EASTON, Pa., Aug. 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Eightco Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: ORBS) said it has updated its total holdings and disclosed a portfolio spanning digital assets and strategic investments in private technology companies. The company also said it repurchased approximately 14 million shares of its common stock over the past two weeks under its previously announced $125 million share repurchase program.

As of Aug. 19, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. ET, Eightco said its holdings included a $90 million investment, indirectly through special purpose vehicles, in OpenAI, an $18 million funded investment in Beast Industries, a $1 million investment in Mythical Games, a blockchain gaming company, 301,971,219 Worldcoin (WLD) valued at $0.37 per WLD, 16,278 Ethereum (ETH), and approximately $132 million in cash and stablecoins. Eightco said the total value of its holdings was approximately $389 million. The disclosure places Eightco within a broader wave of Nasdaq-listed companies pursuing digital-asset treasury strategies, a model popularized by MicroStrategy's Bitcoin purchases beginning in 2020 and since extended by other listed firms to tokens such as Ethereum and Solana.

Eightco said it recently participated in World Foundation's $52.5 million funding round, which was led by Pantera and included participation from Bain Capital Crypto, Selini Capital, Susquehanna Crypto, and other investors.

The company said its treasury portfolio reflects exposure to what management considers major technology trends, including artificial intelligence, digital identity, and the creator economy. Eightco said it has positions in each of those themes through its indirect investment in OpenAI, its holdings of WLD, and its equity stake in Beast Industries.

Artificial intelligence: OpenAI

Eightco said it has invested approximately $90 million in special purpose vehicles with exposure to equity interests in the parent company of OpenAI. The company said this represents approximately 23% of its treasury assets. Because OpenAI is privately held, its shares do not trade on public markets, and special purpose vehicles are among the limited channels through which outside investors can gain exposure to the company.

The company cited recent OpenAI developments, including a secondary share sale totaling roughly $7 billion ahead of a potential IPO, which allowed current and former employees to sell stock at a valuation of $852 billion, according to CNBC. It also pointed to OpenAI's announcement on July 31, 2026, that its models now reach more than one billion active users and more than two million businesses. Eightco said OpenAI's consumer app, ChatGPT, is the No. 1 consumer AI app worldwide, according to Sensor Tower.

Eightco also referenced recent product and partnership announcements from OpenAI and other companies. On Aug. 4, Cloudflare announced Cloudflare Wallets, described as a programmable wallet for the agentic internet. On Aug. 10, OpenAI said it was expanding its Daybreak Cyber Partner Program to make its most capable cybersecurity models available through trusted cybersecurity companies and service providers, including Accenture, IBM, CrowdStrike, Palo Alto Networks, Cisco and Cloudflare. On Aug. 18, OpenAI introduced ChatGPT for Teens, which it said is designed to help teens learn, think critically, deepen understanding and use AI with confidence, with additional safety protections and parental controls.

"We continue to believe ORBS' common shares are undervalued to not only intrinsic value, but also the synergistic value of assets held," said Kevin O'Donnell, Chairman and CEO of Eightco. "Our decision to repurchase 14 million shares in the past two weeks reflects the confidence we have in Eightco's strategy, assets and future. We believe these share repurchases are an efficient and effective use of capital and increase shareholder value."

Digital identity: WLD token

Eightco said it holds nearly 302 million WLD, or approximately 8.4% of circulating supply, which it described as the largest publicly disclosed institutional position globally. The company said the position represents approximately 29% of its treasury assets.

Worldcoin is the native token of World, a global Proof of Human network built by Tools for Humanity, co-founded by Sam Altman — who also serves as OpenAI's CEO — and Alex Blania, and stewarded by the World Foundation. Eightco said World's Orb devices issue a privacy-preserving World ID that verifies a user is a unique human, not an AI agent.

Under World's announced business model, applications pay per-verification fees while end-user verification remains free, with both credential issuers and the World protocol monetizing verified-human authentication, according to the company. Eightco also said World identifies a $6.35 trillion combined addressable revenue opportunity across 13 industries spanning banking, e-commerce, gaming, social media and agentic AI, citing Tools for Humanity. World's collection of iris biometrics through the Orb has drawn regulatory scrutiny in multiple countries, including temporary restrictions in Spain and Kenya, an issue mirrored in the biometric data collection risks Eightco cites among its risk factors.

Creator economy: Beast Industries

Eightco said it has invested $18 million in Beast Industries equity, representing approximately 5% of treasury assets.

The company said Beast Industries operates one of the largest direct-to-consumer reach footprints in the world, with a combined 500 million-plus follower base across platforms, anchored by MrBeast as the most-watched person on YouTube globally. Eightco said that as AI commoditizes content production, distribution and audience trust become increasingly scarce assets.

Company overview

Eightco said it is executing a Worldcoin (WLD) treasury strategy and aims to provide investors single-ticker indirect exposure to artificial intelligence through its investment in OpenAI, digital identity through its position as the largest public holder of WLD and the Proof of Human protocol, and the creator economy through its equity stake in Beast Industries.

The company said its backers include Bitmine Immersion Technologies Inc. (NYSE: BMNR), MOZAYYX, World Foundation, Discovery Capital Management, FalconX, Payward/Kraken, Pantera and GSR. Eightco said it is building the infrastructure layer for human verification in the agentic AI era.

For more information, the company listed X: @iamhuman_orbs and its website, 8co.holdings.

Frequently asked questions

Eightco said ORBS is its Nasdaq-listed stock and that the company provides indirect exposure to OpenAI and Beast Industries, while holding one of the largest publicly disclosed positions in Worldcoin (WLD).

The company said it is the largest publicly disclosed institutional holder of WLD, with nearly 302 million tokens, or approximately 8.4% of circulating supply.

Eightco described Proof of Human as cryptographic verification that a user is a unique, living person rather than a bot or AI agent, and said it is foundational infrastructure for social networks, banking, agentic commerce and other systems requiring "one person, one account" in the agentic AI era.

The company said Kevin O'Donnell is its chief executive officer. It also said its board includes Tom Lee, Managing Partner and Head of Research at Fundstrat and Chairman of Bitmine Immersion Technologies, and that Brett Winton, Chief Futurist at ARK Invest, serves as an advisor to the board.

Forward-looking statements

Eightco said the release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The company said these statements include, among others, expectations that artificial intelligence, digital identity and the creator economy will shape the next decade of innovation; management's view that the company's treasury portfolio contains critical components for the future AI and digital financial system; management's belief that ORBS shares are undervalued; and the company's view that its share repurchases increase shareholder value.

The company said other forward-looking statements include its view of World's $6.35 trillion addressable revenue opportunity, its belief that distribution and audience trust will become increasingly scarce as AI commoditizes content production, and its view that it is building infrastructure for human verification in the agentic AI era.

Eightco said these statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, including its inability to direct private businesses such as OpenAI and Beast Industries, the risk of loss or markdown on strategic investments, Nasdaq continued listing compliance, capital constraints, volatility in digital asset prices, regulatory changes affecting digital assets, artificial intelligence adoption or biometric data collection, and uncertainty around OpenAI's product roadmap, business model and potential liquidity events.

The company also cited risks tied to World and WLD adoption, competition in digital identity and AI infrastructure markets, reliance on third-party valuation sources, Beast Industries' growth prospects, the timing and execution of the share repurchase program, and shifting public and government views on digital assets and artificial intelligence-related industries.

Eightco said readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The company referred investors to its SEC filings, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K filed on April 15, 2026, its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed on May 15, 2026, and other public filings for additional risk disclosures. It said the information in the release is as of the date of publication and that it has no duty to update the statements.