OpenAI has stated that its sale of “OpenAI tokens” to European Union residents will not grant them equity or stock ownership in the company. The company emphasized that it did not endorse Robinhood’s efforts, nor was involved in facilitating the token sale. In fact, OpenAI says it does not approve any transfer of equity.
Robinhood recently announced plans to sell tokenized shares of OpenAI and other private companies to retail investors in the EU. This move is seen as an attempt to provide everyday people with exposure to equity in top-private companies via blockchain technology. However, company stocks are typically only available to authorized investors or those who have purchased shares directly from the company.
In response to OpenAI’s rejection of its efforts, Robinhood claims that OpenAI tokens were part of a “limited” giveaway aimed at retail investors through an intermediary entity. This is where things get confusing – tokenized sales on Robinhood involve buying contracts that mirror the price of actual shares, but do not grant direct ownership.
OpenAI has warned consumers to be cautious and stated that they did not approve any transfer of equity. Private companies often push back against unauthorized share sales, as it can impact their valuation.
Source: https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/02/openai-condemns-robinhoods-openai-tokens