Animoca Brands Partners With Antler for Japanese Anime and Manga Web3 Fund
Cointelegraph reports that Animoca Brands has partnered with Antler's corporate innovation division, Ibex Japan, to create a dedicated Web3 entertainment investment fund. The partnership was announced Tuesday at the WebX conference in Tokyo.
Animoca co-founder Yat Siu, senior adviser Keyvan Peymani, and Ibex Japan partner Sandeep Casi presented the initiative during the conference. Casi and Peymani will serve as co-general partners of the new fund. The fund will license underutilized Japanese intellectual property and support the creation of new Web3 products and services.
According to Casi, "90% to 99% of Japan's IP is lying dormant on the shelves and has great value." Antler's global reach includes 22 cities, $1.2 billion in assets under management, and a network of 250,000 entrepreneurs. The partnership aims to expand Japanese IP globally beyond gaming into fintech, healthcare, and medtech applications.
Why This Partnership Matters Now
The timing reflects favorable market conditions for digital assets and NFT adoption. Cointelegraph reports that NFT market capitalization peaked at $9.3 billion on August 13, representing a 40% increase from July's $6.6 billion. This recovery provides strong momentum for bringing intellectual property onto blockchain platforms.
CoinLaw data shows the global NFT market reached $49 billion in 2025, with gaming NFTs accounting for 38% of total transaction volume this year. Japan's anime and manga community represents a particularly engaged audience, with enthusiasts spending $2.5 billion annually on collectibles and merchandise according to Jumpstart Magazine.
The fund addresses a critical gap in monetizing Japan's vast entertainment catalog while providing creators with new revenue streams through blockchain technology.
Industry Impact on Web3 Entertainment
This partnership represents a shift toward utility-driven NFTs in the entertainment sector. BitDegree notes the project's main objective is connecting overlooked Japanese content with blockchain developers who can use that IP in practical applications.
The initiative could reshape how traditional entertainment companies approach Web3 adoption. Rather than creating standalone NFT collections, the fund will integrate existing intellectual property into broader blockchain ecosystems. This approach may encourage other major entertainment markets to develop similar strategies for monetizing dormant content libraries.
Jumpstart Magazine reports that manga merchandising already makes up 44.36% of Japan's anime revenues, but creators struggle to make a living. Web3 tools could provide artists with direct access to global audiences while reducing dependence on traditional distribution channels.
The success of this fund may influence regulatory frameworks and industry standards for IP tokenization across Asia and globally.
Further Reading
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