How Yat Siu Led Animoca to Blockchain Gaming Success

• Yat Siu transitioned from Outblaze to Animoca, leading blockchain gaming investments and pushing for mainstream adoption by 2025.
• He actively promotes Web3 adoption, serving on Hong Kong’s Task Force to shape blockchain regulation, ecosystem growth, and industry development.

Yat Siu, born in Vienna in 1973, is a tech entrepreneur with a unique and inspiring path in technology and blockchain. Yat was first guided to follow in his parents’ footsteps into music, from a family steeped in music—his mother was an orchestra conductor and his father was an instrumentalist turned businessman.

But early on, particularly once he started programming his Atari console, his fascination in computers started to grow.

From Atari to Innovation: Yat Siu’s Early Tech Journey

Yat started his professional adventure at Atari Germany in 1990. This encounter let him realize the possibilities of the technological sector. A few years later, he headed and directed East Coast operations for Silicon Valley-based graphics software company Lexicor. This encounter deepened Yat’s awareness of the worldwide technological sector.

Yat made a career turning point decision in 1995 when he decided to migrate to Hong Kong. There he started Cybercity, subsequently known as Freenation, the first free email and internet service provider in Asia. This creative action shows Yat’s idea of using technology to reach more people.

Animoca Brands and the Rise of Web3 Gaming

Yat started Outblaze in 1998, originally concentrating on multilingual web-based communication technologies. Outblaze developed under his direction into a technological innovator leader.

Yat sold Outblaze’s messaging division to IBM in 2009, which subsequently made use of the assets to set up the first cloud computing lab in Hong Kong. With this action, Yat changed his emphasis to create digital entertainment.

2014 saw Yat start Animoca Brands, a business today known as a worldwide leader in gaming and blockchain. Popular games including The Sandbox, Crazy Kings, and Crazy Defense Heroes have been created and released by Animoca Brands.

Reflecting its belief that 2025 will be a key year for the mainstream adoption of blockchain gaming, Yat’s leadership has seen the company invest in over 540 blockchain gaming startups.

Yat Siu on AI and Web3 Synergy

Yat discussed the meeting of artificial intelligence (AI) with Web3 technologies at the Hack Seasons conference in Hong Kong in February 2025. With cryptocurrencies as the perfect transaction medium, he said, AI agents naturally live inside the blockchain ecosystem.

Yat also underlined how transparent and easily available blockchain technology could be to transform the educational field.

Shaping Web3: Yat’s Role in Hong Kong’s Blockchain Future

Yat was named as one of the Task Forces to Promote Web3 Development that the Hong Kong government created in 2023. This visit emphasizes Yat’s crucial contribution to the local blockchain and Web3 technology adoption.

In terms of regulation, ecosystem building, industry development, and talent development especially, he thinks this initiative will help shape the adoption of blockchain technology not only in Hong Kong but also worldwide.

Dedication toward Learning and the Digital Future

Apart from his contributions in the space of technology, Yat is also dedicated to education and the acquisition of upcoming competencies.

He co-founded Dalton Learning Lab, a digital laboratory in Hong Kong dedicated to helping students develop varied thinking and useful skills in 2017. This project captures Yat’s conviction that education has to change with the times to equip the following generation.