Analyst Lukas Ruppert argued that Worldcoin is still undervalued compared to major AI companies like OpenAI and Anthropic and pointed out two potential catalysts for further gains: a reductio
Analyst Lukas Ruppert argued that Worldcoin is still undervalued compared to major AI companies like OpenAI and Anthropic and pointed out two potential catalysts for further gains: a reduction in WLD's daily token unlock rate by 43% in July and the possibility of short sellers being forced to close positions created during a previous private token sale.
Worldcoin (WLD) is one of the strongest-performing cryptocurrencies over the past week. It gained more than 60% as investor interest in artificial intelligence-related assets accelerated.
According to a recent research note from Maelstrom analyst Lukas Ruppert, Worldcoin may be one of the most overlooked ways for investors to gain exposure to the AI sector. The analyst pointed to the growing excitement surrounding major AI companies like OpenAI and Anthropic, both of which are reportedly preparing for public market debuts at valuations approaching or exceeding hundreds of billions of dollars.
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OpenAI confidentially filed for an initial public offering in May and is reportedly targeting a valuation of up to $1 trillion, while Anthropic recently achieved a valuation of approximately $965 billion after a new funding round. The surge in AI-related investments also helped push major US stock indices to record highs.
Despite this enthusiasm, Maelstrom believes Worldcoin's valuation is still relatively small compared to the broader AI sector. The project was co-founded by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, and its goal is to create a global digital identity and financial network capable of distinguishing real humans from AI-generated bots. Ruppert argues that this positioning gives WLD a unique role as a crypto-based proxy for AI adoption.
The analyst pointed out two potential catalysts that could drive the token higher in the coming months. The first relates to a private token sale completed earlier this year. Worldcoin raised $65 million through an over-the-counter sale of WLD tokens, with a portion of those tokens remaining locked for six months. Many buyers reportedly hedged their exposure by opening short positions in perpetual futures markets, which created what Ruppert described as a large short overhang. If buying pressure increases, those short positions could potentially be forced to close, adding more upward momentum to the price.
A second catalyst could emerge from changes to Worldcoin's token release schedule. On July 24, the daily token unlock rate is expected to decrease by approximately 43%, which could potentially reduce one of the key sources of selling pressure that has weighed on the market throughout much of 2026.
Another factor attracting attention is publicly traded company Eightco (ORBS), which already holds approximately 283 million WLD tokens and reportedly has around $144 million in cash available on its balance sheet. Maelstrom believes additional purchases from the company could tighten available supply and amplify any bullish momentum.
WLD’s price action over the past 7 days (Source: CoinCodex)
The market appears to have started pricing in some of these possibilities. Over the past seven days, WLD climbed from below $0.31 to a high near $0.55 before consolidating around $0.51. The move is a gain of roughly 68% during the period, making it the best-performing cryptocurrency among the top 100 digital assets by market capitalization. Trading volumes have also surged above $3 billion over the past 24 hours.
While WLD is still far below its all-time high of $11.78, the recent rally suggests that traders are viewing the token as a way to gain exposure to the AI narrative that dominates both traditional financial markets and the cryptocurrency sector.
