Temasek Expands Crypto Presence, Prepares to Lead $100M Fundraising for Animoca

Singaporean state holding company Temasek Holdings is ready to lead a $100 million fundraising for Animoca Brands Corp., according to Bloomberg.

The persons who spoke to the media outlet on condition of anonymity revealed that Temasek will lead the funding through convertible bonds. Animoca initially disclosed a previous funding round in January, when the Hong Kong business raised $359 million from investors, including George Soros and the Winklevoss twins. Saying that this round of funding is an addition to that round. Animoca raised an additional $75 million earlier in July, valuing the company close to $5.5 billion.

Animoca’s future plans align with Temasek

Notably, the announcement coincides with the current decline in the value of cryptocurrencies, which could prove advantageous to the investment firm if Animoca continues its performance as the market recovers.

Animoca Brands, an existing investor in the metaverse, non-fungible tokens (NFTs), and blockchain gaming, is quickly growing its portfolio of gaming, social media, and finance enterprises. Be[In]Crypto had previously noted the head of the Hong Kong-based Animoca Brands, Yat Siu, stating that the goal is to give people ownership over their virtual properties and break up the likes of Meta Platforms and Microsoft, which he describes as “digital dictatorships.”

Crypto presence expanded despite Singapore’s stricter rules

CEO Siu had also previously stated that the company was “deeply honoured” by investors’ faith in the face of crypto winter. But, the current investment also seems to align with where Temasek is headed. In an earlier interview, Pradyumna Agrawal, Temasek’s managing director for blockchain investments stated, “Truly crypto-native efforts are another area we’re excited by, which includes anything in the finance area, and of course, gaming is another area we’re big believers in. We also see a number of other emerging categories like social, which can be very powerful.”

Meanwhile, while none of the parties to the deal have commented on the development, last week’s regulatory filings also revealed that Temasek invested $15 million in neobanking platform Fi in its Series C funding. The funding was through V-Sciences Investments, an indirect exposure that Temasek also reportedly prefers for investment in cryptocurrency platforms. The state fund had also contributed $200 million to a $3 billion investment round for the cryptocurrency lender Amber Group in February, despite Singapore’s growing regulations for the sector.

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