Animoca Brands, a Hong Kong-based web3 venture capital firm focused on the metaverse and blockchain gaming, is considering returning to public financial markets in the second half of 2025.
Yat Siu, co-founder and Executive Chairman, disclosed plans for a potential public listing either in the Middle East or their native Hong Kong, noting that; “It’s contingent on many factors, but we feel confident that we will go public.”
This would mark Animoca Brands’ return to public markets, after the company was delisted from the Australian Securities Exchange in 2020.
How did Animoca Brands get to this position?
Founded back in 2014, Animoca Brands has seen its value surge, boasting a staggering $5.9 billion valuation following a funding round in 2021.
The brand has continued to strengthen its stake in sectors across blockchain and web3, making investments in dominant outlets such as The Sandbox, Axie Infinity, and the TON network.
Animoca Brands parted ways with the Australian Securities Exchange in 2020 amidst concerns from the exchange on Animoca’s crypto-centric operations. Despite this setback, the company appears clear in its ambition to re-enter the public market, and is aiming for an efficient return to the market.
Could Animoca Brands’ reentry affect the sector?
The prospect of Animoca Brands going public is significant for the NFT, metaverse, and web3 domains.
With one of the largest entities in the industry returning to public markets, their valuation could be a litmus test for perceptions on blockchain gaming, and could enable a broader dialogue on how receptive crypto-based entities are to everyday investors.
Animoca’s return to public listing would also help to highlight the hurdles these enterprises can face when striving for compliance.
With both regulation and prevailing market dynamics in play, Animoca Brands’ pivot towards public investment signifies a crucial chapter in its evolution. A successful return to public markets could open the door for more mainstream brand deals with both Animoca Brands and web3 at large, driving growth across 2025 and beyond.
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