Anthropic updates list of firms accused of unauthorized share transactions

Anthropic has updated its warning about unauthorized trading of its shares, cutting the number of named secondary-market platforms from eight to four after the notice sparked confusion among investors and criticism from one of the companies listed. The AI startup had initially published a blog post identifying several firms that it said were offering transactions involving Anthropic shares without proper authorization. The move drew attention across private markets, where demand for shares of leading AI companies has surged. Anthropic's updated notice removes several well-known trading platforms that were included in the original version.In its original blog post, Anthropic warned that transactions involving its shares through eight named firms would not be recognized by the company if they violated its transfer restrictions. The company said any sale or transfer of its stock offered through those firms would be considered void and would not appear on its official records. The warning applied to both common and preferred shares.However, Anthropic has now updated the notice and names only four firms: Open Door Partners, Unicorns Exchange, Pachamama and Upmarket.The revision comes after concerns from investors and private-market participants who said the original notice created uncertainty around secondary share trading.One of the companies originally named in the warning, Hiive, publicly challenged Anthropic's claims. Hiive Chief Executive Officer Sim Desai wrote on LinkedIn that the platform does not facilitate share transfers “without the company’s approval.”After Hiive was removed from the updated list, Desai said the original blog post had caused confusion among investors and harmed the company's reputation.“Had Anthropic approached us before their aggressive new stance and corresponding public statements (they did not), we would have gladly worked with them to deliver a unified message to the market,” Desai wrote.