Animoca Brands co-founder Yat Siu says crypto misread Trump-era politics.
He said tariffs and rate pressures hurt risk assets 2025.
Bitcoin ended the year weaker as political optimism faded broadly.
Siu graded crypto’s Trump trade performance as disappointing overall publicly.
He argued markets overestimated Trump’s willingness to prioritise digital assets.
Tariff disputes and Federal Reserve tensions overshadowed expectations for policies.
Siu said 2026 will force compliance and genuine utility tokens.
Animoca plans a reverse-merger listing to offer altcoin market exposure.
The deal would leave Animoca controlling ninety-five percent ownership combined.
Siu described the structure as an altcoin proxy for investors.
He said base-layer tokens provide limited diversified exposure for investors.
Animoca holds stakes across hundreds of Web3 and gaming projects.
The company reported strong bookings and consecutive years of profitability.
Siu expects regulatory clarity from Clarity and GENIUS legislation acts.
He said clear rules will attract established companies into crypto.
Siu warned memecoin speculation drained liquidity and burned retail investors.
Trump and Melania branded tokens collapsed sharply after early hype.
He called the episode a damaging attack on community confidence.
Siu said capital will rotate toward products solving real problems.
Gaming creators and brands are expected to drive adoption globally.
He predicted 2026 becomes the year of utility tokens broadly.
Institutional participation will continue as new retail enters regulated markets.
Siu said crypto companies must mature to access public capital.
Animoca expects future tokenisation to bridge equity and blockchain ownership.
He said growing up is unavoidable as firms pursue listings.
At the time of reporting, Bitcoin price was $89,021.41.