OpenAI’s $40 billion funding boosts AI stocks and tokens

OpenAI’s record-breaking $40 billion private funding round has reignited investor interest in artificial intelligence (AI), lifting AI-related stocks and tokens on Tuesday.

The funding round, led by SoftBank, valued OpenAI at $300 billion, marking the largest private tech raise in history.

The capital will be used to expand compute infrastructure, advance AI research, and contribute to the Stargate project—a $500 billion AI infrastructure initiative backed by SoftBank, Oracle, and other tech giants.

CoreWeave (CRWV), an AI-focused cloud computing company that debuted on Nasdaq last Friday, saw its shares surge over 38% on Tuesday after OpenAI’s announcement.

This rebound followed a rocky start for CoreWeave’s stock, which initially fell below its $40 IPO price amid global market uncertainty.

The positive sentiment extended to digital assets, with AI tokens such as Render (CRYPTO:RENDER), Bittensor (CRYPTO:TAO), Near Protocol (CRYPTO:NEAR), and Internet Computer (CRYPTO:ICP) all gaining over 3%.

RENDER led the group with a 7.4% increase.

The broader CoinDesk20 Index also rose by 3%, reflecting renewed confidence in the sector.

OpenAI’s funding signals strong institutional appetite for AI despite challenging market conditions.

Analysts note that the investment could further accelerate developments in artificial general intelligence (AGI) and personalised education tools.

Gartner projects generative AI spending to reach $644 billion in 2025, a 76.4% increase from 2024.

Meanwhile, Core Scientific (CORZ), a Bitcoin miner partnering with CoreWeave for data center operations, saw its stock rise over 9% on Tuesday.