Become an Insiderand start reading now. Have an account? . Forget cash — this Brooklyn seller wants Anthropic stock for their $5.99 million property.
A luxury home in Williamsburg has hit the market with an unusual payment option: The seller is willing to accept bitcoin or vested shares in Anthropic, the artificial-intelligence startup valued at over $1 trillion on secondary markets.
The Brooklyn listing is the latest example of homeowners embracing private tech-company equity as currency, as AI-fueled fortunes reshape everything from investing to real estate.
"Every generation has its wealth-creation vehicle. For many people today, that's private technology companies and digital assets," the seller said in an emailed statement to Business Insider delivered via the listing agent. "The mention of Anthropic shares and bitcoin was a way of acknowledging that reality while signaling that we're open to creative transaction structures."
"If someone has been fortunate enough to participate in one of those trends and wants to exchange a portion of that position for real estate, we're happy to have the conversation," the seller's statement continued.
The appeal of Anthropic shares has only intensified in recent weeks. The Claude-maker recently confidentially filed paperwork for an initial public offering, kicking off what could become one of the most closely watched tech public-market debuts and giving employees and investors a potential path to cash out their holdings.
The seller said they are a daily user of Anthropic's products. They added that news of the S-1 filing prompted them to include shares as a potential purchase option so employees could leverage their "windfall liquidity" to buy property in the exclusive neighborhood the seller has called home for the last decade.
Located in a private mews beside Williamsburg's Domino Park, the four-bedroom home spans multiple levels and includes three full bathrooms, two powder rooms, a finished basement, and a private garage with EV charging capability.
The property is designed around indoor-outdoor living, with a landscaped garden for entertaining and a rooftop deck offering views of the Manhattan skyline and Williamsburg Bridge. Inside, features include soaring ceilings, wide-plank white oak floors, exposed concrete details, and a full-floor living room centered on a gas fireplace.
The primary suite occupies the top floor and includes a spa-like bathroom and walk-in closet, while the lower level offers flexible space for a home theater, gym, office, or studio.
The home is part of the Wythe Lane Townhomes development, a short walk from Domino Park, restaurants, the East River ferry, and other Williamsburg amenities.
The willingness to accept Anthropic shares comes after several attempts to sell the property through more traditional channels.
Zillow records show the home last changed hands for $4.17 million in 2016. It hit the market again in August 2025 for $6.5 million, underwent two price reductions, and was relisted this spring at just under $6 million, where it remains.
Christine Blackburn, one of the listing agents for the Brooklyn property, told Business Insider that the seller was inspired to accept shares in Anthropic as payment after seeing a similar listing in the Bay Area. She said the decision was not related to prior price reductions.
As private AI companies mint a new class of paper millionaires, some homeowners are beginning to treat startup equity like a currency.
Real estate agents have already reported that AI wealth is reshaping housing markets, particularly in the Bay Area, where employees and investors whose fortunes have swelled alongside companies such as Anthropic and OpenAI are helping fuel bidding wars and rising luxury-home prices.
In recent months, sellers have advertised homes that can be purchased with shares in companies such as Anthropic and OpenAI, wagering that coveted private-company stock could ultimately prove more valuable than cash.
The Brooklyn listing is the latest sign that private AI equity — once largely confined to venture-capital circles — is increasingly finding its way into real-world transactions.