Animoca Brands co-founder Yat Siu said agentic artificial intelligence is the most significant shift on the internet since blockchain and announced a new $10 million investment program to back the trend. In remarks made in Miami, Siu argued that agent-driven systems will unlock dramatic productivity gains and urged retail investors to diversify broadly across emerging opportunities.
Animoca Launches $10 Million Agentic AI Initiative
Siu said Animoca Brands is committing $10 million to invest in projects building agentic AI — autonomous software agents capable of executing tasks such as search, curation, and transactions with minimal human input. The initiative extends Animoca’s broader strategy of funding technologies that support digital property rights and open metaverse infrastructure.
While specific deployment timelines and target sectors were not disclosed, Siu framed the program as a bet on AI systems that can act on behalf of users, potentially transforming how people discover content, interact with applications, and manage digital assets.
“1,000x” Productivity Claims and the Internet’s Next Epoch
Siu described agentic AI as the largest technological inflection point since the advent of blockchain, contending that automation via AI agents could drive “1,000x” productivity improvements over time. He argued that delegating complex, multi-step tasks to AI will compress costs and accelerate workflows across consumer and enterprise use cases, with knock-on effects for Web3 applications, gaming, and digital commerce.
Agentic AI refers to systems that plan, decide, and act toward goals, often orchestrating tools, APIs, or smart contracts. In crypto and Web3 contexts, proponents see potential in autonomous agents that can manage wallets, execute on-chain strategies under user-defined constraints, or optimize digital asset portfolios while preserving user ownership and transparency.
Message to Retail Investors: Diversify Broadly
Addressing retail market participants, Siu advised building “wide baskets” of exposure across the space rather than concentrating bets. He framed diversification as a way to capture upside across fast-moving AI and Web3 sectors while acknowledging the uncertainty inherent in early-stage innovation. His comments reflect his view of the market and were not specific investment recommendations.
Background on Animoca Brands
Hong Kong–based Animoca Brands is a prominent investor and builder in Web3, known for backing blockchain gaming, non-fungible token (NFT) infrastructure, and decentralized applications. The firm has invested in and incubated projects focused on digital ownership and open metaverse ecosystems. The new agentic AI program adds another pillar to its strategy of supporting technologies that expand user control over data and assets.