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Ventuals Shuts Down, Halting OpenAI and Anthropic Perpetual Futures on Hyperliquid
Ventuals, the platform that let traders speculate on the valuations of private companies such as OpenAI and Anthropic via perpetual futures on Hyperliquid, announced on June 15 2026 that it would cease operations. The company’s statement said all HIP‑3 markets would close, existing positions would be settled automatically, and users could redeem their vHYPE tokens.
Built on Hyperliquid’s HIP‑3 framework—designed to enable third parties to create perpetual contracts tied to non‑public assets—Ventuals’ most prominent markets were the OpenAI and Anthropic contracts. These allowed traders to bet on the perceived value of the two leading AI firms without owning any actual shares. According to the release, those two markets were the only private‑company contracts that remained active on Hyperliquid after other projects had withdrawn.
The shutdown will affect more than just the AI contracts. Ventuals also announced that other HIP‑3 markets it operated—such as soy, wheat, energy, and biotech indices—would close in the coming days. The company confirmed it had processed over $650 million in trading volume and attracted more than 500,000 HYPE tokens, the native token of Hyperliquid, from users who deposited HYPE to receive vHYPE, a token that represents ownership of the underlying HYPE and provides staking rewards.
Hyperliquid, a non‑custodial decentralized exchange, has become popular among high‑frequency and speculative traders because it offers high‑leverage perpetuals for cryptocurrencies, commodities, and tokenized stocks. Its HIP‑3 protocol is intended to enable on‑chain derivatives for illiquid assets, including private‑company valuations. With Ventuals’ exit, Hyperliquid no longer lists any perpetuals tied to OpenAI or Anthropic.
The company’s statement emphasized that all open positions would be settled automatically and that users could redeem their vHYPE tokens without loss. The vHYPE redemption process opened on June 19, and the exchange confirmed that no user losses would result from the shutdown.
Ventuals said it was leaving the Hyperliquid ecosystem to join another project within the same ecosystem, though details about the new venture were not disclosed. The platform’s shutdown comes amid a broader trend of consolidation in the niche market of private‑company derivatives, where liquidity and regulatory clarity remain limited.
For traders who held positions in the OpenAI and Anthropic contracts, automatic settlement means that any unrealized gains or losses will be realized on the settlement date. The settlement price is derived from the final contract value on the last trading day before the shutdown. Users who had not closed positions before the shutdown will see their PnL reflected in their account balances.
The removal of these markets reduces the number of private‑company derivatives available on Hyperliquid, potentially impacting traders who relied on synthetic exposure to AI firms. However, the exchange continues to offer a broad range of perpetuals for other assets, and its high‑leverage model remains in place.
In summary, Ventuals’ shutdown on June 15 2026 marks the end of the only private‑company perpetual futures markets on Hyperliquid. All positions will be settled, vHYPE tokens can be redeemed, and the OpenAI and Anthropic contracts will no longer be available. The move reflects ongoing consolidation in the niche of on‑chain private‑company derivatives and leaves Hyperliquid with a reduced set of HIP‑3 markets.
Built on Hyperliquid’s HIP‑3 framework—designed to enable third parties to create perpetual contracts tied to non‑public assets—Ventuals’ most prominent markets were the OpenAI and Anthropic contracts. These allowed traders to bet on the perceived value of the two leading AI firms without owning any actual shares. According to the release, those two markets were the only private‑company contracts that remained active on Hyperliquid after other projects had withdrawn.
The shutdown will affect more than just the AI contracts. Ventuals also announced that other HIP‑3 markets it operated—such as soy, wheat, energy, and biotech indices—would close in the coming days. The company confirmed it had processed over $650 million in trading volume and attracted more than 500,000 HYPE tokens, the native token of Hyperliquid, from users who deposited HYPE to receive vHYPE, a token that represents ownership of the underlying HYPE and provides staking rewards.
Hyperliquid, a non‑custodial decentralized exchange, has become popular among high‑frequency and speculative traders because it offers high‑leverage perpetuals for cryptocurrencies, commodities, and tokenized stocks. Its HIP‑3 protocol is intended to enable on‑chain derivatives for illiquid assets, including private‑company valuations. With Ventuals’ exit, Hyperliquid no longer lists any perpetuals tied to OpenAI or Anthropic.
The company’s statement emphasized that all open positions would be settled automatically and that users could redeem their vHYPE tokens without loss. The vHYPE redemption process opened on June 19, and the exchange confirmed that no user losses would result from the shutdown.
Ventuals said it was leaving the Hyperliquid ecosystem to join another project within the same ecosystem, though details about the new venture were not disclosed. The platform’s shutdown comes amid a broader trend of consolidation in the niche market of private‑company derivatives, where liquidity and regulatory clarity remain limited.
For traders who held positions in the OpenAI and Anthropic contracts, automatic settlement means that any unrealized gains or losses will be realized on the settlement date. The settlement price is derived from the final contract value on the last trading day before the shutdown. Users who had not closed positions before the shutdown will see their PnL reflected in their account balances.
The removal of these markets reduces the number of private‑company derivatives available on Hyperliquid, potentially impacting traders who relied on synthetic exposure to AI firms. However, the exchange continues to offer a broad range of perpetuals for other assets, and its high‑leverage model remains in place.
In summary, Ventuals’ shutdown on June 15 2026 marks the end of the only private‑company perpetual futures markets on Hyperliquid. All positions will be settled, vHYPE tokens can be redeemed, and the OpenAI and Anthropic contracts will no longer be available. The move reflects ongoing consolidation in the niche of on‑chain private‑company derivatives and leaves Hyperliquid with a reduced set of HIP‑3 markets.
