Shares of fintech and blockchain-focused company Eightco Holdings Inc. surged dramatically after the company announced a strategic shift to acquire and hold Worldcoin (WLD) as its primary treasury reserve asset. The announcement was accompanied by a $250 million private placement funding round, including a $20 million strategic investment from Bitcoin miner BitMine Immersion Technologies.
The move, led by newly appointed Chairman and seasoned Wall Street analyst Dan Ives, marks a landmark corporate adoption of Worldcoin, an identity-focused cryptocurrency underpinned by OpenAI founder Sam Altman’s World company. This positions Eightco as a pioneer in utilizing blockchain-based digital identity protocols to hedge against risks emerging from the AI-driven transformation of global economic systems.
Following the disclosure, Worldcoin’s market price surged over 40%, swiftly catapulting the token from a daily low of $1.03 to a peak of $1.56 in intraday trading before stabilizing near $1.49. This sharp price movement reflects heightened institutional interest and growing confidence in Worldcoin’s future role as a critical infrastructure asset for proving personhood in an AI-centric economy.
Strategic Vision Behind the Acquisition
Dan Ives emphasized the forward-looking motivation driving the acquisition, highlighting Worldcoin’s use of a zero-knowledge proof-of-personhood protocol as foundational in preserving trust and authentication amid increasing AI automation. “The future of AI requires World to lead the way in this AI-driven Fourth Industrial Revolution,” Ives stated. “While AI provides infinite abundance, Worldcoin offers infinite trust and authentication.”
This strategy aims to position Eightco as a first mover in corporate treasury management by leveraging identity verification blockchain tokens to address what Ives referred to as the “identity crisis posed by advanced AI”. Eightco views verifiable digital identity as a scarce, high-value asset, critical to future digital interactions and governance.
Details of the Funding and Market Impact
The private placement announced on September 8 is expected to close around September 11, 2025, pending Nasdaq’s standard regulatory approvals. The company plans to issue approximately 171.2 million common shares at $1.46 per share, raising approximately $250 million. BitMine Immersion Technologies separately invested $20 million by purchasing 13.7 million shares at the same price.
Following the transaction, Eightco will change its Nasdaq ticker symbol to “ORBS,” reflecting this strategic pivot. The company, which before focused on e-commerce inventory management and manufacturing logistics, signals a new core focus on the blockchain and decentralized identity space.
Market and Industry Reactions
The market responded enthusiastically with Eightco’s share price increasing approximately 48-fold on the announcement day to over $69 per share. This represents an extraordinary level of investor excitement about the company’s reorientation toward AI and blockchain synergies.
Industry analysts view the move as an early indicator that large-scale institutional adoption of blockchain identity tokens such as Worldcoin could accelerate, particularly as the AI industry grapples with solutions for digital trust and human verification at scale.
Background on Worldcoin and Its Significance
Worldcoin, co-founded by OpenAI’s Sam Altman, is designed to provide a pioneering solution for global digital identity verification using biometric data and blockchain technology without compromising privacy. It aims to authenticate unique human identities securely — a capability increasingly vital as AI-generated content and interactions proliferate.
By acquiring Worldcoin in large volume, Eightco bets that the token will gain significant utility and value as AI technologies become increasingly integrated into daily life and commerce.
Looking Ahead
Eightco Holdings’ strategic acquisition of Worldcoin and the appointment of AI-focused analyst Dan Ives as chairman underline the company’s goal to become a trailblazer at the intersection of fintech, blockchain, and artificial intelligence. Investors and industry stakeholders will be closely watching developments around the planned treasury strategy, Nasdaq stock symbol change, and the broader adoption of digital identity tokens as essential infrastructure in a rapidly evolving AI landscape.