Indonesian Food Industry Conglomerate Embraces Blockchain Tech

Saudi Arabia’s NEOM Forms $50M Animoca Brands PartnershipHong Kong’s Animoca brands, a gaming and metaverse venture capital firm, is embarking on a partnership with Saudi Arabia’s NEOM Investment Fund, focusing on pioneering Web3 initiatives.Animoca announced the initiative via a statement published to its website on Monday. NEOM is an ambitious project aiming to create a futuristic urban oasis in northwest Saudi Arabia, serving as a nexus for technology, commerce, entertainment, and tourism. It is planning to invest $50 million in Animoca.Photo by Hala AlGhanim on UnsplashDeveloping Web3 service capabilitiesThis collaboration will see Animoca harness its expertise to develop Web3 service capabilities with broad global applications in tandem with NEOM, aligning with NEOM’s vision of becoming a cutting-edge tech hub of the future.Animoca Brands has been a prominent player in the Web3 investment arena for several years. In July 2022, the company’s valuation soared to $6 billion, with backing from notable entities such as Singapore’s state investment fund, Temasek. Despite its ambitious goal to secure $2 billion for its metaverse fund in November of the same year, those expectations were significantly tempered following the FTX collapse. Consequently, in March, Animoca revised its target to a more modest $800 million.In-house market makingA report by The Block on Friday revealed that Animoca has been making efforts to pitch an in-house market making service to fledgling Web3 businesses within its portfolio. That service has been presented by the company to more than 400 startup projects in which it has been an investor over recent months.The key market makers in the crypto space include Wintermute, Keyrock, and GSR. This move by Animoca potentially puts Animoca in direct competition with these primary crypto-sector market makers. An in-house digital asset team has been tasked with offering the service. An Animoca spokesperson stated:“Its primary role, much like the treasury teams in many large corporations, is to optimize the utilization of the company’s balance sheet. The team does conduct market-making to ensure there is enough buy/sell liquidity for certain tokens, which is similar to the function that third-party market makers conduct, except that we choose to perform this in-house for scale and efficiency.”Saudi diversificationAs part of its Vision 2030 initiative, Saudi Arabia has been looking to diversify away from its predominantly oil-based economy. In an interview last month, Animoca Brands Founder Yat Siu outlined that the Middle Eastern country is embracing new technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and blockchain, encompassing blockchain-based gaming and Web3.In July it emerged that the Saudi Central Bank (SAMA) and the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) were looking to extend the level of collaboration between the two territories relative to international payments and tokenization.This renewed interest from state-backed funds in Animoca suggests a potential shift in the Web3 venture capital landscape, coinciding with broader indications of a thaw in the crypto winter. The collaboration with NEOM and the injection of $50 million underscore the growing recognition of Web3’s potential, cementing Animoca Brands’ position as a key player in the ever-developing Web3 space.

Zodia Custody to Commence Yield Offering on StablecoinsIn a play that’s designed to entice institutional investors, Zodia Custody, a portfolio company of Japanese financial services conglomerate SBI, is gearing up to offer a yield on digital assets.Photo by CoinWire Japan on UnsplashIntroducing “Zodia Custody Yield”The crypto startup has introduced “Zodia Custody Yield,” a crypto staking option designed to reward holders of crypto assets stored within its platform. The initiative has been launched in partnership with Singapore-based DeFi platform OpenEden. It promises returns on stablecoins although full details on the offering remain undisclosed.Jeremy Ng, Co-Founder of OpenEden, expressed his belief in the potential of cryptocurrencies to generate substantial passive income for their holders. Ng stated:“There are billions of dollars worth of stablecoins sitting on the sidelines when they could easily be generating yields for investors.”TradFi embracing digital assetsZodia’s move aligns with a growing trend in the financial industry. Yesterday, a leading US bank, Citi, disclosed its collaboration with Maersk to facilitate services that convert funds into digital assets. The primary goal is to enable the bank’s customers to execute nearly instantaneous payments, unrestricted by traditional business hours.Simultaneously, several prominent asset management firms are awaiting a pivotal decision from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) regarding their applications to launch a spot Bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF). This list includes major players such as BlackRock, Invesco, WisdomTree, ARK Invest, Valkyrie, and Franklin Templeton. BlackRock, the frontrunner in the efforts being expended towards ETF approval, submitted its application for a spot Bitcoin ETF on June 16.In a recent interview, Bloomberg analyst Eric Balchunas said that he expects $150 billion in capital to flow into the Bitcoin market within two years of a spot Bitcoin ETF approval in the US.The financial strategies of these entities now prominently feature blockchain and crypto-based products, once considered niche but now integral to their operations. Nonetheless, even with widespread anticipation of the approval of BlackRock’s ETF, the firm faces substantial obstacles. US regulators have subjected BlackRock to intense scrutiny due to concerns regarding its ties to China. Additionally, political figures have criticized the asset manager for prioritizing environmental, social, and governance (ESG) criteria over investor returns.Zodia was spun out of British multinational banking firm Standard Chartered. The bank has a positive outlook relative to crypto. In a bold prediction made in June, the UK-based bank forecasted that the value of Bitcoin could potentially surge to $50,000 by the end of the year, with an even more optimistic projection of $120,000 for 2024.In 2021 Standard Chartered, in collaboration with Northern Trust, a leading asset servicing firm, founded Zodia Custody. Since its inception, the venture has garnered a respectable level of success. It successfully secured $36 million in investments and solidified a partnership with SBI Digital Asset Holdings, enabling its expansion into the Japanese market.In May, the firm launched its crypto custodian service in Dubai, having signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Dubai International Financial Center (DIFC). In June, Zodia partnered with blockchain infrastructure provider Blockdaemon, in an effort to further its crypto staking offering. Earlier this month, the company announced its arrival in Singapore, with a view towards expanding its digital asset custody service there.

Interactive Brokers Hong Kong secures retail crypto trading licenseInteractive Brokers Hong Kong has successfully obtained the necessary licensing to facilitate retail crypto trading in Hong Kong, marking a pivotal move for the brokerage firm in the rapidly evolving crypto landscape of the region.This announcement was made by David Friedland, the Managing Director for Asia Pacific at Interactive Brokers, on LinkedIn on Friday, solidifying the firm’s position as a significant player in the local crypto market.Photo by Risa Fukunaga on UnsplashOngoing interest in virtual assets in Hong KongThe decision to enter retail crypto trading comes at a time when Hong Kong is experiencing sustained interest and activity within the crypto sector. Interactive Brokers had rolled out BTC and ETH trading services to accredited investors in Hong Kong in February. Major companies are actively seeking local licensing, mirroring similar milestones achieved by entities like HashKey and Swiss crypto bank SEBA.In a parallel development, it emerged last week that Victory Securities, a prominent investment firm in Hong Kong, has also secured regulatory approval from the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) to offer cryptocurrency services targeting retail clients. This positions Victory Securities alongside Interactive Brokers in the competitive retail crypto space of the region.Significance acknowledged within the industryThis milestone achievement by Interactive Brokers in Hong Kong has not gone unnoticed within the virtual assets sector. Gabor Gurbacs, Head of Digital Asset Strategy at American investment management firm VanEck, took to the X platform, stating:“Hungarians know inflation and the importance of hard money. Thanks to [Interactive Brokers Founder/Chairman Thomas Peterffy] for being a silent Bitcoin advocate. You can count on Hungarians when it comes to important matters.”As Interactive Brokers expands its footprint, recent financial reports reveal impressive growth. In the third quarter, the company reported a remarkable 45% year-over-year increase in net revenue, reaching $1.145 billion. The firm is strategically focusing on European expansion, consolidating operations in Ireland to enhance efficiency and better serve its growing client base.Moreover, Interactive Brokers has extended trading hours for U.S. equities and crypto services in partnership with Zero Hash, a move geared towards providing ever more comprehensive and accessible financial services. The successful entry into Hong Kong’s retail crypto trading arena is expected to contribute significantly to the firm’s overall growth and influence in the region.Fine-tuning regulationThe regulatory environment in Hong Kong has recently undergone adjustments, with the SFC refining its crypto policies. While certain offerings have been restricted to professional investors, there is now an increased emphasis on evaluating clients’ knowledge before allowing them to engage in crypto transactions. Despite these stringent measures, the sector has faced challenges, including the JPEX scandal that shook Hong Kong’s digital asset market.In 2022, Interactive Brokers extended its crypto trading service in the United States on a 24/7 basis, having first commenced with a crypto product offering in mid-2021. With this strategic move, Interactive Brokers, as a TradFi stalwart, has demonstrated adaptability and resilience in the face of ongoing digital asset innovation and evolving market conditions.