ARK Invest CEO Democratizes Access to OpenAI and Anthropic Through Blockchain Fund—But There’s a Catch
Cathie Wood just moved a fund holding OpenAI and Anthropic stakes onto the Ethereum blockchain, promising to democratize access to private AI giants. A closer look at the fine print reveals a structure where selling your shares may not actually…
This post may contain links from our sponsors and affiliates, and Flywheel Publishing may receive compensation for actions taken through them.
ARK Invest just put a fund holding stakes in OpenAI and Anthropic onto a blockchain. On September 24, 2026, Securitize Corp. and ARK Invest announced the tokenization of the ARK Venture Fund (ARKVX) through Securitize (NYSE:SECZ). The appeal is easy to see: access to private AI and fintech names, including OpenAI, Anthropic, Stripe and Databricks, through a registered fund structure. The catch sits in ARK’s own disclosures. The fund moved onchain, and its shares still have no market.
What Tokenizing ARKVX Changes for Investors
A token is a digital record of ownership kept on a blockchain, a shared ledger updated across many computers. Tokenized ARKVX lives on Ethereum (CRYPTO:ETH), with Securitize providing the issuance platform and investor experience. Access is limited to eligible investors and other restrictions apply.
Buying a tokenized share gives an investor a claim on the fund. The fund, in turn, owns the private stakes, and holdings are subject to change. The blockchain upgrades how ownership is recorded and settled. A market still requires buyers and sellers willing to trade, and a ledger supplies neither.
Why Cathie Wood Is Putting ARKVX Onchain
Wood, identified in the release as Founder, CEO and CIO of ARK Invest, tied the move to her long-running thesis: “Tokenizing the ARK Venture Fund puts our conviction in the evolution, if not revolution, of capital markets into practice.” On access, she added: “Making the ARK Venture Fund available onchain is a natural extension of our mission to democratize access to technologically enabled disruptive innovation.”
Carlos Domingo, identified in the release as Co-Founder and CEO of Securitize, said: “Bringing ARKVX onchain demonstrates how leading asset managers can use tokenization to move established investment products onto modern capital markets infrastructure.”
Securitize Corp. says it manages approximately $5B in tokenized assets as of August 2026. Its second quarter revenue came in at $14.44M, down 5% year over year, while record average tokenized AUM reached $4.30 billion, according to its earnings exhibit filed with the SEC. Shares trade at $15.78, up 150.87% over the past month, with a Cantor Fitzgerald tokenization push adding fuel last week.
Fine Print That Keeps ARKVX Illiquid
ARKVX is a non-diversified closed-end interval fund. ARK’s disclosure spells out the constraint: “The Fund’s shares are not listed on a securities exchange, no secondary market is expected to develop, and shareholders may not be able to sell shares when desired. Liquidity is limited to periodic repurchase offers, which may be oversubscribed.”
A redemption offer is a scheduled window when the fund agrees to buy back a portion of its shares at net asset value. When more shareholders ask to sell than the offer covers, it is oversubscribed, and each seller may get only part of a request filled, then wait for the next window. Private holdings are carried at valuations the manager determines, so the fund’s price reflects ARK’s estimates rather than live trading.
Compare that with the ARK Innovation ETF (CBOE:ARKK), which trades all day and already held an OpenAI Series C position worth $172563178.42 as of July 31, 2026. ARKK trades at $89.72, up 16.64% this year and down 17.09% over five years.
A Disclosed Stake Investors Should Weigh
Securitize Corp. states that ARK Invest’s strategic investment in Securitize, announced in October 2025, laid the foundation for this collaboration. ARK is a shareholder in the company it engaged to tokenize its own fund. The release reveals the relationship openly, and readers can judge how much weight it deserves.
Who Tokenized ARKVX Actually Fits
This product suits eligible investors who want long-duration exposure to private AI and fintech companies, accept manager-set valuations, and can leave money in place through redemption windows that may not fill. Investors who need cash on short notice will find ARKK’s exchange-traded structure closer to their needs.
Before investing, read the ARKVX prospectus for costs, redemption terms and valuation methods, and ask how past repurchase offers were filled. That history shows how the exit door has worked in practice.
Contact [email protected] for any questions or corrections.
Chris Lange is a financial and geopolitical writer with more than a decade of experience covering a myriad of topics. He has published thousands of articles for 24/7 Wall St., with past coverage focused heavily on stocks, IPOs, healthcare, defense, global affairs, and technology.
His work has been quoted, or referenced by a number of outlets including Business Insider, USA Today, Yahoo Finance, MSN, The Motley Fool, and many other publications. A graduate of Southwestern University, he studied business with a focus on investments and has previous experience in banking and startups.
When not reading or writing the news, he is following his passion for Lacrosse, playing chess, or building solar projects with his dad.
