The Asia-Pacific region is expected to lead global growth in family office wealth, Manana Samuseva, founder of FOIS, told CoinDesk.

Sep 19, 2024, 6:54 a.m.

• The Asia-Pacific region is expected to lead global growth in family office wealth, Manana Samuseva, founder of FOIS, told CoinDesk.
• New ventures poised to enter the token markets are seeing valuations set exceptionally high by venture capitalists. This trend is making liquid token investments increasingly attractive, Delta Blockchain Fund's Kavita Gupta said.
• Polymath's Trevor Koverko proposed "label to earn."
• Future lies in building the creator economy and leveraging user-generated content, Rhinocorn Ventures's Casey Grooms said while discussing gaming.

Family offices managing at least $100 million are increasingly looking toward liquid token investments, artificial intelligence (AI), and gaming as part of a bold move into alternative assets, as revealed in the latest edition of the Family Offices Investors Summit (FOIS) held in Singapore this week.

There are 8,030 single-family offices globally and their assets under management (AUM) are projected to surge by 189% to $9.5 trillion by 2030.

"The Asia-Pacific region is expected to lead global growth in family office wealth, with assets under management in Singapore likely to increase by 10% to $5.41 trillion by 2025. Much of this growth is attributed to net inflows into alternative investments, with 37% of family offices expecting the widespread adoption of digital technology and 32% focusing on sustainable investments," Manana Samuseva, founder of FOIS, told CoinDesk.

Samuseva said that Gen Z investors – the "kid investors" – are directing capital toward societal progress as emerging asset classes surpass $30 million in AUM in today's techno-democracy and virality of value in the attention economy.

"While short-term, profit-focused tech investments have slowed, alongside the AI hype, these markets remain highly sensitive to external factors, indicating a shift toward market maturity in digital asset classes, supported by greater accessibility and cultural shifts. Our strategy is focused on delivering 10x+ IRR returns through alternative investments," Samuseva explained.

Liquid token investments and AI

Per Kavita Gupta, founder and general partner of Delta Blockchain Fund, liquid token investments look increasingly attractive relative to early-stage investments.

"We're at an interesting juncture in tokenomics. Despite a downturn in altcoin markets, including those with established projects, new ventures poised to enter the token markets are seeing valuations set exceptionally high by venture capitalists. This trend is making liquid token investments increasingly attractive compared to early-stage investments, marking a significant shift in the crypto industry," Gupta explained during her speech at the summit.

Trevor Koverko, a prominent business angel backing over 100 startups and renowned for co-founding and scaling ventures such as Polymath, Polymesh, Matador, and Tokens.com, cited data labeling as the fastest-growing segment in artificial intelligence, stressing the need to establish a global network where individuals can "Label to Earn," transforming data labeling and distribution.

Avichal Garg, partner at Electric Capital, said family offices increasingly recognize the potential of AI, deep tech, and decentralized finance in boosting their long-term innovation and growth.

"Our focus is on identifying and supporting disruptive technologies and exceptional founders who promise substantial returns and transformative impact. As we approach 2030, the convergence of technology and finance will continue to create new opportunities for savvy investors," Garg said during a panel discussion.

Gaming

Speaking of gaming, Casey Grooms, Managing Partner at Rhinocorn Ventures and Soulbound, said the future lies in building the creator economy and leveraging user-generated content.

"Community capital, along with communities united by shared interests, fun, and showcasing achievements, alongside an in-stream prediction marketplace, are the top three trends in the market right now. Our mission is to transform gaming by redefining player acquisition and retention, aiming to reach 3.2 billion gamers worldwide and establish a new profit paradigm for community investors," Grooms noted.

Jonathan Huang from BITKRAFT Ventures added that gaming has long thrived on compelling content and engagement models, but Web3 has taken a step further, fostering digital asset ownership, decentralization and player-driven economies.

"It transforms how value is created, shared, and retained in games, in turn unlocking the potential for games to become scalable digital economies. In the end, we're not just investing in games; we're investing in the future of digital economies and how value will flow through these virtual worlds. That's the real game-changer," Huang stated.

Regarding digital art as an investment, Afrodet Zuri, with over a decade of expertise as a curator in Contemporary Art from the Institute for Art at Sotheby's, said, "Investors can tap into new dimensions of digital value and influence that resonate across global markets by embracing potential and culturally significant of art."