[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"nav-categories":3,"article-sam-altman-offers-every-yc-startup-2-million-in-openai-tokens-for-equity":70},{"data":4},[5,37,57,64],{"name":6,"slug":7,"categories":8},"Productivity","productivity",[9,13,17,21,25,29,33],{"id":10,"title":11,"slug":12},17,"Branding","branding",{"id":14,"title":15,"slug":16},19,"Marketing","marketing",{"id":18,"title":19,"slug":20},20,"Work","work",{"id":22,"title":23,"slug":24},34,"Community","community",{"id":26,"title":27,"slug":28},21,"For newbies","for-newbies",{"id":30,"title":31,"slug":32},24,"Investment","investment",{"id":34,"title":35,"slug":36},22,"Finance","finance",{"name":38,"slug":39,"categories":40},"Tech","tech",[41,45,49,53],{"id":42,"title":43,"slug":44},28,"Technology","technology",{"id":46,"title":47,"slug":48},32,"Artificial Intelligence","artificial-intelligence",{"id":50,"title":51,"slug":52},26,"Security and protection","security-and-protection",{"id":54,"title":55,"slug":56},31,"YouTube Blog","youtube-blog",{"name":58,"slug":59,"categories":60},"News","news",[61],{"id":62,"title":58,"slug":63},18,"quasanews",{"name":65,"slug":66,"categories":67},"Business","business",[68],{"id":69,"title":65,"slug":66},16,{"post":71,"published_news":95,"popular_news":149,"categories":221},{"title":72,"description":73,"meta_title":72,"meta_description":74,"meta_keywords":75,"text":76,"slug":77,"created_at":78,"publish_at":78,"formatted_created_at":79,"category_id":30,"links":80,"view_type":85,"video_url":86,"views":69,"likes":87,"lang":88,"comments_count":87,"category":89},"Sam Altman Offers Every YC Startup $2 Million in OpenAI Tokens for Equity","In a move that stunned the current Y Combinator batch, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman offered $2 million worth of OpenAI API tokens to every startup in the Spring 2026 cohort — and potentially the Summer batch as well.","OpenAI CEO Sam Altman offered $2 million worth of OpenAI API tokens to every startup in the Spring 2026 cohort","OpenAI’s equity stake will be determined later, typically at the Series A round, and is expected to fall in the 1–4% range","\u003Cp>In a move that stunned the current Y Combinator batch, \u003Ca href=\"https://www.inc.com/ben-sherry/sam-altman-says-openai-will-exchange-this-critical-ai-asset-for-startup-equity/91347395\">OpenAI CEO \u003Cstrong>Sam Altman\u003C/strong> offered \u003Cstrong>$2 million worth of OpenAI API tokens\u003C/strong> to every startup in the Spring 2026 cohort\u003C/a> — and potentially the Summer batch as well.\u003C/p>\n\n\u003Cp>The deal isn’t cash. It’s compute.\u003C/p>\n\n\u003Cp>Structured as an \u003Cstrong>uncapped SAFE\u003C/strong> (the same instrument originally invented by Y Combinator), startups receive the tokens immediately. \u003Ca href=\"https://www.theinformation.com/briefings/sam-altman-offers-yc-founders-2-million-openai-tokens-equity\">OpenAI’s equity stake will be determined later, typically at the Series A round, and is expected to fall in the \u003Cstrong>1–4%\u003C/strong> range depending on the company’s valuation.\u003C/a>\u003C/p>\n\n\u003Chr />\n\u003Ch4>\u003Cstrong>A “Mic Drop Moment”\u003C/strong>\u003C/h4>\n\n\u003Cp>The announcement was made during a closed YC event and quickly dubbed a “mic drop moment” by YC partner Tyler Bosmeny. Altman followed up on X, expressing excitement about the experiment:\u003C/p>\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>\u003Cpicture>\u003Csource srcset=\"https://cdn.quasa.io/photos/00/image-2025-08-11t093156038.webp\" type=\"image/webp\">\u003Cimg alt=\"Sam Altman Addresses GPT-5 Launch Criticism: OpenAI Doubles Plus Subscription Limits\" class=\"image-align-right\" height=\"188\" src=\"https://cdn.quasa.io/photos/00/image-2025-08-11t093156038.jpg\" width=\"250\" />\u003C/picture>\u003C/strong>\u003Cem>“I am excited to see what will happen with \u003Cstrong>tokenmaxxing\u003C/strong> startups, both for how they work internally and the products they can build.”\u003C/em>\u003C/p>\n\n\u003Cp>“Tokenmaxxing” — a term already circulating in YC circles — refers to the strategy of aggressively spending on AI tokens (compute) rather than hiring large teams (“headcountmaxxing”). YC partners have been openly encouraging this approach in recent weeks.\u003C/p>\n\n\u003Chr />\n\u003Ch4>\u003Cstrong>Why This Move Is Strategic\u003C/strong>\u003C/h4>\n\n\u003Cp>This is more than generous support for founders.\u003C/p>\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cpicture>\u003Csource srcset=\"https://cdn.quasa.io/photos/00/image-2025-08-16t231743344.webp\" type=\"image/webp\">\u003Cimg alt=\"Sam Altman: How AI Is Flipping the Value of Professions\" class=\"image-align-left\" height=\"400\" src=\"https://cdn.quasa.io/photos/00/image-2025-08-16t231743344.jpg\" width=\"300\" />\u003C/picture>\u003Cstrong>It is a deeply strategic play by OpenAI:\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\n\n\u003Cul>\n\t\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Early lock-in\u003C/strong>: By giving startups massive token credits at the seed stage, OpenAI embeds its models and infrastructure into their core operations before they even raise a proper round.\u003C/li>\n\t\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Data & feedback loop\u003C/strong>: Hundreds of early-stage companies using OpenAI heavily will generate valuable usage data, model feedback, and product insights.\u003C/li>\n\t\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Equity upside\u003C/strong>: OpenAI gets meaningful equity in potentially hundreds of promising AI-native companies without spending cash.\u003C/li>\n\t\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Market expansion\u003C/strong>: It accelerates the shift toward AI-heavy product development across the entire \u003Ca href=\"https://quasa.io/media/y-combinator-just-flipped-its-ai-thesis-from-faster-work-to-ai-as-the-company-os\">YC ecosystem\u003C/a>.\u003C/li>\n\u003C/ul>\n\n\u003Cp>Rough estimates suggest the total value across the batch could reach hundreds of millions of dollars in token credits.\u003C/p>\n\n\u003Chr />\n\u003Ch4>\u003Cstrong>A New Chapter for YC and Startup Investing\u003C/strong>\u003C/h4>\n\n\u003Cp>This deal cleverly merges two of Silicon Valley’s most powerful institutions. OpenAI is effectively inserting itself into the YC program as a non-traditional co-investor. Instead of the classic YC deal (standard investment for 7–10% equity plus services), startups can now get significant non-dilutive compute resources early on.\u003C/p>\n\n\u003Cp>For many AI-first startups, $2 million in tokens can represent 12–24 months of heavy model usage — enough to build and iterate aggressively without burning through cash on API bills.\u003C/p>\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cpicture>\u003Csource srcset=\"https://cdn.quasa.io/photos/01/image-2025-05-03t142438125.webp\" type=\"image/webp\">\u003Cimg alt=\"Sam Altman: How AI Is Flipping the Value of Professions\" class=\"image-align-right\" height=\"225\" src=\"https://cdn.quasa.io/photos/01/image-2025-05-03t142438125.jpg\" width=\"300\" />\u003C/picture>Also read:\u003C/p>\n\n\u003Cul>\n\t\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://quasa.io/media/rooster-averages-6-5-million-viewers-becoming-hbo-s-biggest-comedy-launch-in-over-15-years\">‘Rooster’ Averages 6.5 Million Viewers, Becoming HBO’s Biggest Comedy Launch in Over 15 Years\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\n\t\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://quasa.io/media/spotify-embraces-apple-s-hls-tech-for-video-podcasts-simplifying-cross-platform-publishing\">Spotify Embraces Apple’s HLS Tech for Video Podcasts, Simplifying Cross-Platform Publishing\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\n\t\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://quasa.io/media/the-tv-fication-of-youtube-why-2026-is-the-year-the-creator-economy-went-prime-time\">The TV-fication of YouTube: Why 2026 is the Year the Creator Economy Went Prime Time\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\n\t\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://quasa.io/media/youtube-is-secretly-testing-true-fans-mode-videos-visible-only-to-your-top-1-most-loyal-viewers\">YouTube Is Secretly Testing “True Fans™” Mode: Videos Visible Only to Your Top 1% Most Loyal Viewers\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\n\u003C/ul>\n\n\u003Chr />\n\u003Ch4>\u003Cstrong>The Bigger Picture\u003C/strong>\u003C/h4>\n\n\u003Cp>This move signals a broader evolution in how AI labs participate in the startup ecosystem. They are no longer just infrastructure providers — they are becoming active capital allocators, using their most valuable asset (compute) as a new form of currency.\u003C/p>\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cpicture>\u003Csource srcset=\"https://cdn.quasa.io/photos/00/image-2026-05-12t101336924.webp\" type=\"image/webp\">\u003Cimg alt=\"Former OpenAI Technical Director Exposes Sam Altman's Lies About AI Safety\" class=\"image-align-left\" height=\"168\" src=\"https://cdn.quasa.io/photos/00/image-2026-05-12t101336924.jpg\" width=\"250\" />\u003C/picture>Whether this leads to an explosion of highly capable “tokenmaxxing” companies or creates dangerous dependency on a single provider remains to be seen. Some founders are excited. Others are wary of vendor lock-in and prefer cash flexibility.\u003C/p>\n\n\u003Cp>One thing is clear: Sam Altman just made OpenAI an inseparable part of the earliest stages of the next generation of startups.\u003C/p>\n\n\u003Cp>The experiment is on.  \u003Cbr />\nThe tokenmaxxing era has officially begun.\u003C/p>","sam-altman-offers-every-yc-startup-2-million-in-openai-tokens-for-equity","2026-05-22T15:16:04.000000Z","22.05.2026",{"image":81,"image_webp":82,"thumb":83,"thumb_webp":84},"https://cdn.quasa.io/images/news/HS9idcgjxQzHkirC8NdYikbxS2mXXGtxXVuhzKOn.jpg","https://cdn.quasa.io/images/news/HS9idcgjxQzHkirC8NdYikbxS2mXXGtxXVuhzKOn.webp","https://cdn.quasa.io/thumbs/news-thumb/images/news/HS9idcgjxQzHkirC8NdYikbxS2mXXGtxXVuhzKOn.jpg","https://cdn.quasa.io/thumbs/news-thumb/images/news/HS9idcgjxQzHkirC8NdYikbxS2mXXGtxXVuhzKOn.webp","small",null,0,"en",{"id":30,"title":31,"slug":32,"meta_title":90,"meta_description":91,"meta_keywords":92,"deleted_at":86,"created_at":93,"updated_at":94,"lang":88},"Investment Growth Hacks: AI Startups, Crypto & VC Unicorns | QUASA","Investments and life hacks. Forecasts and investment trends in Quasa Media.","Investment, IPO, bonds, Gold, invest. Investments, investor","2021-12-10T10:41:35.000000Z","2026-04-22T15:07:26.000000Z",[96,109,112,123,136],{"title":97,"description":98,"slug":99,"created_at":100,"publish_at":100,"formatted_created_at":79,"category":101,"links":102,"view_type":85,"video_url":86,"views":107,"likes":87,"lang":88,"comments_count":87,"is_pinned":108},"Minnesota Becomes First State to Criminalize Prediction Markets — Sparking Federal Showdown","Minnesota has drawn a hard line against the booming prediction market industry.","minnesota-becomes-first-state-to-criminalize-prediction-markets-sparking-federal-showdown","2026-05-22T15:35:16.000000Z",{"title":58,"slug":63},{"image":103,"image_webp":104,"thumb":105,"thumb_webp":106},"https://cdn.quasa.io/images/news/Ovy5gTiHoEwo13ThkhWksmnQ3VP3jBU3mYH3ZArx.jpg","https://cdn.quasa.io/images/news/Ovy5gTiHoEwo13ThkhWksmnQ3VP3jBU3mYH3ZArx.webp","https://cdn.quasa.io/thumbs/news-thumb/images/news/Ovy5gTiHoEwo13ThkhWksmnQ3VP3jBU3mYH3ZArx.jpg","https://cdn.quasa.io/thumbs/news-thumb/images/news/Ovy5gTiHoEwo13ThkhWksmnQ3VP3jBU3mYH3ZArx.webp",14,false,{"title":72,"description":73,"slug":77,"created_at":78,"publish_at":78,"formatted_created_at":79,"category":110,"links":111,"view_type":85,"video_url":86,"views":69,"likes":87,"lang":88,"comments_count":87,"is_pinned":108},{"title":31,"slug":32},{"image":81,"image_webp":82,"thumb":83,"thumb_webp":84},{"title":113,"description":114,"slug":115,"created_at":116,"publish_at":116,"formatted_created_at":79,"category":117,"links":118,"view_type":85,"video_url":86,"views":30,"likes":87,"lang":88,"comments_count":87,"is_pinned":108},"YouTube Is Secretly Testing “True Fans™” Mode: Videos Visible Only to Your Top 1% Most Loyal Viewers","YouTube appears to be quietly testing a radical new visibility option: “True Fans Only” (or “Top Fans Only”) publishing mode.","youtube-is-secretly-testing-true-fans-mode-videos-visible-only-to-your-top-1-most-loyal-viewers","2026-05-22T13:50:19.000000Z",{"title":55,"slug":56},{"image":119,"image_webp":120,"thumb":121,"thumb_webp":122},"https://cdn.quasa.io/images/news/sWRmwkxEYUVOhu0QMhNVJBSdHAhLe0hUe7QzjcXi.jpg","https://cdn.quasa.io/images/news/sWRmwkxEYUVOhu0QMhNVJBSdHAhLe0hUe7QzjcXi.webp","https://cdn.quasa.io/thumbs/news-thumb/images/news/sWRmwkxEYUVOhu0QMhNVJBSdHAhLe0hUe7QzjcXi.jpg","https://cdn.quasa.io/thumbs/news-thumb/images/news/sWRmwkxEYUVOhu0QMhNVJBSdHAhLe0hUe7QzjcXi.webp",{"title":124,"description":125,"slug":126,"created_at":127,"publish_at":128,"formatted_created_at":79,"category":129,"links":130,"view_type":85,"video_url":86,"views":135,"likes":87,"lang":88,"comments_count":87,"is_pinned":108},"Higgsfield Launches Virality Predictor: An AI Tool That Predicts If Your Video Will Go Viral Before You Post It","Higgsfield has introduced a groundbreaking new tool: Virality Predictor.","higgsfield-launches-virality-predictor-an-ai-tool-that-predicts-if-your-video-will-go-viral-before-you-post-it","2026-05-14T13:54:34.000000Z","2026-05-22T11:45:00.000000Z",{"title":43,"slug":44},{"image":131,"image_webp":132,"thumb":133,"thumb_webp":134},"https://cdn.quasa.io/images/news/HdVCs4asRtAytSOjYNmhBYI1cmbnqFTf5PQBsfX2.jpg","https://cdn.quasa.io/images/news/HdVCs4asRtAytSOjYNmhBYI1cmbnqFTf5PQBsfX2.webp","https://cdn.quasa.io/thumbs/news-thumb/images/news/HdVCs4asRtAytSOjYNmhBYI1cmbnqFTf5PQBsfX2.jpg","https://cdn.quasa.io/thumbs/news-thumb/images/news/HdVCs4asRtAytSOjYNmhBYI1cmbnqFTf5PQBsfX2.webp",39,{"title":137,"description":138,"slug":139,"created_at":140,"publish_at":141,"formatted_created_at":79,"category":142,"links":143,"view_type":85,"video_url":86,"views":148,"likes":87,"lang":88,"comments_count":87,"is_pinned":108},"Why Letting AI Manage Your Portfolio Might Be a Terrible Idea (Even Though 30% of Retail Investors Are Already Doing It)","According to a recent eToro survey, roughly 30% of retail traders now use AI tools to help manage their portfolios.","why-letting-ai-manage-your-portfolio-might-be-a-terrible-idea-even-though-30-of-retail-investors-are-already-doing-it","2026-05-13T16:01:53.000000Z","2026-05-22T09:01:00.000000Z",{"title":31,"slug":32},{"image":144,"image_webp":145,"thumb":146,"thumb_webp":147},"https://cdn.quasa.io/images/news/Avsh8SVeMOzYQnun3PSatS7PCCGATNBYz5ZYYa5J.jpg","https://cdn.quasa.io/images/news/Avsh8SVeMOzYQnun3PSatS7PCCGATNBYz5ZYYa5J.webp","https://cdn.quasa.io/thumbs/news-thumb/images/news/Avsh8SVeMOzYQnun3PSatS7PCCGATNBYz5ZYYa5J.jpg","https://cdn.quasa.io/thumbs/news-thumb/images/news/Avsh8SVeMOzYQnun3PSatS7PCCGATNBYz5ZYYa5J.webp",54,[150,163,179,192,207],{"title":151,"description":152,"slug":153,"created_at":154,"publish_at":155,"formatted_created_at":156,"category":157,"links":158,"view_type":85,"video_url":86,"views":161,"likes":162,"lang":88,"comments_count":87,"is_pinned":108},"The Anatomy of an Entrepreneur","Entrepreneur is a French word that means an enterpriser. 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