Animoca Brands Japan Raises $45M at $500M Pre-Money Valuation

Animoca Brands Japan, a unit of non-fungible token (NFT) and metaverse investor Animoca Brands, has raised $45 million to secure local licences and investments, the company said on Friday.

The investment has taken the firms' pre-money valuation to $500 million. NFTs represent the digital ownership of physical or digital assets.

The $45 million investment came in equal parts from its parent company Animoca Brands and one of Japan's oldest and largest bank, MUFG Bank. Animoca Brands Japan and MUFG Bank had been considering a collaboration, according to a March announcement.

The move comes despite Japan's regulators signalling an increased focus on investor protection with tighter regulations. This includes a 30% tax on profit from crypto holdings, a new stablecoin regulation, and reports of disagreements between the industry crypto advocacy group and regulators.

Animoca Brands has more than 340 investments which includes NFT marketplace OpenSea, Dapper Labs (NBA Top Shot), Colossal, and Axie Infinity.

Read More: Animoca Brands Raises Additional $75M, Nudging Valuation to $5.9B