After a surprising turn of events that saw OpenAI CEO Sam Altman stepping down, blockchain enthusiasts are gambling on potential outcomes, as reported by CoinDesk.

Sam Altman, the leader of the billion-dollar AI company, OpenAI, was removed from his role for purportedly lacking transparency in his exchanges with the board. Although the specifics surrounding his dismissal remain unclear, this hasn’t stopped bettors on Polymarket, a decentralized prediction platform, from theorizing about the reasons and potential consequences of his departure.

The most active market currently predicts whether Altman will reassume his CEO role by the end of the year. The shares for a “Yes” outcome are trading at 10 cents, indicating a 10% probability. This changed, however, following a Bloomberg report stating that former Twitch executive Emmet Shear had been appointed to the position.

Additional contracts are predicting whether Altman will face criminal charges by November 30, and if he will announce a new company by November 24. These speculations attracted over $250,000 in liquidity across eight prediction contracts on Sunday.

In parallel, AI-themed tokens saw a surge as Elon Musk disclosed his company X Corp’s stake in XAI, and the corporate upheaval at OpenAI has drawn traders’ attention.

Polymarket’s bettors’ speculation on Altman’s departure and the subsequent appointment of Shear underscores the growing influence of decentralized prediction platforms in the blockchain space. The betting frenzy also illustrates the crypto community’s keen interest in the developments at OpenAI, indicating the high stakes and potential implications of leadership changes within prominent AI firms.

This betting activity, coupled with the rally in AI-themed tokens following Musk’s announcement, highlights the intricate link between tech industry happenings and crypto market dynamics. The surge in betting and trading activity reflects the sector’s volatility and the ways in which news and speculation can significantly influence market behavior in the crypto world.