Anthropic warns about illegal stock trading platforms

This week, Anthropic took a significant step by updating its website to warn investors about the risks associated with certain private and secondary investment platforms. These platforms, which include names such as Open Doors Partners, Unicorns Exchange, Pachamama Capital, Lionheart Ventures, Hiive, Forge Global, Sydecar, and Upmarket, are not authorized to offer access to the purchase or sale of Anthropic shares.

In a message published on the company's blog, Anthropic clearly stated that any sale or transfer of shares proposed by these companies is considered null and will not be recognized in their records. This statement aims to protect investors from unauthorized transactions that could jeopardize their investments.

Forge Global, one of the mentioned platforms, responded by claiming it was mistakenly included on this list. The company told TechCrunch that it is working with Anthropic to have its name removed from this warning, emphasizing that it does not facilitate share transactions without the explicit approval of the concerned company.

Anthropic's warning comes at a time when the number of platforms offering exposure to shares of artificial intelligence companies through secondary markets is on the rise. These markets allow existing shareholders to sell their shares, often in the form of "tokenized" securities or through special purpose vehicles (SPVs).

Anthropic, with a valuation reaching $900 billion, is particularly sought after in these secondary markets. Some brokers have even described its shares as among the hardest to obtain. Cryptocurrency companies, such as OKX, have also launched investment products that sell exposure to AI companies, using pre-IPO perpetual futures contracts that track the value of private companies without offering actual ownership.

SPVs, on the other hand, allow investors to purchase shares of an entity holding at least one share in Anthropic. However, Anthropic has clarified that its shares are subject to transfer restrictions, and any sale not approved by its board of directors is invalid. The company also prohibits the use of SPVs to acquire its shares, stating that such transfers are null under their restrictions.

In conclusion, Anthropic reiterated that investment offers in its past or future funding rounds via an SPV are strictly prohibited, warning investors about the risks of fraud and financial losses.