Yat Siu is the Co-founder and Chairman of Animoca Brands is a Web3 leader that leverages blockchain to deliver digital property rights to consumers worldwide to help establish the open metaverse. ^[1][2][3][4]

Early Life & Education

Yat Siu's mother, originally from Taiwan but born in Lisbon, Portugal, was an orchestra conductor. Born in Hong Kong, his father began as an instrumentalist before transitioning into business.

Yat Siu studied at the Music and Arts University of the City of Vienna, where he trained in cello, flute, and piano. According to the South China Morning Post, he suggests that he was encouraged to follow in his parents' footsteps and pursue a career in music. ^[13]

Career

Yat Siu's early career began at Atari Germany. Later, he served as a director and led East Coast Operations for Lexicor and AT&T's Solutions System Integration practice.

In 1996, after relocating to Hong Kong, he founded Cybercity, an internet and email provider. The company was later renamed Freenation, which the South China Morning Post described as "Asia's first free web page and email provider."

In 1998, he met Antony Yip, a tech-savvy young professional, and together they created Outblaze, a service that allowed customers to create customized websites with private-label, free web email, mailing lists, message boards, and chat services. ^[13][5]

"Then in '98 we couldn't raise the money: potential investors were not going to give funds to two kids. Early in '99 Antony and I went our separate ways [Mr Yip to found myrice.com], and the company was living off my credit cards until construction firm China Rich Holdings came in."^[13]

Animoca Brands

In 2015, Yat Siu co-founded Animoca Brands and served as the Director of the company. At the time, Animoca Brands (ASX:AB1) was a Game Developer and Publisher for content such as Cryptokitties, Garfield, Doraemon, and Ultraman and is public on the ASX. It develops mobile games and applications as well as blockchain games and dApps. ^[4]

Animoca Brands leverages gamification, blockchain, and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies to develop and publish a broad portfolio of mobile products including games such as The Sandbox, Crazy Kings, and Crazy Defense Heroes as well as products based on popular intellectual properties such as Garfield, Thomas & Friends™, Ever After High and Doraemon. The Company is based in Hong Kong, Canada, and Finland with Yat Siu becoming the chairman of the board at Animoca Brands in 2018. ^[5]

In March 2023, Animoca Brands launched Mocaverse, a Web3 community connected through its unique NFT collection of 8888 Mocas, categorized into five tribes: Dreamers, Builders, Angels, Connectors, and Neo-Capitalists. Mocas represent different personas in the Web3 ecosystem and offer many associated initiatives and benefits to their holders. ^[7]

On other web3 exploration areas for the company, Siu answered CoinMarketCap saying;

"We're involved in education with Open Campus, where we're onboarding universities, colleges and students into the space. Education is a $5 trillion market, significantly larger than gaming. There's massive potential in moving education on-chain, including possibilities for managing student loans more efficiently.""We're also focusing on being institutional-ready. Our MOCA token has performed well compared to other gaming and metaverse tokens because it has institutional backing. To attract institutional investors, you need to show your roadmap and plans clearly.""We're also exploring NFTs as a way to protect intellectual property rights and as proof of humanity. In a world where AI is becoming more prevalent, it's crucial to have ways to verify that you're dealing with actual humans who have reputations built over time."^[7]

In August 2025, Animoca Brands partnered with Provenance Blockchain Labs (ProvLabs) to co-develop NUVA, a vault marketplace designed to connect real-world asset (RWA) issuers with investors. Siu stated that the goal is to make institutional-quality assets more accessible across a unified, multi-chain ecosystem. ^[14]

Stablecoin Initiative in Hong Kong

In August 2025, Animoca Brands formed a joint venture (JV) with the Hong Kong division of Standard Chartered bank and Hong Kong Telecom (HKT). The JV, known as Anchorpoint, aims to create a business model for issuing licensed stablecoins. Anchorpoint has stated its intention to apply for a stablecoin issuer license under Hong Kong's new regulatory framework, which came into effect in August 2025. The three companies had been participating in the Hong Kong Monetary Authority's (HKMA) stablecoin sandbox for over a year in preparation. ^[22]

Animoca Fundings

In 2015, Animoca Brands went public on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) with an IPO that raised A$2.4 million. In 2021, the company raised $138.88 million in two tranches, achieving a valuation of $1 billion and becoming a crypto unicorn.

In September 2023, the company raised $20 million in an Unattributed VC round with investors including CMCC Global and Kingsway Capital Partners. And in December 2023, $11.89 million in an Unattributed VC round with investors like Block1, Dapper Labs, and OKX Ventures.

In November 2024, they announced additional funding of US$10 million for Mocaverse to build out the interoperable infrastructure tech stack for consumer crypto adoption with large user base ecosystems. ^{[15] [8]}

Yat Siu commented on the funding saying:

“With Mocaverse and its [Realm] - (https://iq.wiki/wiki/realm) Network we are bringing the [Web3] - (https://iq.wiki/wiki/web3) ethos of interoperability to life, driving decentralization and shared network effects across the broader [Web3] - (https://iq.wiki/wiki/web3) ecosystem. The raise announced today features participation from esteemed and strategically important investors, and we are honored by this level of support as we work to advance digital property rights, interoperability, and the evolution of the Internet into more equitable decentralized systems.”^[8]

Board Memberships and Advisory Roles

Yat Siu has served on the boards of several organizations. In 2003, he became a Board Member of the Asian Youth Orchestra. He is also a member of the advisory board of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA), having joined in 2013. In 2020, he joined the Board of Directors for the Dalton Foundation, the sponsoring body of the Dalton School Hong Kong. ^[5][9]

In July 2025, Siu joined the planned Strategic Advisory Board of DigitalX, Australia's sole ASX-listed crypto fund manager. The appointment followed Animoca Brands' participation in and advisory role for DigitalX's A$20.7 million (US$13.5 million) strategic placement. The funding round, which also included investors UTXO Management and ParaFi Capital, was intended to expand DigitalX's Bitcoin holdings, with approximately $12.8 million of the proceeds allocated for Bitcoin purchases. In his advisory role, Siu provides guidance on DigitalX's Bitcoin treasury strategy and broader trends in Web3 and crypto. Siu has expressed that he views Bitcoin as a gateway to the wider digital asset ecosystem, stating, "once you have some Bitcoin, directly or indirectly, you get into other tokens too and expand the on-chain activity." ^{[16][17][23][24]}

Hong Kong Task Force Appointment

In July 2023, Yat Siu was appointed to the Task Force on Promoting Web3 Development by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. Chaired by the Financial Secretary, the Task Force comprises 15 non-official members from the relevant market sectors, with the participation of key Government officials and financial regulators. ^[6]

Yat Siu  commented;

“I am honoured to be appointed to the Task Force and I look forward to contributing to this forward-thinking initiative. The Task Force firmly establishes Hong Kong as the leading example of a mature and highly modernized economy that embraces the remarkable opportunities presented by [Web3] - (https://iq.wiki/wiki/web3), blockchain, virtual assets, and the open metaverse. I believe that the work of the Task Force will help to shape not only Hong Kong but also globally in the adoption of blockchain technologies, particularly in the areas of regulation, ecosystem building, industry development,  and talent development.”^[6]

Views and Philosophy

On Crypto Adoption and the Future of Web3

In early 2025, Siu predicted that the year would be when crypto goes mainstream, drawing a parallel to the internet's inflection point in the 1990s. He argued that just as broadband internet revolutionized industries by making processes more efficient, crypto rails and stablecoins would become indispensable for commerce and trade. He believes Web3 can create a more inclusive and participatory form of capitalism by turning users into stakeholders. ^[18]

During an interview at the World Economic Forum in January 2025, Siu expressed optimism about Web3's resilience but was not fully satisfied with its progress, noting that the number of on-chain users should be much higher to realize the full network effects. He emphasized the need for founders to remain mission-focused on long-term vision rather than short-term gains. His focus for 2025 included navigating the regulatory landscape, enhancing digital identity, and promoting decentralized education through projects like Open Campus. ^[19]

Conviction in Web3 Amid Market Volatility

Siu is known for his strong conviction in Web3, maintaining a bullish outlook even during market downturns when other companies pulled back. He has expressed that having faith in the industry's long-term vision is crucial. "Despite the fact that the entire industry has been dragged through the mud, do you have the conviction to say you have faith and believe in what you’re doing? That’s what we did,” Siu stated in a March 2025 interview. He noted that some other gaming companies became "a little ashamed" during the crypto winter. ^[25]

This approach was reflected in Animoca Brands' performance. While many developers struggled in 2022, Animoca recorded bookings of $573 million. After a dip in 2023 following the FTX collapse, the company's annual bookings grew by over 12% in 2024, with total assets increasing by 43%. A significant portion of this growth came from its digital asset advisory division, which generated $165 million in 2024 by consulting on Web3 projects and token launches. ^[25]

On Web3 Gaming

Siu views gaming as a powerful entry point for Web3, where culture, community, and ownership converge. He believes that for crypto gaming to succeed, the focus must be on creating fun and engaging games first, with the benefits of ownership and trading acting as a bonus. In May 2025, he noted that the industry was in a "bitcoin meta" and that a broader positive narrative around gaming was needed to lift the Web3 gaming sector. He also argued that the financial speculation in crypto gaming should be seen as a feature, not a bug, as it creates a new form of energy and engagement. ^[20][18]

On Emerging Technologies (AI, RWAs)

Siu sees a strong synergy between AI and blockchain, suggesting that "crypto tokens are becoming the currency of AI." He believes that agentic AI, the next evolution of the technology, can use crypto's programmable payment rails to efficiently reward both AI agents and their users. He also highlighted blockchain's role in protecting intellectual property rights in AI applications and the potential for AI to be community-driven through DAOs. ^[19]

Regarding tokenized Real-World Assets (RWAs), Siu has identified them as a major growth area. In August 2025, upon announcing a partnership to develop the RWA marketplace NUVA, he stated, "Tokenized RWAs, which are projected to be worth up to $30 trillion by 2030, today are fragmented across chains and marketplaces, limiting their reach and impact." He aims to make these assets more accessible within a unified ecosystem. ^[14]

On Digital Identity

A recurring theme for Siu is the importance of digital identity and reputation in building trust within Web3. He has stated that Animoca Brands' primary focus is on this area, particularly through its flagship project, Moca Network (Mocaverse). The goal is to create a chain-agnostic digital identity system that allows users to establish a reputation without revealing their personal identity. He believes this is essential for building a robust digital environment that can support billions of users and aligns with compliance requirements like GDPR. ^[19][18]

X Account Compromised

On December 26, 2024, Yat Siu's X account was compromised and used to promote a fictitious token. His metaverse company, Animoca posted a warning on its own account at 01:36 UTC on the 26th saying Siu's account had been compromised and the company was not introducing an official token or non-fungible token (NFT). ^[10]

"Unfortunately @ysiu social media account has been compromised. There is no official token or NFT launch from Animoca Brands. The token launch on [Solana] - (https://iq.wiki/wiki/solana) as claimed in a post was made by the hacker. Please DO NOT engage with the account and stay vigilant." - Animoca's team tweeted ^[11]

According to ZachXBT, the exploit was probably perpetrated through a phishing email that purported to come from X and be related to copyright infringement. The false post from Siu's account promoted a token named MOCA on the Solana blockchain. ^[12]

According to a post from Mocaverse, the creator of the Moca Coin (MOCA), control of Siu's account has been secured by X, which is in the process of verifying ownership. Related accounts remain untouched.

"This morning [Dec 26, 2024, 09:00 HKT], Yat’s official X account @ysiu was reported to have been compromised by unauthorized access despite with 2FA set up, where the bad actor used the account to post false information and links regarding a fake SOLANA token."

"There is no compromise on Animoca Brands, Moca Network or MOCA [Foundation] - (https://iq.wiki/wiki/foundation) official handles, and there are strict security measures in place," it said. ^[21]