Share this article
OpenAI Warns That Tokenized Equity Sale on Robinhood Is Unauthorized
"Any transfer of OpenAI equity requires our approval — we did not approve any transfer,” the company said in a statement.
Updated Jul 3, 2025, 12:15 p.m. Published Jul 2, 2025, 9:52 p.m.
What to know:
- OpenAI said Wednesday that tokenized equity offerings on Robinhood are unauthorized and not endorsed by the company.
- Robinhood's new tokenized stock trading in Europe includes equities and ETFs, but the source of equity for companies like OpenAI remains unclear.
- Experts warn that private companies like OpenAI may not honor unauthorized equity sales in secondary markets.
Tokenized equity offerings for OpenAI being offered to Robinhood users in Europe are not officially authorized by the company, the AI giant said in a social media post.
"These 'OpenAI tokens' are not OpenAI equity. We did not partner with Robinhood, were not involved in this, and do not endorse it," OpenAI posted on X. "Any transfer of OpenAI equity requires our approval — we did not approve any transfer."
STORY CONTINUES BELOW
Don't miss another story.Subscribe to the Crypto Daybook Americas Newsletter today. See all newsletters
Earlier this week, Robinhood announced it was launching tokenized stock trading based on the Arbitrum blockchain to its users in Europe. As CoinDesk reported earlier, users will have access to 200 equities and ETFs, as well as a secondary market for equity in hot startups like OpenAI and SpaceX.
"To cap off our recent crypto event, we announced a limited stock token giveaway on OpenAI and SpaceX to eligible European customers. These tokens give retail investors indirect exposure to private markets, opening up access, and are enabled by Robinhood’s ownership stake in a special purpose vehicle,” a Robinhood spokesperson told CoinDesk.
The idea of tokenized equity in not-yet public companies is nothing new.
In 2018, a blockchain startup called Swarm said it would soon be offering tokenized shares in startups — including Robinhood.
CoinDesk reported at the time that many of the companies Swarm claimed it would be offering equity in pushed back and said such a sale would be unauthorized but Swarm said everything came from "approved secondary market transactions."
Looking at Robinhood's current tokenized offering, it's unclear where the source of equity is. There is some speculation that the equity represents interest in OpenAI shares that have been already acquired via authorized channels, based on comments made by Robinhood's CEO.
Loading...
Others have warned that OpenAI — and other startups — would be well within their rights not to honor the sale.
Loading...
"I expect this natural tension to result in more private companies just cancelling equity sales altogether for those who violate their shareholders' agreements," Dragonfly General Partner Rob Hadick posted on X.
UPDATE (July 3, 12:15 UTC): Adds comment from Robinhood.
Higit pang Para sa Iyo
Ano ang dapat malaman:
- As of October 2025, GoPlus has generated $4.7M in total revenue across its product lines. The GoPlus App is the primary revenue driver, contributing $2.5M (approx. 53%), followed by the SafeToken Protocol at $1.7M.
- GoPlus Intelligence's Token Security API averaged 717 million monthly calls year-to-date in 2025 , with a peak of nearly 1 billion calls in February 2025. Total blockchain-level requests, including transaction simulations, averaged an additional 350 million per month.
- Since its January 2025 launch , the $GPS token has registered over $5B in total spot volume and $10B in derivatives volume in 2025. Monthly spot volume peaked in March 2025 at over $1.1B , while derivatives volume peaked the same month at over $4B.
Higit pang Para sa Iyo
Japan’s Higher Rates Puts Bitcoin in the Crosshairs of a Yen Carry Unwind
A stronger yen typically coincides with de-risking across macro portfolios, and that dynamic could tighten liquidity conditions that recently helped bitcoin rebound from November’s lows.
Ano ang dapat malaman:
- The Bank of Japan is expected to raise interest rates to 0.75% at its December meeting, the highest since 1995, affecting global markets including cryptocurrencies.
- A stronger yen could lead to de-risking in macro portfolios, impacting liquidity conditions that have supported bitcoin's recent recovery.
- Governor Kazuo Ueda indicated a high probability of a rate hike, with officials prepared for further tightening if their economic outlook supports it.
Top Stories
