OpenAI, the San Francisco-based artificial intelligence pioneer behind ChatGPT, closed a record-breaking $40 billion funding round on March 31, 2025, quelling market unease and sparking gains for AI infrastructure firm CoreWeave and cryptocurrency tokens tied to the sector. Valued at $300 billion post-money, OpenAI’s haul—led by SoftBank Group with $30 billion and joined by Microsoft, Coatue, Altimeter, and Thrive—marks the largest private tech financing ever, surpassing Ant Group’s $14 billion raise in 2018.
The funding, announced via OpenAI’s blog, aims to fuel advanced AI research and expand computational infrastructure amid soaring demand for tools like ChatGPT, now used by 500 million people weekly—up from 400 million last month. “This capital lets us push AI frontiers further and scale compute for global users,” the company stated. SoftBank’s $30 billion pledge, with $10 billion syndicated to co-investors, hinges on OpenAI completing its for-profit transition by December 31—a deadline accelerated from two years after its $6.6 billion October 2024 round at $157 billion.
AI-related crypto tokens also surged. Worldcoin (WLD), co-founded by OpenAI’s Sam Altman, rose 8% to $2.15 within 24 hours, per CoinGecko, lifting its market cap past $1 billion. Render (RNDR), tied to decentralized GPU computing, gained 6% to $5.82, while Fetch.ai (FET) climbed 5% to $1.34—reflecting optimism in AI-blockchain convergence. “OpenAI’s raise is a vote of confidence in compute-heavy innovation,” capturing sentiment as the crypto market cap held near $2 trillion.
The deal’s scale reflects AI’s economic stakes. OpenAI projects revenue tripling to $12.7 billion in 2025 from $3.7 billion in 2023, though losses persist—$5 billion in 2024—driven by chip and talent costs. Some $18 billion will fund Stargate, a U.S.-focused AI data center venture with SoftBank and Oracle, announced by Trump in January with an initial $10 billion commitment. “This keeps us ahead in the global AI race,” a source familiar with the terms told CNBC, speaking anonymously due to confidentiality. Stargate’s remaining $30 billion is slated for December, aligning with SoftBank’s $15 billion prior pledge.
AI tokens’ gains hint at broader implications. Worldcoin’s iris-scanning tech, linked to Altman’s vision, benefits from OpenAI’s halo, while RNDR and FET tap decentralized AI compute trends—mirroring CoreWeave’s centralized model. Yet, volatility looms: RNDR’s 6% rise follows a 20% weekly dip, and Tether’s $126 million in frozen assets underscores stablecoin risks.
Skeptics caution overreach. OpenAI’s $300 billion valuation—behind only SpaceX ($350 billion) and ByteDance—assumes ChatGPT’s 500 million users translate to profit by 2029, targeting $125 billion in revenue. Bloomberg’s Mike McGlone warned on X of a “valuation reset” if AI hype cools, citing Microsoft’s data center lease cuts and China’s DeepSeek offering low-cost models. CoreWeave’s $7.9 billion debt and tariff-driven market slump add fragility.
For now, OpenAI’s $40 billion raise steadies a jittery market, lifting CoreWeave and AI tokens. Whether this ignites a sustained rally or masks deeper cracks depends on execution—and the unpredictable winds of 2025.
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