VICTORIA, Seychelles, May 18, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bitget, the world’s largest Universal Exchange (UEX), has added OpenAI (preOPAI) as the second listing on its IPO Prime platform, extending pre-IPO access to one of the most closely watched companies in artificial intelligence.

Issued on Solana by regulated partner Republic, preOPAI is designed to track the economic performance of OpenAI following a future public listing. The offering introduces a low entry threshold starting from $100, significantly reducing the capital requirements traditionally associated with pre-IPO participation.

The commitment window for preOPAI will open on May 12, 2026, 8:00 till May 15, 2026, 8:00 (UTC). Allocations will then be distributed between 8:00 till 12:00 (UTC), followed by the start of spot trading at 14:00 (UTC) the same day.

The launch comes amid surging global interest in artificial intelligence, with capital flowing into AI companies and valuations at historic levels. This $4 trillion opportunity, however, has largely remained limited to institutional investors and private networks.

Unlike conventional pre-IPO participation, which often involves long lock-ups and limited liquidity, preOPAI introduces a model where access and flexibility exist together. Once distributed, users are able to actively trade their positions, rather than waiting for a listing event to realize value. In addition, approximately six months post-IPO, holders will have the option to redeem their tokens into stock-linked assets or USDT based on market pricing, providing a defined settlement pathway.

The introduction of preOPAI follows the earlier launch of preSPAX, linked to SpaceX, marking a phased approach to expanding IPO Prime. Each listing is introduced with a focus on structure, liquidity and regulatory alignment, rather than speed of rollout. At the point of publication, preSPAX saw over 13,000 users subscribed, with a commitment value of $171 million.

“The way people access markets is changing,” said Gracy Chen, CEO of Bitget. “We’re moving toward a system where different asset classes and opportunities come together on one platform, and where access is no longer limited by structure. That’s the direction we see for the future of finance, and what we are building toward here at Bitget, the Universal Exchange.”

The introduction of preOPAI builds on IPO Prime’s broader framework, where digital assets are structured to reflect economic outcomes rather than direct equity ownership. This approach, combined with issuance through a regulated partner, Republic, Bitget establishes a more structured foundation for tokenized pre-IPO exposure compared to typical token launch models.

Within Bitget’s Universal Exchange model, IPO Prime continues to extend the platform’s reach across the investment lifecycle. With crypto, tokenized traditional assets, and now pre-IPO exposure integrated into a single system, UEX is evolving to support how users allocate capital across different stages of opportunity, rather than across fragmented platforms.

For more details on preOPAI, please visit here.

About Bitget

Bitget is the world's largest Universal Exchange (UEX), serving over 125 million users and offering access to over 2M crypto tokens, 100+ tokenized stocks, ETFs, commodities, FX, and precious metals such as gold. The ecosystem is committed to helping users trade smarter with its AI agent, which co-pilots trade execution. Bitget is driving crypto adoption through strategic partnerships with LALIGA and MotoGP™. Aligned with its global impact strategy, Bitget has joined hands with UNICEF to support blockchain education for 1.1 million people by 2027. Bitget currently leads in the tokenized TradFi market, providing the industry's lowest fees and highest liquidity across 150 regions worldwide.

For more information, visit: Website | Twitter | Telegram | LinkedIn | Discord

For media inquiries, please contact: media@bitget.com

Risk Warning: Digital asset prices are subject to fluctuation and may experience significant volatility. Investors are advised to only allocate funds they can afford to lose. The value of any investment may be impacted, and there is a possibility that financial objectives may not be met, nor the principal investment recovered. Independent financial advice should always be sought, and personal financial experience and standing carefully considered. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. Bitget accepts no liability for any potential losses incurred. Nothing contained herein should be construed as financial advice. For further information, please refer to our Terms of Use.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/4c4d6ab7-3943-496f-becb-b01616717899