Hong Kong-based Animoca Brands partners with Ava Labs to enhance Avalanche's growth in key regions, targeting sectors like entertainment and tokenized assets.
Animoca Brands, a Hong Kong-based Web3 company, has made a strategic investment in Ava Labs, the core developer of the Avalanche blockchain. The partnership aims to support projects on the Avalanche network by providing capital, advisory services, and business development assistance, with a focus on expanding in Asia and the Middle East.
Under the collaboration, Animoca will help Avalanche-based projects scale in sectors such as real-world assets, digital identity, and entertainment. This includes offering access to Animoca's regional networks and its portfolio of over 600 blockchain projects to connect builders with funding and distribution channels.
The initiative targets institutional and government-backed deployments, particularly for tokenized assets and identity systems. Animoca's involvement builds on its February acquisition of a Virtual Asset Service Provider license from Dubai's Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority, enabling expanded crypto services in the region.
Avalanche's Role and Expansion Efforts
Ava Labs, as the main contributor to the Avalanche blockchain, designs it for high-speed, low-cost applications. The network's native token, AVAX, is used for transactions, staking, and security, making it suitable for projects requiring scalable infrastructure.
The partnership will initially prioritize projects launching or expanding in the Middle East and Asia. Neither company has disclosed the investment amount or specific projects to be funded, according to the announcement.
Hong Kong's Growing Crypto Hub Status
Hong Kong has positioned itself as a regulated digital asset center, introducing a licensing regime for crypto platforms in 2023. The city approved spot Bitcoin and Ether ETFs in April 2024 and a spot Solana ETF in October 2025, while advancing initiatives in stablecoins, tokenized bonds, and blockchain-based trade finance.
In February, Hong Kong authorities announced a digital asset platform for tokenized bonds and agreed with Shanghai on a cross-border blockchain platform for trade documentation. This context underscores the strategic timing of Animoca's investment amid growing digital asset activity in the region.
