Hello friends,
As you all know, I keep bringing you the latest news from the crypto and blockchain world. Today while doing some research, I came across a very exciting update that I think many of you will love — especially those who are fans of Japanese anime and manga. So let’s dive into it.

Recently, Animoca Brands, a well-known Web3 company, announced that it is joining hands with Antler’s Ibex Japan to create a special Web3 entertainment investment fund. The main purpose of this fund is to bring Japanese anime and manga intellectual property (IP) into the blockchain world. This means that many of the famous and even lesser-known Japanese stories and characters could soon have a life in Web3 through NFTs, games, and other blockchain-based projects.

This big news was revealed during the WebX conference in Tokyo, where Animoca’s co-founder Yat Siu, senior adviser Keyvan Peymani, and Ibex Japan partner Sandeep Casi spoke about the plan. According to reports, Sandeep Casi mentioned that almost 90–99% of Japan’s IP is currently lying unused, just sitting on shelves. But this IP has huge global value. By using blockchain technology, this valuable content can be revived and shared with fans all over the world.

Now, why is this partnership such a big deal? Well, Antler has a very wide global reach. They are active in 22 cities, manage around $1.2 billion in assets, and have a network of over 250,000 entrepreneurs. With such a strong network, this new initiative could really expand Japanese anime and manga far beyond Japan and into the international Web3 market.

Japan IP push goes beyond gaming

Yat Siu also explained that Animoca already has a presence in Japan through its local subsidiary ABKK. But this project is about taking things to the next level — not just in gaming, but also exploring Web3 opportunities in areas like fintech, healthcare, and medtech. So, it’s not just entertainment — it’s about showing how Japanese creativity can reach multiple industries with the help of blockchain.

The fund will be managed by Casi and Peymani as co-general partners. Their plan is to license unused Japanese IP and then use it to create new Web3 products and services. We can expect to hear about the first projects under this fund in the coming months.

Another interesting point here is the timing. As many of you know, the NFT market has been recovering strongly. According to NFT Price Floor, the overall NFT market cap recently went up to $9.3 billion in mid-August, which is 40% higher compared to July. This shows that interest in NFTs and digital assets is returning, which makes it a perfect time for Animoca and Antler to start this initiative.

Meanwhile, in the U.S., there is also some interesting movement. Kraken, one of the biggest crypto exchanges, is in talks with the SEC’s Crypto Task Force about its new tokenized trading system. Kraken already launched tokenized stock services in May for non-U.S. investors, allowing them to trade U.S. equities 24/7. And just this week, they expanded this service to the Tron blockchain.

So, if we look at the bigger picture — in Japan we see anime and manga going onchain, and in the U.S. we see stock markets being tokenized. All of this shows that blockchain technology is moving into mainstream industries step by step.

Personally, I think this move by Animoca and Antler could open a huge opportunity for anime and manga fans worldwide. Imagine owning NFTs of your favorite characters, or playing blockchain-based games that bring these stories to life in a new way.

That’s all for today’s update, friends. Let me know in the comments — would you be interested in seeing Japanese anime and manga come into the Web3 world?

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