Most people will never get to invest directly in OpenAI. It is a private company, and access to its equity has historically been reserved for institutional investors, sovereign wealth funds, and the kind of venture capital firms that operate well outside the reach of ordinary people. Eightco Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: ORBS) is trying to change that. On March 20, 2026, the company announced an additional $40 million investment in OpenAI, bringing its total commitment to $90 million. OpenAI now represents approximately 30% of ORBS’ entire treasury position.
For retail investors who believe AI is reshaping the global economy but cannot access the private companies driving that shift, ORBS is positioning itself as the public market bridge.
What Eightco actually is and why its treasury strategy is unusual
Eightco is not a traditional technology company. It is essentially a publicly traded investment vehicle that holds stakes in private and digital assets that most retail investors cannot access directly. Its treasury currently includes $90 million in OpenAI, 277 million WLD tokens representing nearly 10% of the current Worldcoin supply in circulation, 11,068 ETH, and $76 million in cash and stablecoins.
The OpenAI position is the headline, but the Worldcoin holding is equally notable. ORBS is the largest public market participant in the Worldcoin ecosystem, giving shareholders exposure to one of the most ambitious and controversial digital identity projects in the world alongside their AI bet. The combination of OpenAI equity and Worldcoin tokens in a single NASDAQ-listed vehicle is genuinely unusual and reflects a deliberate thesis about where value will be created at the intersection of AI and digital identity infrastructure.
The company recently secured $125 million in new funding commitments. Bitmine Immersion Technologies (NYSE: BMNR) led with $75 million, ARK Invest committed at least $25 million, and Payward, the parent company of global crypto exchange Kraken, committed another $25 million. That is serious institutional backing from names with genuine credibility in both the AI and digital assets spaces.
Why OpenAI exposure is so valuable and so difficult to obtain
OpenAI is arguably the most consequential private technology company in the world right now. It created ChatGPT, which reached 100 million users faster than any product in history. It powers Microsoft’s Copilot suite. It is at the centre of the AI infrastructure buildout that is reshaping enterprise software, healthcare, education, and defence simultaneously.
According to Bloomberg Intelligence, OpenAI’s valuation has grown dramatically over the past two years as enterprise adoption of its models has accelerated and its API business has become a foundational layer for thousands of applications globally. Private market investors who participated in recent funding rounds have seen significant mark-to-market gains on paper.
The problem for retail investors is straightforward. OpenAI does not trade on any public exchange. Getting direct exposure requires either participating in a private funding round, which demands accredited investor status and minimum cheque sizes well beyond most individuals, or finding a publicly traded company that holds OpenAI equity. ORBS is currently one of the very few options in that second category.
Brett Winton, Chief Futurist at ARK Invest, captured the opportunity directly: OpenAI is one of the most consequential bets available in markets today, and ORBS is building a public market on-ramp to the companies shaping the AI era. ARK Invest manages tens of billions in assets focused on disruptive innovation, so Winton’s involvement as a board advisor carries real credibility.
The Beast Industries investment adds a different kind of upside
Alongside the OpenAI position, ORBS also announced an initial $25 million strategic investment in Beast Industries, the company behind MrBeast, the world’s most subscribed YouTube creator with over 350 million subscribers. Beast Industries is building a consumer media and product empire that extends well beyond YouTube into food, merchandise, and entertainment.
The combination of OpenAI and Beast Industries in the same treasury reflects a specific investment thesis: the future of AI and the future of digital consumer attention are both enormous prize pools, and owning stakes in the leading players in each requires private market access that most retail investors lack. ORBS is trying to aggregate that access into a single publicly traded security.
The risks here are real and investors should understand them clearly
This is a speculative investment vehicle, and that needs to be said directly. ORBS holds minority stakes in private companies where it has no control over management or operations. The value of those stakes depends entirely on the performance of OpenAI, Beast Industries, and Worldcoin, none of which are subject to the same reporting obligations as public companies. The WLD token position introduces significant cryptocurrency volatility into the treasury. The company’s NASDAQ listing means it must maintain compliance with listing requirements, which adds another layer of operational risk.
The institutional backing from ARK Invest, Bitmine, and Kraken’s parent company provides some validation of the underlying thesis. However, validation of a thesis is not the same as a guarantee of returns, and the path from a $90 million OpenAI position to shareholder value depends on factors largely outside ORBS’ control.
Sources
- Bloomberg Intelligence — AI Market Analysis
- SEC — Investment Company Guidance
- ARK Invest — Disruptive Innovation Research
- Eightco Holdings — Official Press Release via PRNewswire
Editorial disclosure
This article is based on a press release issued by Eightco Holdings Inc. and has been independently rewritten and editorially expanded. It covers a publicly traded investment vehicle holding stakes in OpenAI, Beast Industries, and Worldcoin tokens. Eightco Holdings trades on NASDAQ under the ticker ORBS. This article discusses a speculative investment company with significant exposure to private equity and digital assets. This is not a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Market context is sourced from Bloomberg Intelligence, the SEC, and ARK Invest. Commentary reflects the author’s own assessment. The information provided on this website is for informational and educational purposes only. Our content is derived strictly from verified online sources to ensure accuracy and objectivity. This analysis does not constitute financial, investment, or professional advice. Readers are encouraged to consult with qualified professionals before making decisions based on this information. For more information, please see our full DISCLAIMER.
