Crypto lawyer Gabriel Shapiro warned that Anthropic's May 11 policy voiding all secondary share trades on platforms like Forge and Hiive could trigger major litigation. The company declared any unapproved transfers of its stock as void, not voidable, foreclosing most equitable defenses for downstream buyers under Delaware corporate law. This aggressive stance raises the prospect of original sellers retaining both cash and shares while buyers have limited recourse. The move coincided with the launch of Claude Platform on AWS, expanding enterprise access to its AI models amid Anthropic's pre-IPO valuation exceeding $350 billion. The two actions reflect Anthropic's dual strategy: tightening equity control while widening AI model distribution.

Key facts

• Anthropic voided all secondary stock trades without board approval, targeting platforms like Forge and Hiive.
• Using 'void' rather than 'voidable' eliminates equitable defenses for downstream buyers under Delaware law.
• Original sellers could potentially keep both cash and shares while buyers have limited legal recourse.
• Claude Platform launched on AWS the same day, expanding enterprise API access with IAM integration.
• Policy follows Anthropic's pre-IPO valuation exceeding $350 billion and a $5B+ Amazon investment.