Republic to Tokenize Animoca Brands Equity on Solana

Real-world asset (RWA) tokenization company Republic plans to tokenize equity in major Hong Kong-based Web3 investment company Animoca Brands.

According to a Tuesday Republic announcement, Animoca Brands’ equity tokenization on Solana will allow more investors to access exposure to the company. Animoca is not listed on any public exchange but has invested in more than 600 Web3 projects.

Andrew Durgee, co-CEO at Republic, said the initiative sets “a precedent for how companies can structure their equity for the future.” Solana Foundation president Lily Liu added that the move “showcases what internet capital markets make possible,” giving retail investors access to opportunities once reserved for private markets.

According to the release, the tokenized equity will be minted on Solana and distributed to participating investors’ wallets, and trading will then be possible on Republic’s infrastructure.

Republic did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Related: Animoca launches NUVA marketplace to unify ‘fragmented’ RWA sector

Real-world assets see growing interest

Real-world assets are a niche within the cryptocurrency industry that continues to attract growing interest. Animoca Brands’ initiative also follows a research paper by the company suggesting that tokenized real-world assets may eventually represent trillions of dollars worth of traditional finance assets.

Last week, tokenized funds from major crypto investment firms BlackRock and VanEck further intertwined with the crypto economy by integrating the Ripple USD stablecoin as an off-ramp. Elsewhere last week, Forward Industries, a Nasdaq-listed company holding the largest corporate Solana treasury, announced its intention to bring its own equity to the blockchain.

Related: Animoca and Standard Chartered form stablecoin venture in Hong Kong

Animoca Brands bids on expansion

Animoca Brands appears to be leveraging this initiative as a means to raise additional capital for its operations. This follows the company’s recent aggressive and capital-intensive expansion.

Earlier this month, Animoca Brands was among the companies that participated in a $6.9 million funding round for the decentralized science platform Bio Protocol. The investment company’s metaverse-focused subsidiary, The Sandbox (SAND), was reportedly restructuring its operations in late August.

Animoca Brands also recently teamed up with Antler’s corporate innovation arm, Ibex Japan, to launch a dedicated Web3 entertainment investment fund.

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