ARK Invest Tokenizes Venture Fund with OpenAI, Anthropic Stakes

ARK Invest is tokenizing its ARK Venture Fund (ARKVX) using Securitize infrastructure, allowing eligible investors to access the fund on the blockchain with a minimum investment of $500.

The fund holds stakes in OpenAI, Anthropic, Stripe, and Databricks, giving investors exposure to private tech companies. Tokenized shares will first be available on the Ethereum network, with other networks possible later.

Securitize CEO Carlos Domingo explained that tokenizing the fund provides investors with a liquid investment opportunity without having to guess which AI company will win.

The move follows a new SEC 'innovation exemption' for tokenized stock trading, allowing financial firms to test blockchain-based securities. Securitize shares jumped as much as 15% following the announcement, pushing the stock to a fresh high since its public debut in June.