- Anthropic declared transfers of its shares via SPVs, forward contracts, or tokenized securities without board approval are void.
- The warning caused a PreStocks token called ANTHROPIC to crash by 34% after being marketed as “exposure” to shares.
- The company followed a precedent set by OpenAI, which issued a similar policy against unauthorized equity transfers last year.
Anthropic, the maker of Claude AI, issued a stark legal warning this week, clarifying that blockchain-based tokens purporting to represent its shares are worthless without direct corporate approval. The company stated that any sale of its stock through unauthorized channels is void, specifically naming special purpose vehicles, forward contracts, and tokenized securities. Consequently, investors who purchased products from platforms like PreStocks, Unicorns Exchange, and Pachamama may not hold any legitimate claim to Anthropic equity.
The immediate market reaction was severe, with the Solana-based ANTHROPIC token plunging 34% following the announcement. This token had been marketed as providing “1:1 backed” exposure to Anthropic shares, rallying over 600% in the past year. However, the company’s notice made clear that blockchain entries do not constitute ownership recorded on its official ledger. Crypto attorney Gabriel Shapiro noted the statement used aggressive language under Delaware corporate law, stripping secondary buyers of defenses.
This scenario mirrors action taken by rival OpenAI, which published a similar policy last November. Meanwhile, speculative crypto activity around Anthropic had reached frenzied levels, including traders on Hyperliquid paying exorbitant funding rates for perpetual contracts. The episode highlights a fundamental disconnect: while tokens can simulate share trading, legal ownership of a private company’s stock remains an offline contract governed by corporate law.
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