Animoca Brands is one of the most influential entities in the global Web3 landscape, with over 600 investments in projects related to blockchain, gaming, DeFi, and digital ownership.
In this exclusive interview, the Cryptonomist team spoke with a company representative to delve into investment strategy, vision on the metaverse, NFTs, and the role of utility tokens in the upcoming market cycle.
👉 Watch the full interview: https://youtu.be/CQRib8hCutA
How Animoca Selects Projects to Invest In
Animoca Brands describes its mission as “reimagining the economies of the future”. Each investment is evaluated based on a central question: is the project creating a new digital economy that is more efficient, scalable, and sustainable?
The company primarily focuses on the founder’s vision. In early-stage projects, the team is often more important than the product itself. It’s crucial to understand:
- why the founder is building that project
- whether there is a genuine mission or just opportunism
- deep understanding of tokenomics and blockchain
A fundamental requirement is the project’s crypto-native nature. Animoca avoids companies that “add Web3 for fashion”. The blockchain must offer a structural advantage, not just marketing.
AI is not a category, it’s a standard
According to Animoca, artificial intelligence should no longer be viewed as a standalone vertical. AI will become a competitive standard for all companies.
Companies that combine AI and token economy have a strategic advantage: they can build scalable systems with integrated economic incentives. For this reason, Animoca is keenly interested in mass consumer products that integrate AI, gaming, entertainment, and digital infrastructures.
The Cultural Issue of Digital Ownership
One of the key topics of the interview is digital ownership.
The main issue, according to Animoca, is not technological but cultural: many people do not understand the concept of ownership due to a lack of financial education. Without ownership, there is no capitalism, value exchange, or wealth accumulation.
In Asian countries, where the historical memory of property loss is more recent, crypto adoption is faster. In Europe and partly in the United States, property is taken for granted — and thus undervalued.
Crypto and blockchain bring the concept of individual sovereignty back to the forefront of the economic system.
NFT: status symbol of digital wealth
NFTs are not dead — they are maturing.
Animoca compares them to the art market: their value increases alongside the wealth of the audience that collects them. Today, NFTs represent status symbols of the new crypto elite.
Even though volumes are not at the peaks of 2021, the NFT market still moves approximately 300 million dollars per month. Billionaire collectors continue to purchase rare digital assets as a sign of belonging to a community.
As long as wealth in the crypto sector grows, the symbolic value of NFTs will also increase.
The Metaverse is Already Here
According to Animoca, the metaverse hasn’t disappeared: it has simply changed its name.
We already live in virtual spaces:
- video games like Roblox and Minecraft
- social network
- call Zoom
- shared digital environments
The difference is that today we do not own these spaces. The true Web3 metaverse introduces digital property rights.
The decline in media coverage of the term is primarily linked to Meta’s (formerly Facebook) communication strategy, not to a failure of the concept.
The Future: The Year of Utility Tokens
Animoca believes that the next cycle will not be a generic “alt season,” but rather a natural selection of projects with real utility.
The comparison is with the stock market: you don’t buy everything, you choose solid companies. The same applies to tokens.
Meme coins will continue to exist, but the market will shift towards:
- tangible utility
- real adoption
- measurable value
- sustainable ecosystems
Animoca aims to build and finance precisely these projects.
In conclusion, the company announced its goal of a public listing by the end of the year through a merger with Currency — a move that could mark a new phase of maturation for the entire Web3 sector.
👉 Full interview here: https://youtu.be/CQRib8hCutA
Source: https://en.cryptonomist.ch/2026/02/15/animoca-brands-web3-investments-nfts-metaverse-and-the-future-of-utility-tokens-exclusive-interview/
