://variant.fund/portfolio. Variant makes no representations about the enduring accuracy of the information or its appropriateness for a given situation. This post reflects the current opinions of the authors and is not made on behalf of Variant or its Clients and does not necessarily reflect the opinions of Variant, its General Partners, its affiliates, advisors or individuals associated with Variant. The opinions reflected herein are subject to change without being updated. All liability with respect to actions taken or not taken based on the contents of the information contained herein are hereby expressly disclaimed. The content of this post is provided "as is;" no representations are made that the content is error-free.
One of the core use cases for proof of human technology is distributing value directly to verified human users, whether that be DeFi incentives, discount codes, memecoins, AI usage or something else.
Builders are already showing the potential: ORO has become one of the most popular Mini Apps by dropping one token to each verified human every day; Credit is a pioneering human-verified credit system.
Ideas for the next wave of apps:
distribution tied to reputation
on-chain reward programs, designed to mitigate gaming by whales
bootstrapping user bases for protocols and tokens by distributing to humans
Half of internet traffic comes from bots. Proof of human can change that by enabling the attention of verified humans to be measured.
Momentum can already be seen: Mini Apps, Billboard and Frame, are building early ad networks that route value back to people, while experiments are emerging around human-curated feeds.
Ideas to take this concept further:
ad protocols where eligible users get compensated for their attention
human attention as curation
With the largest network of verified humans, nearly costless transactions, and a native social graph, World Chain is uniquely positioned to support payments use cases.
Apps like El Dorado and Add Money are making it simple to move crypto and top up balances across borders.
Mini App ideas that could take this further:
peer-to-peer payments between eligible users
Cross-border value transfers tailored to communities
in-app commerce
onramps/offramps with a seamless user experience
On World, AI agents can verify if they’re talking to a human or another bot. This unlocks an entirely new design space for agent-human interaction.
Early builders are already experimenting: Humans vs AI creates new kinds of games, SuperHero helps people earn with AI, and Story Protocol collects training data through human verification. The AXTP protocol enables agentic payment flows so agents can buy and sell goods and services.
More Mini App ideas:
Build an agent leveraging micro-payments on the AXTP protocol
help people earn tokens by leveraging AI agents
“DAOs 2.0” — AI-centric organizations that use verified human inputs
Verified humans unlock new ways to earn — from surveys and polls to freelance work and data labeling — with fast onchain payments.
Momentum is building: Work facilitates global freelance opportunities; Survey Bull enables people to be rewarded for participating in market research.
Ideas for expansion:
open protocols for earning
payments for verified human-created inputs
Knowing that data comes from unique verified humans opens the door to new kinds of prediction and information markets.
One early example is TBD, which uses human-verified poll responses to allow users to win.
Broad opportunities for future builders:
systems that crowdsource truth
bot-proof sentiment markets
Social media is impacted by bots. World makes it possible to bring people back to the center.
We’re already seeing early experiments: Vivo is a human-only global streaming platform, and projects are adding human-verified badges to existing networks.
Ideas for expansion:
entirely new kinds of social experiences where authenticity — not an algorithm — drives the feed
Token launches are notorious for being gamed by bots. Proof of human flips this script.
Projects like OneShot.meme are designed to ensure each human can claim only one token, while PUF ties allocations to reputation.
Where Mini Apps can go next:
fairer, more inclusive launch platforms — ones that reward real community members
Proof of human makes it possible to rethink digital art: free to distribute, scarce to own, and verifiably human-created.
Momentum is already visible: Mosaic is a global canvas where every verified human can contribute. Other apps are experimenting with limiting art claims to one edition per person.
The next frontier for Mini Apps:
entirely new art movements built around human uniqueness, provenance, and collective creation
Games thrive on fairness — and bots break that. Proof of human enables verified leaderboards, token distribution to real players, and new mechanics like one play per human per day.
Builders are already moving: Worldle combines tokens with play, Remix lets anyone build games, and Colony uses human verification to power game economies.
Where Mini App games can level up:
new genres that combine fun, fairness, and financial upside
If you want to reach everyone, build on World. With millions of verified human users, it’s one of the broadest distribution channels for DeFi.
Projects like UNO, Morpho, and PoolTogether are already scaling through Mini Apps, using proof of human to distribute incentives more effectively.
What the next wave of builders can bring:
savings, lending, trading, and investing tools to tens of millions of verified human users
The goal is simple: help the best builders win. The centerpiece is World Build, a three-month incubator that includes:
access to top VCs
an all-expenses-paid trip to Argentina to build alongside the World development community
support from a global founder network and industry mentors
World Build 2 kicks off with an online hackathon (September 25–28, 2025).
Participants will be selected from the builders who join. Already building? Deploy your product as a Mini App in the testnet and apply.
You can also start right now: explore the World documentation or watch this 10-minute tutorial on building a Mini App.
The next generation of breakout apps will be built on World. If you’re ready to reach millions from day one, now’s the time to start.
About the Author:
Leighton Cusack is Head of Ecosystem at Tools for Humanity, which builds tools for World. Reach out to him on X if you are building.
All information contained herein is for general information purposes only. It does not constitute investment advice or a recommendation or solicitation to buy or sell any investment and should not be used in the evaluation of the merits of making any investment decision. It should not be relied upon for accounting, legal or tax advice or investment recommendations. You should consult your own advisers as to legal, business, tax, and other related matters concerning any investment. None of the opinions or positions provided herein are intended to be treated as legal advice or to create an attorney-client relationship. Certain information contained in here has been obtained from third-party sources, including from portfolio companies of funds managed by Variant. While taken from sources believed to be reliable, Variant has not independently verified such information. Any investments or portfolio companies mentioned, referred to, or described are not representative of all investments in vehicles managed by Variant, and there can be no assurance that the investments will be profitable or that other investments made in the future will have similar characteristics or results. A list of investments made by funds managed by Variant (excluding investments for which the issuer has not provided permission for Variant to disclose publicly as well as unannounced investments in publicly traded digital assets) is available at https://variant.fund/portfolio. Variant makes no representations about the enduring accuracy of the information or its appropriateness for a given situation. This post reflects the current opinions of the authors and is not made on behalf of Variant or its Clients and does not necessarily reflect the opinions of Variant, its General Partners, its affiliates, advisors or individuals associated with Variant. The opinions reflected herein are subject to change without being updated. All liability with respect to actions taken or not taken based on the contents of the information contained herein are hereby expressly disclaimed. The content of this post is provided "as is;" no representations are made that the content is error-free.
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Leighton Cusack and Variant
Leighton Cusack and Variant
https://blog.variant.fund/the-world-network-opportunity-request-for-builders?referrer=0xc8D58c0eCFB3E49798EDF685Ea2F77BC22464D21
I wrote this piece with @variant outlining the opportunities I see for builders on the World Network Let me know if you are tackling these ideas! https://blog.variant.fund/the-world-network-opportunity-request-for-builders?referrer=0xc8D58c0eCFB3E49798EDF685Ea2F77BC22464D21
Hey! Thanks for this - quick q: planning/thinking of building a world app - but haven’t got my eye scanned and won’t be in a country with one till 2026. Is that a prerequisite? ChatGPT/perplexity day no but I cannot imagine how I will be able to test without access - kindly advise. Cheers! 🍻
Hai
Hai sir
Exciting developments on the horizon for crypto applications with World App, set to scale even further through its builder program, World Build 2. With over 35 million user accounts and unique features like proof of human technology, opportunities abound for developers. Early successes showcase potential C-from value distribution to new social media experiences. Keep an eye on the innovations to establish growth in this rapidly evolving ecosystem. Authored by @variant.