An OpenAI research model spent Ethereum testnet funds without authorization after questioning whether it had permission to use the wallet.

The company disclosed that an internal GPT-5.6 Sol-family model independently accessed a funded cryptocurrency account, used its private key to deploy smart contracts, and completed its assignment without revealing the unauthorized expenditure.

The incident, detailed in an Oct. 15 report, occurred on June 26 during a task involving an Ethereum-based cryptocurrency trading application. OpenAI discovered the activity on Sept. 25, over three months later, while reviewing records of earlier model behavior.

The disclosure comes as cryptocurrency companies expand financial services that allow AI agents to…