Eightco Holdings (NASDAQ: ORBS) Announces its Participation in World Foundation's $52.5M funding round as World Shifts From Building the Network to Scaling Utility

Rhea-AI Summary

Eightco Holdings (NASDAQ: ORBS) reported total holdings of approximately $391 million as of July 26, 2026, comprising $90M indirect OpenAI equity via SPVs, $18M Beast Industries equity, $1M Mythical Games, 301,971,219 WLD tokens, 16,278 ETH, and about $142M in cash and stablecoins.

Eightco participated in World Foundation’s $52.5M funding round led by Pantera Capital, alongside Bain Capital Crypto, Selini Capital, Susquehanna Crypto and others. ORBS holds nearly 302M WLD, about 8% of circulating supply, described as the largest publicly disclosed institutional WLD position, and aligns its strategy around three mega-trends: artificial intelligence (OpenAI), digital identity (Worldcoin/World ID), and the creator economy (Beast Industries).

Positive

• Total holdings approximately $391M as of July 26, 2026
• OpenAI exposure ~$90M via SPVs, ~23% of treasury assets
• Beast Industries equity $18M, about 5% of treasury assets
• Worldcoin position 301,971,219 WLD, ~8% of circulating supply
• Cash and stablecoins approximately $142M in treasury
• Participation in World Foundation’s $52.5M funding round led by Pantera Capital

Negative

• None.

News Explained

The update adds lower but ongoing WLD supply and clarifies that OpenAI’s S-1 is not a completed liquidity event.

Eightco says it participated in World Foundation’s $52.5 million funding round, while World’s July 24, 2026 token-schedule change lowered daily WLD issuance from about 5.1 million to about 2.9 million tokens; new tokens still enter circulation.

The release says OpenAI submitted a confidential Form S-1 for a potential future IPO; an S-1 registers securities for sale, but registration alone sells nothing, and Eightco’s OpenAI exposure remains indirect through SPVs.

News Market Reaction – ORBS

+2.77%

23 alerts

+2.77% Session close to close

-10.6% Trough in 29 hr 37 min

$234.28M Market Cap

0.3x Rel. Volume

In the Jul 27 session, ORBS gained 2.77%, reflecting a moderate positive market reaction. Argus tracked a trough of -10.6% from its starting point during tracking. Our momentum scanner triggered 23 alerts that day, indicating elevated trading interest and price volatility.

Data tracked by StockTitan Argus on the day of publication.

Market Context

CEO Kevin J. O'Donnell purchased 200,000 shares, adding insider-buying context to this treasury upda...

Analysis

CEO Kevin J. O'Donnell purchased 200,000 shares, adding insider-buying context to this treasury update. The platform record also identifies moderate short positioning, a risk factor to monitor alongside concentrated digital-asset exposure.

Key Figures

Funding round: $52.5M Total holdings: Approximately $391M OpenAI investment: $90M +5 more

8 metrics

Funding round $52.5M World Foundation funding round led by Pantera Capital

Total holdings Approximately $391M Eightco treasury as of July 26, 2026

OpenAI investment $90M Indirect investment through special purpose vehicles

Beast Industries investment $18M Funded equity investment

WLD holdings 301,971,219 WLD at $0.36 per WLD Eightco holdings as of July 26, 2026

Ethereum holdings 16,278 ETH Eightco holdings as of July 26, 2026

Cash and stablecoins Approximately $142M Total cash and stablecoins

Daily WLD issuance Reduced by approximately 43%, from about 5.1M to about 2.9M tokens World token issuance schedule change on July 24, 2026

Historical Context

5 past events · Latest: Jul 24 (Positive)

Pattern 5 events

Date	Event	Sentiment	24h Move	Catalyst
Jul 24	Funding round	Positive	-6.6%	World Foundation announced a $52.5 million funding round led by Pantera Capital.
Jul 16	Treasury update	Neutral	-6.1%	Eightco reported approximately $406 million in total treasury holdings.
Jul 09	Treasury update	Neutral	+6.2%	Eightco reported approximately $397 million in total treasury holdings.
Jul 06	Filing correction	Neutral	+3.6%	Bitmine reported $11.1 billion in combined crypto, cash, securities and moonshots.
Jul 02	Treasury update	Neutral	+0.1%	Eightco reported approximately $386 million in estimated treasury holdings.

24h Move is the share-price change in the day after each event; other market factors may also have contributed.

Pattern Detected

Recent related updates produced mixed price reactions, with the stock often diverging from the announcement tone.

Key Terms

s-1, special purpose vehicles, stablecoins, cryptographic verification

4 terms

s-1 regulatory

"OpenAI recently announced that it submitted a confidential S-1"

A Form S-1 is a detailed registration document filed with U.S. regulators when a company intends to sell shares to the public for the first time or raise new equity. It acts like a company’s full disclosure booklet — describing business operations, risks, finances and how the proceeds will be used — and matters to investors because it provides the primary, official information needed to judge the company’s prospects and risks before buying stock.

special purpose vehicles financial

"investment (indirectly, through SPVs) in OpenAI"

Special purpose vehicles are separate companies created to isolate financial risk or manage specific assets and projects. They act like dedicated containers that hold particular investments or loans, helping organizations keep certain activities separate from their main operations. For investors, understanding these entities is important because they can influence how risks and returns are structured within a larger financial system.

stablecoins financial

"approximately $142 million in total cash and stablecoins"

Stablecoins are a type of digital currency designed to maintain a steady value, often linked to traditional currencies like the dollar or euro. They function like digital cash that offers the convenience of online transactions while avoiding the large price swings common with other cryptocurrencies. This stability makes them useful for investors and users who want a reliable way to store and transfer value without exposure to sudden market changes.

cryptographic verification technical

"Proof of Human is cryptographic verification that a user is a unique"

Cryptographic verification uses math-based digital “seals” to prove that a piece of information—such as a press release, filing, or transaction—came from an authentic source and hasn’t been altered. For investors, it provides a quick way to trust the integrity and origin of documents and messages, reducing the risk of fraud or spoofed announcements and making audits and record-keeping more reliable and efficient.

AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.

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Eightco treasury composition as of July 26, 2026: $90M OpenAI equity (indirect), $18M Beast Industries equity, 16,278 ETH, nearly 302 million WLD holdings, and $142M cash and equivalents, totaling approximately $391 million

OpenAI recently announced that it submitted a confidential S-1, setting itself up for a potential future initial public offering

Eightco provides indirect exposure to some of the most innovative private companies including OpenAI and Beast Industries

EASTON, Pa., July 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Eightco Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: ORBS) ("Eightco" or the "Company") today provided an update on its total holdings, highlighting its position across digital assets and strategic investments in leading private technology companies.

On July 24, 2026, World Foundation announced a $52.5M funding round led by Pantera Capital including Bain Capital Crypto, Eightco, Selini Capital, Susquehanna Crypto, and additional investors. World Foundation also celebrated its three-year anniversary of launching into production, as more than 39 million have joined World Network, with more than 18 million humans verified by an Orb. The network has utilized more than 475 million World ID proofs since its launch.

As of July 26, 2026, at 7:30 p.m. ET, ORBS' holdings include a $90 million investment (indirectly, through SPVs) in OpenAI, an $18 million funded investment in Beast Industries, a $1 million investment in Mythical Games, 301,971,219 Worldcoin (WLD) at $0.36 per WLD (per Coinbase), 16,278 Ethereum (ETH), and approximately $142 million in total cash and stablecoins, for total holdings of approximately $391 million.

"Clearly, the world is getting close to very powerful AI," Sam Altman said recently. "We care more about humans than we care about AI. And we are so hardwired to care about people that I'm not afraid for the future as long as we can tell. World ID is our effort at that, and it's been amazing to see the progress over the last year as people have adopted this and figured out how to integrate this into a new world."

"The reduction in the WLD token issuance, which started on July 24, cuts incremental supply by half. This should substantially improve the net supply/demand balance for WLD and thus, supports the argument for improved risk/reward in prices," said Tom Lee, Board Member of Eightco (ORBS).

Top Headlines Driving the News:

ORBS management believes the Company's treasury portfolio holds some of the most critical components for the future AI and digital financial system. This week's top headlines include:

• On July 21, it was announced that asset manager, Grayscale, filed with the SEC to launch the first U.S. ETF tied to Worldcoin (Decrypt).
• On July 21, OpenAI announced the launch of ChatGPT for small businesses program, an initiative to help small businesses be more productive and scale their businesses with ChatGPT (OpenAI).
• On July 21, Franklin Templeton Digital Assets published a white paper, authored by Sandy Kaul, titled "Agentic AI—The Killer Use Case for Blockchain and Crypto" (white paper) suggesting blockchains will facilitate machine to machine transactions and will be critical to the deployment of widespread Agentic-AI services. This is consistent with our conviction in the notion that WorldID sits at the center of this interaction.
• On July 22, it was announced that OpenAI plans to build a data center in Georgia with 3.2 gigawatts of power to be delivered in phases from 2028 to 2032 (Axios).
• On July 24, 2026 World's token issuance schedule reached a significant milestone. As outlined in the original World whitepaper, the network's largest three-year token unlock period concluded, reducing the number of WLD entering circulation each day by approximately 43%, from about 5.1 million tokens to about 2.9 million. ORBS currently holds 301,971,219 WLD, representing approximately 8% of the circulating supply and the largest publicly disclosed WLD position in the world. WLD will continue to enter circulation, but at roughly half the previous daily rate, materially slowing the growth of overall supply (World).

Eightco: Exposure to key mega-trends

Eightco is built around three mega-trends the Company expects to shape the next decade of innovation: artificial intelligence, digital identity, and the creator economy, with positions in each trend through indirect investment in OpenAI (23% of ORBS' treasury holdings), Worldcoin (28%), and Beast Industries (5%).

Artificial Intelligence — OpenAI

Eightco has invested approximately $90 million in special purpose vehicles with exposure to equity interests in the parent company of OpenAI, representing approximately 23% of treasury assets, one of the highest disclosed concentrations of any listed vehicle.

ChatGPT, OpenAI's consumer app, is the #1 consumer AI app worldwide (Sensor Tower) and crossed 900 million weekly active users in February 2026, making it the fastest-scaling consumer technology in history (UBS via Reuters).

Digital Identity — WLD Token

Eightco holds nearly 302 million WLD, approximately 8% of circulating supply, the largest publicly disclosed institutional position globally and approximately 28% of the Eightco treasury's assets.

Worldcoin is the native token of World, a global Proof of Human network built by Tools for Humanity (co-founded by Sam Altman and Alex Blania) and stewarded by the World Foundation. Its Orb devices issue a privacy-preserving World ID that verifies a user is a unique human, not an AI agent.

Under World's announced business model, applications pay per-verification fees while end-user verification remains free, with both credential issuers and the World protocol monetizing verified-human authentication. World identifies a $6.35 trillion combined addressable revenue opportunity across 13 industries spanning banking, e-commerce, gaming, social media, and agentic AI (per Tools for Humanity).

Creator Economy — Beast Industries

Eightco has invested $18 million in Beast Industries equity, approximately 5% of treasury assets.

Beast Industries operates one of the largest direct-to-consumer reach footprints in the world, with a combined 500 million-plus follower base across platforms, anchored by MrBeast as the most-watched person on YouTube globally. As AI commoditizes content production, distribution and audience trust become increasingly scarce assets.

About Eightco Holdings Inc.

Eightco Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: ORBS) is a publicly traded company executing a first-of-its-kind Worldcoin (WLD) treasury strategy, providing investors single-ticker indirect exposure to three of the defining trends of this cycle: artificial intelligence through its indirect investment in OpenAI, digital identity through its position as the largest public holder of WLD and the Proof of Human protocol, and the creator economy through its equity stake in MrBeast's Beast Industries. Backed by leading institutional investors including Bitmine Immersion Technologies Inc. (NYSE: BMNR), MOZAYYX, World Foundation, CoinFund, Discovery Capital Management, FalconX, Payward/Kraken, Pantera, and GSR, Eightco is building the infrastructure layer for human verification in the agentic AI era.

For more information:

X: @iamhuman_orbs

Website: 8co.holdings

Frequently Asked Questions

What is ORBS stock?

Eightco Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: ORBS) is a publicly traded company on Nasdaq. ORBS provides indirect exposure to: OpenAI and Beast Industries.

Who owns the most Worldcoin (WLD)?

Eightco Holdings (NASDAQ: ORBS) holds nearly 302 million WLD, approximately 8% of circulating supply and the largest publicly disclosed institutional position globally.

What is Proof of Human?

Proof of Human is cryptographic verification that a user is a unique, living person, not a bot or AI agent. It is foundational infrastructure for social networks, banking, agentic commerce, and any system requiring "one person, one account" in the agentic AI era.

How does Eightco (ORBS) relate to Proof of Human?

Eightco Holdings (NASDAQ: ORBS) is the largest publicly disclosed institutional holder of Worldcoin (WLD), the token powering World's Proof of Human network.

Who is the CEO of Eightco Holdings?

Kevin O'Donnell is the CEO of Eightco Holdings (NASDAQ: ORBS). The Company's Board includes Tom Lee (Managing Partner and Head of Research at Fundstrat, and Chairman of Bitmine Immersion Technologies (NYSE: BMNR)) and, as an advisor to the Board, Brett Winton (Chief Futurist at ARK Invest).

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements in this press release other than statements of historical fact could be deemed forward-looking, including, without limitation, statements regarding: the Company's expectations that artificial intelligence, digital identity, and the creator economy will shape the next decade of innovation; the Company's belief that its treasury portfolio holds some of the most critical components for the future AI and digital financial system; statements regarding the anticipated improvement in WLD net supply/demand balance and risk/reward in prices following the reduction in token issuance; statements that blockchains will facilitate machine-to-machine transactions and will be critical to the deployment of widespread agentic AI services; the Company's conviction that WorldID sits at the center of the interaction between AI and blockchain; statements regarding World's addressable revenue opportunity of $6.35 trillion across industries spanning banking, e-commerce, gaming, social media, and agentic AI; statements regarding the expected reduction in WLD token issuance following July 24, 2026, including the reduction from approximately 5.1 million tokens to approximately 2.9 million tokens daily; statements that the Company holds the largest publicly disclosed WLD position globally; statements that distribution and audience trust become increasingly scarce assets as AI commoditizes content production; statements regarding the Company building the infrastructure layer for human verification in the agentic AI era; statements regarding the Company providing indirect exposure to defining trends through its investments in OpenAI, WLD, and Beast Industries; statements that OpenAI submitted a confidential S-1, setting itself up for a potential future initial public offering; and statements regarding future phases of OpenAI's data center project in Georgia from 2028 to 2032. Words such as "plans," "expects," "will," "anticipates," "continue," "expand," "advance," "develop," "believes," "guidance," "target," "may," "remain," "project," "outlook," "intend," "estimate," "could," "should," "positioned," "view," and other words and terms of similar meaning and expression are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain such terms. Forward-looking statements are based on management's current beliefs and assumptions that are subject to risks and uncertainties and are not guarantees of future performance. Actual results could differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement as a result of various factors, including, without limitation: the Company's inability to direct the management or operations of private businesses where the Company is not a controlling stockholder, including OpenAI and Beast Industries; risk of loss or markdown on the Company's strategic investments, including its indirect position in OpenAI equity (held through special purpose vehicles), its position in WLD, and its position in Beast Industries equity; the Company's ability to maintain compliance with Nasdaq's continued listing requirements; unexpected costs, charges or expenses that reduce the Company's capital resources or otherwise delay capital deployment; inability to raise adequate capital to fund or scale its business operations or strategic investments; volatility in digital asset prices, including WLD and ETH, which could materially affect the value of the Company's treasury holdings; regulatory changes, future legislation and rulemaking negatively impacting digital assets, artificial intelligence adoption, or biometric data collection; risks related to the development, adoption, and market acceptance of Proof-of-Human technology and the World network; uncertainty regarding the pace and trajectory of agentic AI deployment in enterprise and consumer applications; uncertainty regarding OpenAI's product roadmap, business model developments, and the timing or success of any IPO; risks related to Beast Industries' ability to achieve its growth projections; competition in the digital identity and AI infrastructure markets; reliance on third-party sources for the valuation of certain investments; uncertainty regarding MrBeast's continued success and the performance of Beast Industries' creator-driven business model; risks related to the Company's concentrated positions in certain digital assets and private company investments; shifting public and governmental positions on digital assets or artificial intelligence-related industries; risks that WLD supply dynamics may not result in anticipated market effects; risks related to World Foundation's funding, development, and ability to scale its network and business model; and risks associated with the timing and completion of OpenAI's planned data center projects. Given these risks and uncertainties, you are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. For a discussion of other risks and uncertainties, and other important factors, any of which could cause Eightco's actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements herein, see Eightco's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"), including the risk factors and other disclosures in its Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on April 15, 2026 and other publicly available SEC filings. All information in this press release is as of the date of the release, and Eightco undertakes no duty to update this information or to publicly announce the results of any revisions to any of the forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect actual results or any change in its expectations.

 

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SOURCE Eightco Holdings (NASDAQ: ORBS)

FAQ

What did Eightco Holdings (NASDAQ: ORBS) announce about its treasury on July 27, 2026?

Eightco announced total holdings of about $391 million as of July 26, 2026. According to Eightco, this includes indirect OpenAI and Beast Industries equity, nearly 302M WLD, 16,278 ETH, plus roughly $142M in cash and stablecoins.

How much Worldcoin (WLD) does Eightco Holdings (ORBS) own and what share of supply is it?

Eightco reports holding 301,971,219 WLD, about 8% of circulating supply. According to Eightco, this is the largest publicly disclosed institutional WLD position and represents roughly 28% of the company’s treasury assets.

What is Eightco Holdings’ role in World Foundation’s $52.5M funding round?

Eightco participated as an investor in World Foundation’s $52.5 million funding round. According to Eightco, the round was led by Pantera Capital and included Bain Capital Crypto, Selini Capital, Susquehanna Crypto and other additional investors.

How does Eightco (NASDAQ: ORBS) provide exposure to OpenAI and Beast Industries?

Eightco offers indirect exposure through $90M invested in SPVs linked to OpenAI and $18M in Beast Industries equity. According to Eightco, these positions anchor its artificial intelligence and creator-economy strategies within its treasury portfolio.

What are the three mega-trends Eightco Holdings (ORBS) is built around?

Eightco focuses on artificial intelligence, digital identity, and the creator economy. According to Eightco, it expresses these themes via indirect OpenAI exposure, a major Worldcoin (WLD) position tied to World’s Proof of Human network, and equity in MrBeast’s Beast Industries.

How did Worldcoin’s WLD token issuance change on July 24, 2026, and why does Eightco highlight it?

World’s largest three-year WLD token unlock period ended, cutting daily issuance from about 5.1M to 2.9M tokens. According to Eightco, this reduces incremental supply growth, which some, including board member Tom Lee, argue may improve WLD’s risk/reward balance.

Who backs Eightco Holdings (ORBS) and what is its Worldcoin treasury strategy?

Eightco pursues a Worldcoin-focused treasury strategy backed by investors such as Bitmine Immersion Technologies (NYSE: BMNR), World Foundation, Pantera and others. According to Eightco, this approach aims to build infrastructure for human verification in the agentic AI era.