Sam Altman and Elon Musk Battle to Launch the First “Everything App”
Who will create the ultimate everything app first—Sam Altman or Elon Musk? Tech enthusiasts searching for updates on the race to build a super app combining finance, social media, gaming, crypto, and AI won't be disappointed. Sam Altman’s Worldcoin project and Elon Musk’s evolving vision for X (formerly Twitter) have both entered the spotlight. Each platform aims to redefine how we interact, pay, and verify identity online, making this rivalry one of the most important stories in technology today. If you're wondering which app might lead the future of digital life, here's everything you need to know.
At a major event in San Francisco, Sam Altman—known for leading OpenAI—unveiled a new frontier for Tools for Humanity, the parent company of Worldcoin. This ambitious startup isn’t just focused on "authenticating humans in the age of AGI" anymore. It’s evolving into a full-fledged everything app that combines a crypto wallet, social network, and mini-app platform. Currently, Worldcoin’s user base has surged to 26 million monthly active users, with 12 million verified through its eye-scanning “orb” technology.
Inside the World App, users can chat, send and receive cryptocurrency, and access a growing catalog of mini apps from developers like Kalshi. World IDs—blockchain-based identifiers tied to users’ verified eye scans—anchor this ecosystem, offering a secure and human-centric experience. This approach not only streamlines transactions but also addresses the persistent problem of bots and fraudulent accounts on social platforms.
Elon Musk’s Vision for X: A Fintech and Social Media Powerhouse
Meanwhile, Elon Musk is transforming X into much more than a rebranded Twitter. His goal? To build a financial services empire layered on top of a social network. Later this year, X plans to roll out Venmo-like payment features, developed in collaboration with Visa, a strategic move positioning it as a powerful peer-to-peer payments platform.
Interestingly, Tools for Humanity also recently announced a Visa partnership, introducing a Worldcoin debit card set to launch in the U.S. this summer. This card will allow users to spend their Worldcoin holdings easily and even earn rewards for purchasing AI subscriptions, expanding the potential for passive income and digital finance adoption.
Fighting Bots: A Core Mission for Altman and Musk
Bot traffic has plagued online platforms for years, inflating metrics and undermining trust. By linking Worldcoin accounts to real human identities through World ID verification, Sam Altman’s team hopes to restore authenticity to online interactions. During a candid Q&A, Tools for Humanity CEO Alex Blania criticized platforms like X, stating that bots today are "not as obvious" as they once were. As developers flock to the World App, Worldcoin plans to eventually monetize its verification system, offering a critical security solution to an internet flooded with deepfakes and AI-generated spam.
Musk similarly cited bot elimination as a core reason for acquiring Twitter. While both leaders have different methods, their end goals align: creating trusted digital spaces where real people, not bots, drive conversations and commerce.
Possible Collaboration Between Worldcoin and OpenAI?
Rumors swirling around the San Francisco event hinted at a deeper connection between OpenAI and Worldcoin. Several OpenAI executives were spotted in the audience, and when pressed about a potential partnership, Alex Blania teased that future announcements could be on the horizon. With Altman at the helm of both projects (directly and indirectly), a collaboration could create a potent synergy between AI-driven social networks and human-verified crypto ecosystems.
While no formal partnership has been confirmed yet, the prospect alone has sparked considerable speculation among tech investors and AI enthusiasts alike.
Meta’s AI Ambitions Enter the Race
While Altman and Musk dominate headlines, Meta is quietly building its own AI ecosystem. At its first-ever AI developer event, LlamaCon, Meta unveiled the standalone Meta AI app, featuring a social feed for users to share interactions with their AI assistant. A premium tier with advertising integration is also in the pipeline, signaling Meta’s intent to monetize AI-based social experiences.
Chris Cox, Meta’s Chief Product Officer, emphasized the app's unique blend of low-latency voice interactions, deep personalization, and social features. Tapping into Facebook and Instagram data, Meta AI tailors its responses based on user interests, offering a hyper-personalized AI experience that could set it apart from competitors like ChatGPT and Anthropic's Claude.
Despite launching a standalone app, Meta plans to maintain AI integrations across Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp, ensuring users can access AI services wherever they engage socially online.
A Race That Will Define the Future of the Internet
Whether it’s Sam Altman’s Worldcoin, Elon Musk’s X, or Meta’s AI-first strategy, the race to build an everything app is heating up—and it’s shaping the future of how we work, play, pay, and connect online. At stake are billions in ad revenue, financial services fees, and the critical mass of users that will define the next generation of the internet.
Expect big moves from these tech giants throughout 2025 as the battle for super app supremacy intensifies.
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