OpenAI's GPT-5.6 Models Spark Crypto Community Backlash

OpenAI's latest AI model tier, GPT-5.6, has caused a stir in the cryptocurrency community due to its naming conventions. The company named the models Sol, Terra, and Luna, which eerily resemble popular blockchain projects Solana and Terra-Luna.

The names of the models have sparked a range of reactions from the crypto community, with some joking that OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is now known as 'Sam Altcoinman'. Others have expressed surprise and even concern, given the history of the Terra-Luna collapse in 2022, which left billions of dollars in losses.

OpenAI has responded by explaining the product structure behind the GPT-5.6 family, which includes three tiers: Sol, Terra, and Luna. The top-tier model, GPT-5.6 Sol, offers improved performance over the existing GPT-5.5, while GPT-5.6 Terra provides similar performance at half the cost of GPT-5.5. The cheapest model, GPT-5.6 Luna, targets high-volume inference work and offers high efficiency at a low cost.

The GPT-5.6 family is currently offered on a limited basis to trusted partners using Codex and the API, but it has not yet been released to the general public.