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The Decoder
How China's gray market sells Claude tokens at a fraction of the price
Despite significant restrictions from Anthropic, a gray market for Claude tokens in China has emerged, setting prices at about 10% of the official rates. This market not only aids users in obtaining APIs cheaply but also raises serious issues regarding data security and model integrity as the means for accessing these resources become more opaque. As developers tune into these services, the risks associated with model swapping and the accumulation of sensitive user data become increasingly evident, challenging both market practices and security measures.
MonitorConfidence: MediumImmediate horizonCybersecurity risk: High
Published 23 Aug 2026, 08:10 UTC5 min read
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Summary
TL;DR
- China’s gray market for AI models undermines Anthropic’s strict access controls.
- Users can purchase Claude tokens for as low as 10% of the official price.
- Methods include exploiting enterprise discounts and farmed credits.
- Model swapping practices raise concerns about data integrity and security.
- Anthropic is collaborating with other companies to combat unauthorized model copying.
Interesting facts
- The gray market includes a wide range of users, from students to tech firms.
- Model swapping practice, termed 'diluting', poses risks for quality assurance.
- The circumvention infrastructure extends beyond AI, feeding into various illegal markets.