Altman offers each YC startup $2M in OpenAI tokens — uncapped SAFE for equity

Friends, a quick AI update: Sam Altman has reportedly offered each YC company in the current cohort $2M in OpenAI tokens in exchange for equity via an uncapped SAFE.

Key points:
- Lowers AI infrastructure costs and incentivizes building on OpenAI.
- Converts at the next priced round (typically Series A); stake depends on valuation.
- Risks: vendor lock‑in, IP copy risk, and spending tokens without product-market validation.

Why it matters: it shifts the balance between infrastructure access and founders’ capital retention.

How would you evaluate this deal for startups?

#OpenAI #YC #startups #AI